Single Throw's Internet Marketing Post

Single Throw is an Internet Marketing firm that helps businesses with sales lead generation by making sure your message is in the right place at the right time - when a customer is searching and has need - when they are most likely to make a buying decision. We call this "From Search to Success." In this blog, Single Throw's experts will share their insights on the state of business and marketing, both online and offline, as well explore new areas of Internet Marketing.

Monday, February 27, 2006

Making it easy for your customers

Every business, everyday, is asking their customers for the sale. Online or brick and mortar; it makes no difference. That's a lot to ask for. Because you are not only asking for their hard earned dollars but also the acceptance of all the qualifiers that come along with that:
  • Trust: the product or service lives up to expectations.
  • Security: the safety of the transaction and all related information.
  • Dependability: the promise that you will be there well after the sale.
  • Value: the product or service is "worth it"

Let's face it; there are a lot of different products and services they can choose from. The Internet has opened up the entire world to freely sell well beyond the "mall walls" that once surrounded them. CBS News ran an interesting feature yesterday, noting the Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz, discussing the world of choices and how having so many has actually made us LESS happy. (The topic of "happiness" is a whole 'nother article.)

So if customers have so many choices, why wouldn't you make it easier to choose YOU?

Take the web experience, for example. Do you like to get to a website and have the site ask you to install software to see their information? No. It would be easier if you were just simply presented with the information. Alternatively, I can click my back button and check out your competitors in my search results...maybe they make it easier.

I saw something interesting at TomPeters.com. He recently released a new version of his slide presentation, yet used a font that most people would not have on their computers. He suggests that you purchase it. While I'm a huge fan of design and branding, and would love for the world to use Frutiger as their default font, I realize that for people to see my message, I need to use the tools that are most accessible to them. I am already asking them for their business - their money - I do not want to ask them for more than that.

Peters, the exceptional professional that he is, realized this was a mistake and gracefully restored order by revising the presentation using fonts that everyone typically has available, and offering those that did purchase the font a free book.

Morale(s) of the story:

  1. Make it difficult for your customers and you will lose them (with them goes their money)
  2. If you make a mistake, fix it. The go over and above and make the customers smile.
  3. Not everyone is Tom Peters. Learn from him. He's human.

Internet marketing goes well beyond the walls of the Internet and search engines and optimization and all those buzzwords we are fed on a daily basis. Most good marketing stems from common sense. Common sense says, "Why be difficult?" Ask yourself that every step of the way and always keep in the back of your mind this: your customers are paying for every word, every image every bell and whistle you put on your site. Make sure that everything you do provides the customer with the four qualifiers and you will make the potential of them giving you their hard earned dollars that much easier...and regular!


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posted by Single Throw @ 1:15 PM Link