Website Business Mistakes to Avoid

The Net is a powerful tool that lets you conduct business any time and any where in the world. From a consumer's perspective, here's some suggestions that would help induce users to reach for their credit card.

1. Your Web site should compliment your real-life business.

As an example, we offer you a story of the florist shop with the beautiful Web site.

The Web site was excellent. Well laid out, easily navigated. Their floral designs were pictured on the site, identified by code numbers and with pricing information clearly visible. Obviously, it was the work of a professional designer and not done on the cheap. It was impressive.

When dialing the phone number to place an order, things got sticky. The salesperson didn't know there was a Web site, had no idea what floral arrangement we were trying to order, or at what price.

If you're going to the trouble of being on the Web, be sure that your sales personnel are giving a consistent message.

2. Answer Your E-mail

If you are going to make your email address available to your customers, make sure that somebody answers the e-mail that you receive, and make sure that the person who does this is knowledgeable and able to communicate through that medium. Nothing will tick your customers off faster than sending an email that is ignored.

And please note: the webmaster or the programmer in your organization is not usually the best person to be handling your questions about your product. You've gone to a lot of trouble to attract potential customers. Try not to annoy them too much through ineffective email practices.

3. The Price Is Not a Secret

It's the peculiar online sales tactic of making the customer work really hard to discover what something costs.

You go to a Web site or you receive a piece of email promoting a particular product or service. However, no pricing information is available. It may not even be readily apparent that the item is for sale.

You click your way through a big Web site, finally to locate pricing information in tiny print in an obscure corner. Sometimes there's just an invitation to phone them or to send an email for more information.

The customer should never have to work really hard to buy something.

4. Forget the Jargon

We received a press release that went like this:

"Our remarkable new solution that promotes integrated data management of media content that will realize better return on investment (ROI), and that, in fact GISTICS has evaluated potential ROI to be as high as 16:1. (GISTICS, 1997) with general benefits ."

If anyone understands what the devil they're selling, please let us know.