Part I: Brainstorming Session
When embarking on creating your web site, the first thing you need to do is develop your vision. What exactly is special about your company? What do you want your visitors to know about your company when they visit your site? When you understand the story behind your site and your company, it'll be easy for you to construct your site in a way that conveys your story.
As a result it's best to start with a brainstorming session regarding your site. Try asking yourself the following questions to help you get an understanding of the kind of site you want to build, and the image you are looking to create:
1. List some adjectives that you want people to think of when they think of your company. For example, do you want to give an impression that you are a safe company? Edgy? Sexy? Smart? Diligent? Create an extensive list, and then choose your top three.
2. Do you want a slogan or a tagline? If so, try brainstorming for it now. Just let your thoughts flow freely; right down everything, even if you think it's bad. For now, just let your mind flow.
3. What is the purpose of your site? What are you selling? Are you selling products or services? How big is your catalog? For instance, are you selling only a handful of products/services? Or are you setting up a mega online store?
4. What kind of approach do you think will work best for your company? Hard sell or soft sell?
The Trust Issue
Anytime you try to sell something, you are trying to establish a relationship with your potential client. And with any relationship, one issue reigns supreme over all others: trust.
This is especially true online, where transactions are seemingly not real; everything is digital, there are no visible people. In the mind of your visitor, it is conceivable that your company, which in most instances your visitor has never heard of or seen before, is an entire scam. Will the product/service be worth the advertised price? Will it be delivered at all? Your site needs to allay these concerns and then go on to earn the trust of your visitors. Trust is the most important issue when constructing your web site -- do not lose sight of it.
To help understand how you need to focus on trust, consider the following questions:
1. What does the client need to trust you to do? For instance, if you are a book reseller, your client does not need to trust you to sell quality books; rather they need to trust that you can actually deliver the books you display in your online store in a timely fashion and at a fair price. If you are an author with your own site that acts as a distribution channel for your book, then you need to convince the user of two matters: (1) you are running an efficient business and can deliver the book in good condition and in a timely, cost-effective manner; and (2) you are a good writer, and the book you are selling is worth buying. Try making a list of each thing the client needs to trust you for.
2. What is the price of your products/services? The higher the cost, the more trust you need to earn. For this reason, it is often best to offer several low-priced products/services if you are selling a high-priced products/services as well; the lower prices can be used to earn trust and develop the relationship so that the sale of high-priced products/services is eventually possible. For an alternative strategy regarding this issue, see the Web Disease special on network marketing.
Try thinking of ways you can earn your clients trust. What can you offer to prove that you are trustworthy? Testimonials? Free samples? Free information?
In the next tutorial, we'll take a look at how to go about creating the content, or the story, behind your site.
As a result it's best to start with a brainstorming session regarding your site. Try asking yourself the following questions to help you get an understanding of the kind of site you want to build, and the image you are looking to create:
1. List some adjectives that you want people to think of when they think of your company. For example, do you want to give an impression that you are a safe company? Edgy? Sexy? Smart? Diligent? Create an extensive list, and then choose your top three.
2. Do you want a slogan or a tagline? If so, try brainstorming for it now. Just let your thoughts flow freely; right down everything, even if you think it's bad. For now, just let your mind flow.
3. What is the purpose of your site? What are you selling? Are you selling products or services? How big is your catalog? For instance, are you selling only a handful of products/services? Or are you setting up a mega online store?
4. What kind of approach do you think will work best for your company? Hard sell or soft sell?
The Trust Issue
Anytime you try to sell something, you are trying to establish a relationship with your potential client. And with any relationship, one issue reigns supreme over all others: trust.
This is especially true online, where transactions are seemingly not real; everything is digital, there are no visible people. In the mind of your visitor, it is conceivable that your company, which in most instances your visitor has never heard of or seen before, is an entire scam. Will the product/service be worth the advertised price? Will it be delivered at all? Your site needs to allay these concerns and then go on to earn the trust of your visitors. Trust is the most important issue when constructing your web site -- do not lose sight of it.
To help understand how you need to focus on trust, consider the following questions:
1. What does the client need to trust you to do? For instance, if you are a book reseller, your client does not need to trust you to sell quality books; rather they need to trust that you can actually deliver the books you display in your online store in a timely fashion and at a fair price. If you are an author with your own site that acts as a distribution channel for your book, then you need to convince the user of two matters: (1) you are running an efficient business and can deliver the book in good condition and in a timely, cost-effective manner; and (2) you are a good writer, and the book you are selling is worth buying. Try making a list of each thing the client needs to trust you for.
2. What is the price of your products/services? The higher the cost, the more trust you need to earn. For this reason, it is often best to offer several low-priced products/services if you are selling a high-priced products/services as well; the lower prices can be used to earn trust and develop the relationship so that the sale of high-priced products/services is eventually possible. For an alternative strategy regarding this issue, see the Web Disease special on network marketing.
Try thinking of ways you can earn your clients trust. What can you offer to prove that you are trustworthy? Testimonials? Free samples? Free information?
In the next tutorial, we'll take a look at how to go about creating the content, or the story, behind your site.
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