If you are growing your business online, you’d probably like to know how to get more visitors to your site. However, just as important getting new visitors is coverting existing visitors to buyers. Getting more business from the same number of visitors is the key to growing your business.
We’ve been a fan of CopyBlogger.com for a while now and recently ran across a great post by senior writer Sonia Simone that offers an amazing list of helpful tips for building your online sales. With her great list of 101 wasy to make more sales online, you can likely find at least a handful of new ideas to help you boost your conversion rates. Just adopting even one of those ideas can increase your sales.
It’s obvious Sonia knows her stuff and this list is no exception. From her list of 101 ways to make more sales online, how many do you think you can use? Let us know if you found this as interesting as we did! Here’s the link to 101 Ways to Make More Sales Online. Of her list, which is your favorite?
9. August 2010 at 9:23 am
Hi Robin and Judy,
Thanks for sharing this information. Sonia has some great tips. My favorite is number 4. Fix your typos and make sure your links work. This happens to be my pet peeve! It only takes a few extra minutes to proof read.
MaryKay
MaryKay Edelen´s last [type] ..5 Easy Ways To Speed Up Your Computer
9. August 2010 at 9:31 am
MaryKay,
#4 is really a good one…. We try to always check links but will confess to forgetting to use the spellchecker now and again… You are so right, though..it only takes a few extra minutes and it’s so important to the impression we give!
To your continued success,
Robin
9. August 2010 at 10:22 am
Thanks for the link – I admittedly skimmed it because 101 anything is daunting but it had some great ideas.
Mark Hiatt´s last [type] ..A Powerful Word
9. August 2010 at 7:42 pm
Mark… it definitely IS a daunting list! It’s hard to devour it all in one read for sure..glad you enjoyed it.
Best,
Robin and Judy
9. August 2010 at 10:41 am
Strengthen your call to action. Make sure you’ve clearly told readers exactly what to do next.
This one #8 is my favorite so many people in there ad copy never ask for the sale. I hope with my new online business I haven’t made mistake number 8 as I always try to use a complete call to action.
9. August 2010 at 7:53 pm
Hi Monty,
Good point about the call to action. That definitely is a very important piece of the marketing puzzle.
Thanks for stopping by!
Robin and Judy
9. August 2010 at 10:53 am
Hey Robin,
Wow that is one big list; really didn’t think there could be that many ways to make more sales!
The one that jumps out to me is #22. I’ve heard that somewhere else recently, that you need to put the most important information ‘before the fold’ or on the first bit of the page you see. I think its because online there is so much to read, people generally only spend a few seconds before clicking away from a page!
Thanks for sharing these nuggests!
Sue
Sue Collier´s last [type] ..LinkedIn Success Secrets!!
9. August 2010 at 7:57 pm
Sue,
You are right…the “above the fold” strategy is because people do only have a few minutes to spend on a page. It comes from the newspaper business where the most important stories would be placed on the front page, above the fold of the paper. Online, it means to place items of importance above the point where a visitor has to scroll down the page to read.
We’d have to agree…that is one really big list of ways to make more sales!
To your continued success,
Robin and Judy
9. August 2010 at 7:36 pm
Robin and Judy. Thank you for pointing out that article on Copyblogger. Lots of great conversion boosting tips. One of my favorites was #33 – “Is your marketing boring?” Balancing professional with “not boring” is always tough (at least for me), but is a must for any marketer, online or offline.
Scott Pollov
Scott Pollov´s last [type] ..Why Write A Business Plan – Eight Great Reasons!
9. August 2010 at 8:04 pm
Scott,
You’re right…it sometimes does get difficult to present information in a professional way without sounding boring at times! It’s a great reminder for us to look over our work and ask that question!
Have an awesome week…..
Robin and Judy
9. August 2010 at 10:40 pm
Fantastic list, thanks for sharing.
Some of them amaze me, like increasing your font, or changing some wording on your Buy Buttons.
Are people’s buying criteria so fickle, so sensitive?
Peter Fuller MBA´s last [type] ..Does Your Home Business Make You Feel Uncomfortable
10. August 2010 at 7:42 pm
Peter, Reinforced by the thought that there would be over 100 ways to increase our sales online (or 100 ways to entice people to buy!).
Our pleasure….. The wording on the buy buttons (or even opt-in subscribe buttons) makes a big difference in conversions….which means, apparently, that we must be fickle!
To your continues success,
Robin and Judy
10. August 2010 at 3:40 pm
What an informative list, Robin. Thanks! As one whose mom relentleslly drove spelling and grammar into me when I was a school boy, my attention was particularly drawn to those points. With all the spelling and grammar checkers available and/or built into our word processing programs, there is no excuse for having a poorly written blog or sales page. Also, a second pair of eyes reviewing your material before publishing can be extremely helpful.
10. August 2010 at 7:31 pm
Steve,
We agree with you …..we find that not writing before coffee helps, too!
Have an awesome week!
Robin and Judy
10. August 2010 at 10:43 pm
So, so many great ideas in this list.
Some of my favorites are: 1) Does your product or service solve a problem that people actually care about? 78) Stacking the cool 79) Don’t confuse the customer with too many options.
These are principles I tend to talk about a lot with my clients, because I see so many of them making these errors.
Thanks for sharing. I look forward to future posts.
Live with passion and purpose,
Vanessa
Vanessa´s last [type] ..It’s 2010…Do You Know Where Your Clients Are
12. August 2010 at 8:41 am
Vanessa, The most successful Avon representatives understand that as well. Instead of trying to sell all the products in their catalog, they choose one and make it the main focus of their “sales pitch” with all of their customers. Additional sales come along with those orders, but the main focus is on one product.
We do like #1 as well…… It’s hard to be passionate about providing a product or service unless it solves a need that people really care about. The point about having too many options is really a very good one as well. Anyone who has bought a new car can appreciate that one!
Happy to connect with you!
To your continued success,
Robin and Judy
12. August 2010 at 8:49 am
Thanks for sharing. Copyblogger is a great blog and I’ve also been a reader for some time. Copywriting is the highest paid skill you can have. It’s used to influence, persuade, and sell solutions to people’s problems.
Conversational writing it key.
Great to be over on your blog, I’ll take a look around a little more now.
Thanks
Gavin Mountford
12. August 2010 at 9:40 am
Gavin,
Thanks for the visit…. and your comments. You make a good point about the importance of honing our copywriting skills. Influence and persuasion can impact our business greatly!
Wishing you an incredible day,
Robin and Judy
12. August 2010 at 11:07 am
Hi Robin and Judy, Copyblogger always provides valuable information. This list is amazing. Thanks for sharing, somehow this post slipped by.
All the very best,
Michael
16. August 2010 at 10:09 am
Michael,
We’re happy to share…..and, like you, found this list to be incredibly helpful.
Thanks for stopping by!
Robin and Judy
12. August 2010 at 8:08 pm
Thanks Ladies
Thats a power packed list if I ever saw one! wow talk about value..I am going to have to digest it in bite size chunks. But it is much, much appreciated, and filed under the GEMS section!
Laura Morris
Laura Morris´s last [type] ..The 1 Secret To Success In MLM
16. August 2010 at 10:05 am
Laura,
We’re happy to share! We also found it so valuable, the only way to share the information it contained was a direct link to the list…… and, yes, it DOES take a while to digest it all!
Have a prosperous week,
Robin and Judy
17. August 2010 at 10:19 pm
Thank you, Robin, for mentioning that post. Also the Copyblogger seems a great place to check for interesting articles.
I learned a lot from this.
Have a great week.
Yorinda
Yorinda´s last [type] ..Fun- Happiness and Success
18. August 2010 at 6:07 pm
Yorinda,
Copyblogger does have some great tips….. it’s a good blog to subscribe to.. there’s always some great tips shared there…..
To your continued success,
Robin and Judy
17. August 2010 at 10:26 pm
Hey hey…another fan of Copy Blogger. I agree there is great content there and sadly did miss this terrific article so am very grateful that you have shared it for us. So many great ideas and reminders (above the fold, fix links etc). Thank you so much. ~ Linnea
Linnea´s last [type] ..Do You Have a Social Media Strategy
18. August 2010 at 6:04 pm
Linnea,
You are so welcome….. we’re happy to share!
Sincerely,
Robin and Judy
19. August 2010 at 9:00 am
Hi Robin
Thanks for all the Good info and the 101 tips.
we all need to lean from other people.
Regards
Theuns
19. August 2010 at 9:47 am
Theuns,
Glad to share. That list was too good to keep for ourselves!
Best,
Robin and Judy
20. August 2010 at 12:48 pm
Thanks for the post guys. Interesting list and made me think in a few areas of my marketing. I liked 55 Have you made yourself an authority in your market? the best.
Thanks again,
Michael
22. August 2010 at 7:43 pm
Michael,
Thanks so much for your comment….. #55 is an interesting one. How many people have ever taken the time to think about trying to do that? It’s well worth thinking about!
Best,
Robin and Judy
22. August 2010 at 7:38 am
Robin,
Copyblogger is a good resource and I visit it from time to time. I really like number 79 as well. Don’t confuse your visitors with too many options. There is a reason why squeezpages convert up to 60 percent higher than blogs.
People like being told what to do with as many easy instructions as possible. When we have blogs with hundreds of posts and hundreds of widgets etc, that is why people don’t subscribe as often as we would like. I try to make it a habit of making all my posts have a precise set of instructions at the end.
In other words if I am looking to get feedback on the post the last sentence says something like “Please leave a comment below” or if I want an opt-in I put my webform with instructions to sign up for my mailing list. If I am seeking an affiliate sale I will write something like click on the banner below to try out “this product”.
I have done quite a bit of split testing on this subject and it amazes my how much more things convert when you provide clear instructions on what you want the visitor to do.
Great post. Thanks
Scott Manesis
Scott Manesis´s last [type] ..Why Traffic Gyser Rocks!
22. August 2010 at 7:41 pm
Scott,
Thanks! You make some great points in your comments….we’d all do well to follow your advice!
To your continued success,
Robin and Judy
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