I have a website set up it's not great but it will do for now. I handed out alot of flyer's for father;s Day and have got nothing so far. My website is giftsfromgracie.com if anyone can tell me how to improve it to get more sales that would be great. I also will be taking credit cards soon instead of pay-pal.
--------------------
Hi Jamie... Firstly, congratulations on starting your own business! I took a peek at your website. I understand it may be a temporary site, but here's my 2 cents anyway. Most urgent : - The image at the top doesn't load, which means I see a big box with an "X" in it. A big turn-off when visitors see it. It gives an unprofessional look. - Your photos don't do justice to your gift baskets. They're a wee bit dark. Remember, your website (photos) could be your ONE AND ONLY chance to WOW a potential customer and make him/her contact you. - Your contact is also a Yahoo! email. This is definitely a big NO NO. I notice you are using Yahoo!'s web hosting. Ask them about setting up an email account like enquiry@giftsfromgracie.com. Personally, I NEVER, EVER buy from any store that uses only a free email account. It's one of the first signs of "untrustworthy". Not so urgent : - My first impression of the website is that it could use more color. But remember that too much color can also kill a website. Perhaps you could buy a web template? They don't cost too much. - Your photos should be linked to larger high resolution images so potential customers can see and appreciate what you have to offer. As far as marketing your business is concerned, everyone's ideas above are great. I might also add : - participate in relevant online forums - parenting, lifestyle etc and leave helpful comments with your signature pointing to your website. - write helpful articles and post them online at article sharing websites like ezinearticles.com - add more content to your webssite, like customer feedback, tips on choosing the right gift basket, what types of gifts to give people with specific personalities (the topics are endless). The 2 main purposes of doing this is : First, you are building your reputation as an expert in your field and hopefully, gain your potential customers' trust. Second, you are adding content that Google and other search engines can spider and add to their index. Search engines LOVE content. The more content you have, the higher the chance that one of your webpages will appear in their search results and more people will find you. - The suggestion by thuybee is an important one. If you can manage it, set up a small kiosk in your local mall or marketplace so people can visit you and see your products for themselves. It's also an avenue for you to BE IN TOUCH with the public. A physical store or kiosk re-inforces your credibillity and reputation - that you aren't just going to take people's money online and run. - Run an affiliate program. Offer a commission to your affiliates for leads and sales generated by them. - Sponsor gift baskets for charity events, company gatherings etc.This is all part of your marketing and branding costs. The exposure and goodwill your generate cannot be measure in dollars and cents. - List a handful of your items regularly on eBay or Amazon. Choose seasonal gifts for example, list Sports baskets for Father's day, Toys for Christmas etc. - List your service on Craigslist for free!
Source
No comments:
Post a Comment