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May 07 ABCs of Web Design Newsletter

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Introductory comments

I took the first two classes for the Usability Analyst certification training a couple weeks ago. They were great. I am so excited about getting this certification. The next two classes are in June and then I take the test.

Comments about W-edge design web site:

"Wonderful and informative web site. I used information from this site -- it's great."

"I have been looking for sites like this for a long time. Thank you!"

Question of the month

Question: I have a client who is an artist and I put together a site for her a couple of years ago but she has yet to get an order from the web site.  She keeps asking me why and I keep telling her that she needs to do some things to make it easier for potential customers to buy from her. Here are the reasons why I think her site is not selling anything.

Answer:

Make it easy for your customers to buy from you. Sounds simple but a lot of people still think that if they put up a web site, people will just give them money. My client with the art site does not want to deal with credit cards or Paypal. She only wants to handle checks.

When the customer has only one payment option like checks, they are inconvenienced. The purchase is not instant * it will take time. Writing a check is not convenient * I have to stop something I am doing, get out my checkbook, take the time to write out and record the check, address an envelope, then mail it out. Lots of steps there * lots of chances for me to lose interest and abandon the purchase.

If you want to get into the Internet marketplace, you MUST make it easy for the customer to buy from you in ANY way THEY want. If you don't, you are just throwing your money away. Yes, it takes money to set up merchant accounts, but the easier you make it for the customer to buy from you, the more you will sell online.

Never under estimate the importance of a guarantee. I like to workout and I buy a fair amount of workout equipment. I had heard about these workout bands that I could use to get more resistance when doing squats.

So I looked online for some. I did a search and started looking at item and shipping prices. I did not really pay attention for the guarantee information and that was a BIG mistake.

I got the bands but they offered little, if any resistance so I wanted to return them. I emailed and called the company several times but their voicemail and email boxes were always full. That was my first clue.

I then went online and looked for their guarantee and return information * there wasn't any. Well, I returned the merchandise. And when I did not get a refund within a couple of months, I contacted the Better Business Bureau who contacted the Idaho State Attorney's office. Needless to say, two years later I am still waiting for a refund.

Now guess what is the first thing I check on a web site I am considering buying from? Yes, the guarantee. If you don't have a GREAT guarantee, you won't get my money.

What is a great guarantee? Here is the text from the Lands End: "Guaranteed Period. The Lands' End guarantee has always been an unconditional one. It reads: "If you are not completely satisfied with any item you buy from us, at any time during your use of it, return it and we will refund your full purchase price." Now that is a web site that I would not be afraid to spend money on.

Potential customers want to know that their purchase is risk free -- they don't want to get stuck with re-stock or shipping fees if they don't like something. Okay, that may mean that you have to pay some shipping costs for a few customers who don't want your product, but you will get a lot MORE orders with that guarantee.

Recent Clients of W-edge design:

Cabella Creations
Compton Creative
Damesbond
DigitalEve Columbus
Healing Environments with Feng Shui
Moonhorse Art Studio

Wrap up

When you want to build a web site, it is not about what you want -- it is all about your customer. If she cannot use her preferred payment method, she is gone. If your guarantee is not good enough for her, she is gone. If you don't put your potential customer first in every aspect of your site design, you won't be successful. Thanks for reading my newsletter.

Please send all questions to theresaw@columbus.rr.com.

To see the articles from my print web column, go to http://www.w-edge.com/articles.htm

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