Customers have never been smarter than they are today. They know what’s authentic, and what isn’t. If everything you do is aligned with the things most relevant and important to them, you become more authentic in their eyes. Your promise is more believable, your products more desirable. Your task is to keep things aligned.
Even if you've built a dazzling Website and someone is disappointed by the sales experience, you haven't gotten the job done. So-called “e-commerce” is more than just about having an online storefront. It is about the content you create and display, and the trust that you build over time. You need to convert visitors into customers and customers into friends. A stale and static Website, one that remains essentially unchanged for long periods of time, limits your selling opportunities. People go to sites every day, sometimes multiple times. When the content keeps them engaged, you have more opportunities to demonstrate your interest in them and your focus on their needs. This translates into repeat sales and long-term revenue growth.
Once your Web site is up and running, it’s the beginning of the marathon, not the finish of the sprint. A big part of competing off-line is to drive people online -- and keep them coming back. What this means is that an emphasis on one, at the exclusion of the other, isn’t going to deliver the results you want to see. Plan to tap multiple sources to drive traffic to your site. The more sources of traffic, the more people will see you. You need to generate a mix of online and offline promotional tools and methodologies based on the specific needs and preferences of the people you want to reach: a promotional mix that is most relevant to your targets.
Are your visitors going to the right pages? How long do they stick around? How many visits does it take to convert to a transaction? Once your website is operative, you’ll want to take close looks at your traffic at regular intervals. Benchmark your results to comparable sites and evaluate what is and isn’t working. What you find out will determine the kind of website content that will grow your audience, inspire more transactions, increase your sales and build your reputation – online and off.
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