Want Bigger Profits? Think of Your Web Site as a Catalog, Not a Store

For years people have been talking about web sites being
storefronts. The truth is, web sites have little in common with
traditional stores. Thinking of your site as a web storefront
can take you down the wrong path from the start.

This is a topic I delve into in my new book "Profitable
e-Marketing: Success Strategies That Pay Off."

Look at how customers use stores. It is a social experience
for many. Teens go to the mall to be seen. A work-at-home
parent may go to the store just to get out of the house. People
like to touch items and talk to the clerk. I even see some
entire families going to the store so they can argue with each
other over what to buy. A store is more than just a place to get
supplies -- it's a social, entertainment venue that only works
the way it does because it is a real place with real people.

How does that change when the store moves online to cyberspace?
People use a web site very differently, much more like the way
they use a catalog than the way they use a store.

Customers are almost always shopping alone, and anonymously.
Suddenly other factors become important. For example, people
want a deep selection. Unlike Kmart and Walmart, which tend to
have just a few choices in a great many product categories, web
sites can offer a big and varied number of choices in a single
product area. Walmart might give me a choice of three different
toasters. A kitchen appliance site could easily extend that
selection to 20 toasters. Or maybe your site features only three
toasters, but those three are unusual and not available in
stores.

Just as in catalogs, customers want product photos and detailed
descriptions. They also like to read what other people who have
purchased the item are saying about its usability and
reliability. Give those who own the item a chance to log their
comments online for all to see. Don't worry, those who have
purchased usually say good things about their decision to buy.

Deep selection isn't the only thing customers crave. They also
want speed. Speed drives the Internet, and is one of the main
reasons people shop online. Customers should be able to quickly
find the products or services they are looking for, learn as much
as they want about them, then buy within a few seconds using an
online shopping cart. Depending upon the size of your business,
you need fast, automated inventory information and online
customer service to make your site accurate and helpful.

Here's a word of warning about technology. Don't add the latest
online automation just because it is there. Think hard about
whether the technology makes the shopping experience faster and
easier, or just adds another layer of complication. Simplicity is
often your site's best asset, so be careful not to destroy it
with too many bells and whistles.

Some of the things that will make your online catalog a big
success are very simple. Make sure people know what you sell and
how you can help them from the very first glance at your home
page. Make your site easy to navigate. If customers can't
quickly find what they are looking for, they will click to a
competitor.

Finally, don't try to make all your sales on the customer's first
visit. Real profits come when the same customers return to your
site again and again. Offer to send customers valuable
information or updates via email. Build your house list of names
and addresses, then work your list to remind people you are
there. Keep them coming back.