Loyal Customers on its Way to Extinction

How do you keep visitors loyal to your site? That is the question. 

The answer?

Reward them so they will keep on coming back.

Customers have the tendency to readily sign up for anything being offered to them when they know that they are getting something for it. And chances are, when they see that you deliver what you promised, they would gladly come back for more to see what you have to offer the next time around.

Example of prizes are discount coupons, sweepstakes entry, free trial, etc. This way, they will be more inclined to register and turn over their personal information to you.

You can also give them free samples of what your site offers. The more you reward these people, the more familiar they will be with your service or product. This will result in better responses. Maybe they can even give out recommendations for new customers.

But before you can attain this level of marketing and reaching customers, you first have to make your site work. Since your site will be your initial marketing material, you need to make sure that your message will get through to them.

Here are some of the kinds of messages you need and need not use on your site.

Make them short and convincing. Do not include detailed product descriptions, information or long and winding stories about you and the company.

Make use of short titles and bulleted points or emphasis. Using these, your customers will be able to take in important information in a glance. You may want to put up a summary at the top and link it to the information you want read. Help your readers access quickly what interests them and what they want to know.

Be sure to set up a way for customers to effortlessly update their information or unsubscribe.
Check your site from time to time to make sure that all your information is up to date. Nothing can make visitors run away fast than a site with outdated information.

Do not spam. Avoid this at all cost.

Be different. Try to include some point of difference, attitude or special service that makes you different from all the others.

Lastly, support your promotion. Do not just sit back after you have sent out your promotion. Try following up. The best time should be the earliest time possible.

So do you know how to get more loyal customers?

Website Not Producing Paying Customers?

 Common Mistakes Found in Business Websites

Today, a business website is not only a tool, it is a marketing essential. With many more customers starting their search for good local businesses online, you may be cheating yourself if you do no have a website, or if you have common detourants within your current website. In fact, some reports show that up to 75% of first time customers looking for a new business will indeed begin their search online first.


"But I have a website."


You may have a website, but is it drawing in the amount of business that you want? If you are getting visitors to your website, but they are just simply not converting to paying customers, then your website may actually be detouring customers away, rather then grabbing them in. Websites made on "do-it yourself" editors, Websites that were made during the "website boom," among others may have some common errors that drive your customers away.




Here are a few common mistakes found in none-productive websites:




1) Slow loading- One of the common mistakes website owners make us actually adding too much to their website. The more heavy graphic images and content that the customer has to download, the longer it will take for your website to load. If it takes too long, chances are the visitor will hit back without even seeing your website. We understand that you may have a lot to say or show about your business, but the proper way to do this is to split it all up into a few pages instead of one.




2) Outdated information- If your website was made several years ago, and you have not updated the content since, then chances are you will not get the most out of your websites. Your business changes over the years, so your website should change with it. Because, after all, would you hire a business if the only information you can find was post dated 2 or 3 years?




3) Unprofessional websites- This mistake is largely found in websites created during the "website boom" which took place around the start of the 21st century. Then, it was not uncommon to see websites with simple layouts, pictures that simply did not match the business, animated characters, etc. Plus, most of the technology we have today just simply was not available then. This is just not accepted anymore. If you open your website, and there are blinking or moving graphics that do not relate to our website (ex: an animated running dog breaks up your paragraphs, or a "new" sign blinks a few different colors) then chances are your customers are turning away.




4) No content- A website needs to tell as much as possible about your business. If your website only contains a few sentences, and then a "contact me for more information" link, then you will lose customers. The reason customers start their search online is so that they can find out as much information as possible, without having to go through the trouble of contacting businesses and asking.




5) No contact information- You would think providing your contact information would be a no-brainer. You would be surprised at how many companies accidentally leave this out. On the other hand, some only leave their address, which requires the customer to find the business in person in order to inquiry about their services or products. Make sure to leave either an email address or a phone number along with your address.




6) Javascripts- Javascript was a popular language during the website boom. Javascript is the language that controls things such as pop-ups ads, pop-ups messages, scrolling toolbars, etc. When used correctly, javascript can add beneficial dynamic content to your site. However, when used wrong, it may make your site look unprofessional, load slow, or may cause errors that do not allow your website to load at all.




If your website has any of the common mistakes found above, then I assure you that you will benefit from a website redesign. The good news is: redesigns are usually a lot less painful, and less costly then the initial design was. A good design company can take your current website, and make it stunning in a very short period of time.

Online Shopping Carts; Keeping Customers Happy

Online shopping carts, those wonderful little programs that every successful website that sells something needs. However, if the program is insufficient then it may result in decrease in a website’s productivity. Customers want to deal with programs that are easy and time saving. This most certainly includes online shopping carts.

When a customer goes shopping they want to have a shopping cart that is easily accessible. When a customer views a product the option to buy it is right there no turning the page. It is extremely easy. Also the ability to view what is in the shopping cart at any given time is always a plus with customers. A program that can give them an estimated total that includes shipping helps them gauge how much more to spend on a website. Easy access into the online shopping cart program will make a customer happy and to make a customer happy means more money for the business.

Another more innovative addition to the online shopping cart programs is the one click purchase option. With this a customer can just click on an item and it is purchased and on it’s. way to their doorstep. Making their lives so much easier.

Don’t forget to add in the last minute marketing pitch. Just before a customer is ready to check out be sure to advertise other products. The most effective way to do this is to say something to the effect of “other customers who purchased this product also purchased…” Having a list of other products by the customer’s newly chosen product may help them with that last minute impulse buy. Much like the last minute impulse buys at check out lines that include candy or magazines.

To keep customers happy there should be a way that they can correct any mistakes that they had made in their online shopping cart. Even after they have placed an order there should be a way that they can easily correct their mistakes to update the order. This can include adding an item, removing an item or changing their shipping option.

Not all items purchased go directly to the customer placing the order. Many times online shoppers prefer to do their last minute gift shopping online and may also find it easier to order a present for a loved family member vi an online website. Having an option in the online shopping cart that allows for an order to be sent to another person with out the customer having to change their home address on the website. To even take it a step further some successful online shopping cart programs offer to keep a database of people a customer has shipped to in the past. This way when they need to ship to them again it is as easy as a click of the mouse.

The key to having a satisfying online shopping cart program is to keep the customer in mind. As always if the customer is happy then the business will be happy.
Jatech

Website Colors That Turn Off Your Customers

Website Colors

Using too many colors or the wrong combination of colors could alienate or turn off customers completely. Out of any form of non-verbal communication, color is the quickest way to communicate a message and meaning. Many studies have been done on the psychology of color and the subconscious emotions that they create. Studies have shown that color can help improve recall, comprehension, and understanding by 75%. In fact, color accelerates the ability to learn by 20% by keeping readers focused and improving retention. 

Choose Colors with Care.

Marketers spend oodles of time and money determining the colors to best market their product: the colors that will prove the highest amount of return on investment. You may want to hire a professional web designer to help you. Make sure the web designer you hire is not just a programmer, but also a graphic designer and/or marketer. After all, the reason why 99% of all websites fail is because it was created by a technician, rather than a marketing expert.

So, What Colors are Best for Your Website?

That is hard to say. Again, you may want to hire a professional to help you. However, the following tips will help you understand the underlying meaning behind color so you may be guided to make the right choice. Keep in mind that depending on its value or intensity, one color can give very different emotions.

Red - Stimulating. Exciting. Energizing. Appetizing. When you eye sees red, chemical responses in your body cause your blood pressure, pulse rate, and adrenaline to increase. Fire engine red is more energetic than a more traditional burgundy.

Pink - Happy. Romantic. Spirited. Youthful. Best used for less expensive and trendy products. Vibrant pinks are common in the cosmetic industry. Bubble gum pink can be considered immature, but fuchsia or magenta are considered more sophisticated.

Orange - Friendly. Adventurous. Energizing. Inviting. Of all the colors, orange is the hottest. Similar to red’s arousing effect, orange is often associated with bright sunsets or fall foliage. Orange contains the drama of red with the cheeriness of yellow. Neon orange tends to be load and is the most disliked color, but a more tempered vivid orange is highly effective for point-of-purchase graphics and specials.

Yellow - Warm. Sunny. Cheerful. Vibrant. Yellow is equivalent to enlightenment and imagination. This color is especially effective for food service industries because of the -association to bananas, custards and lemons. Pale yellow is an excellent choice for point-of-purchase materials (materials at the cash register or reception area) because the eye sees the highly reflective yellow before it notices any other color.

Brown - Rich. Sheltering. Durable. Sensible. Brown is an earth tone and is related to the earth’s nurturing qualities and stability. Generally speaking, brown provokes a positive response, but the wrong shade could lead to customers relating it to dirty, which could be detrimental for a product in the fashion industry, for example. Brown works well with food products since customers also relate it to root beer, coffee and chocolate.

Blue - Cool. Trusting. Serene. Consistent. Similar to the earthy color brown, blue is related to the sky and water, both dependable constants in our lives. Blue is an ideal color for websites, especially e-commerce websites. Many banks and financial institutions use blue in their marketing because it makes customers feel more trusting. Blue also can generate a cold, distant, corporate feeling, the opposite of generating a personal relationship with the customer.

Green - Refreshing. Healing. Fresh. Soothing. Green offers the most variety of choices out of all the colors of the rainbow. Green works well for personal hygiene or beauty products because of its soothing and flattering tones. Most people link green to nature; they think of foliage or grass. Mint green is seen as fresh while bright greens are associated with grass. Emerald greens are elegant and deep greens are linked to money and prestige. Green is also combined nicely with many other colors and can also work as a neutral.

Purple - Elegant. Sensual. Regal. Mysterious. Purple is seen as sensual and spiritual as it combines the sexuality of red and the sereneness of blue. It is best used with creative products, new products, or cutting edge products. Deep purple is associated with regal sophistication and lavender has a more subtle nostalgic appeal.

Neutrals - Classic. Quality. Natural. Timeless. The neutral tones of beige, gray and taupe emulate the psychological message of dependability and timelessness. They are regarded as safe and non-offensive and will not go out-of-date as they are always in style.

White - Pure. Bright. Pristine. Simple. While white can signify clean elegance, it can also be considered generic and stark, unless you have stylish graphics to compliment the white.

Black – Strong. Classic. Mysterious. Powerful. Black is most closely associated with the night. Black is seen as powerful, dramatic, elegant and expensive. In food packaging, a customer will actually pay more for a gourmet image. Although black is associated with mourning, its positive associations far outweigh its negative. Warning: too much black can be overkill.