Yet, the typical sales-oriented Web site urges the visitor to
jump to commitment right away. Pushing for them to "BUY
NOW!" is not only premature, but a misapplication of the fact
that visitors are in a hurry. Developing a relationship can’t be
rushed or skipped—not if you intend to lead them to the alter
(sale). Buyers want and need to proceed at their own pace.

Each request you make of a visitor "call, read, subscribe or
buy" requires a higher level of commitment. So back off the hard
sell, and instead weave the steps into a sensuous dance that
respects them and invites a lasting relationship. It’s possible,
if you follow these five points that buyers care about.

1. How well they’re treated
The mood of the site should be welcoming, geared to assist
the customer finding what they’re looking for. Trust grows as
you minimize their sense of risk. And make no mistake, the
buyer’s risks are greater online. Recognize them and reduce
them as much as possible. They’ve been conned, burned,
or faced non-delivery of purchases—not to mention abuse
of their credit cards or privacy information.

The Internet works because people feel anonymous. People
are understandably leery about revealing personal information.
So every aspect of the site needs to say, "you’re safe here"
along with, "look at all the interesting things we have to show
you." One fast move and that skittish deer will bolt.

Web commerce has several inherent disadvantages—
shipping charges, delays until products arrive, lack of hands-
on assessment, etc. When buyers encounter other disadvantages
as well, whether it’s unacceptable policies, or added costs,
they treat them as a deal breaker—even if it’s just a
little bit more.

2. How efficiently the buying process went
Assuming your site sells a tangible product, the buyer has to be
able to assess its looks, materials, uses, and value without
being able to touch it. This can be accomplished much
better with some products than others by use of photographs
and descriptive copy. But a buyer still takes a chance as to
color, size, quality, and suitability. Sales sites need to
know their customers’ concerns so well that they anticipate
what they need to know.

Design the site for ease of scanning and logical
organization that presents information so it will guide and
inform.

3. How much aggravation they had to endure
Here’s where poor navigation or slow download times cost
you sales. (Navigation problems are a main reason why
site visitors leave.) They won’t stay at a site where they
can’t easily find the answers they want. And if they have
to wait too long for pages to load, forget it. Internet
users are extremely time sensitive. The high percentage
of abandoned shopping carts (as much as a quarter) proves
that the payment process can defeat all efforts to motivate
the buyer. These are "almost" sales, where sloppiness got
in the way.

Getting through some payment procedures confounds even
experienced surfers. How many payment options do you
provide—anywhere from Paypal to fax your order? Credit
cards are convenient, but not always the purchaser’s
preferred choice. How intrusive are the questions (yes, we
know about fraud avoidance)? When the goal is building
trust (in both directions), how many "we don’t trust you"
signals does your site send?

4. How many mind games were played on them
The primary products sold on most web sites are hype and
high pressure. Unfortunately, that’s not what buyers are
looking to buy, and why conversion rates online are so
abysmally low. The quality of typical sales copy is
aggressive, designed more to trick than inform. It seems
like the sales letters were drafted from the same manual.

Aggressive tactics are so widespread that effective,
customer-friendly copy can actually stand out. So get rid
of the "gotchas." Customers dread them, and then relax
once they don’t find them. Mind games don’t end after
the sale’s complete. Be alert for delivery, security, and
privacy lapses that could creep up after the sale.

5. How well the business has its act together overall
Behind the computer screen are untold elements—efficient
links, quick loading, glitch-free credit card processing, the
respect for the visitor’s time, etc., that reveal the company’s
priorities. Unless all the parts work with a consistent goal
and degree of care the buyer experiences whiplash. Sour
notes (small potatoes signals) are trivial in themselves, but
break the momentum toward purchasing. They’re easily
eliminated—once you know to look for them.

Give yourself extra points for post-sale follow up. Here’s
where Internet sellers can shine because of autoresponders
and customer-oriented e-mail. Don’t just use such tools
for making the sale. Use them to build relationships and
added value after you get their money.

Dance Your Way to Profits
Courtship is necessary to develop a lasting relationship.
The pace of the dance should reflect the give-and-take
necessary to build trust. Don’t sell the buyer, court him
with a well-paced dance.

This is Part II of a two-part series.  For Part I

Dr. Lynella Grant is an expert on the signals that make up
the body language of a business. Author of The Business
Card Book and Stop Looking Like Small Potatoes
  http://www.giantpotatoes.com
Off the Page Press (719) 395-9450