It’s all about them
In order to create a web presence that people want to engage with you need to understand why they are coming to your site? Is it to increase their technical knowledge about your industry? Is it to find out your pricing? To make your website really popular with your visitors work out why they are coming and give them what they want.

Writing just for them
In order to sell through your website you need to satisfy the visitor’s goals. They will be primarily concerned about how you and the service you offer can benefit them. Focus your website copy on how your offering will help them either gain pleasure or avoid pain by expressing it in the form of the benefits they will receive. If you are selling online make the shopping experience an easy one – allow visitors to add items to their shopping cart and see what is in their cart at any point in time.

Making the courtship easy
If you want people to keep coming back let them get to what they need as easily as possible. So avoid flash introduction pages and allow visitors to get straight to the information they need. At each part of your website consider what value it is adding to your site. Go through your website critically and ensure every page and option adds value for the visitor. If you want customers to buy online and engage with you, ensure they have the minimum number of steps to complete as possible to make that purchase or contact.

Have Integrity
Be open and honest about the way in which you do business to eliminate problems further down the line. So let them know your delivery costs, timescales, what happens if something is out of stock etc. Your website can play an important role in setting your visitors expectations, which will help both parties in a long term relationship.

Going all the Way
Realistically how far could you go on your website with visitors, could they go as far as placing the order or booking an initial appointment. Give your visitors the opportunity to go as far down the sales process as possible through your website. You can make administrative savings this was as well as keeping the customer happy.

Give them a good reason to return
If you want people to really value your website give them some tools to make their life easier – for example could you allow customers to check whether an item is in stock, access their individual documentation through a client area, or even allow them to settle their account online. Then your web presence becomes more than a website, it is a tool that makes their life easier and improves your level of customer service.

To discuss ideas as to how your website can be one which visitors love; call Hannah on 01788 820900 or email Hannah@zarr.com.

Web Insider: Buying relevant domain names
Buying and utilising relevant domain names will help to improve your search engine rankings. If you would like Zarr to come up with ideas as to which domain names could be relevant for your business please give us a call and we can suggest some – email Ursula@zarr.com with your website address e.g. natural-hampers.co.uk and we can suggest ideas for you on other relevant domain names.

Special Zarr Offer - News Facility A good way to improve your search ranking it to have a news facility on the home page. This would contain information entered by your company on new products, contracts, staff changes which you would enter through the website’s administration area. Visitors would be able to click the news title in order to access the full story and more detailed information. For an example of a news wire visit the Six Sigma Group website. Benefits of the News Facility Demonstrates the site is changing and being kept up to date It is good for search engines Useful if you want people to keep coming back to the website Costs Until the end of February Zarr is offering a news facility on the home page for just £150 +VAT, on sites which have been developed by Zarr. To order Call Hannah on 01788 820900 or email Hannah@zarr.com.

Web Insider: Online Trends

According to BBC News for 2005 as a whole, spending over the internet in the UK totalled £19.2bn, 32% more than 2004.

Some 24 million UK consumers shopped online in 2005, spending on average £816 each during the year and £208 in the run-up to Christmas. E-commerce trade body, IMRG, forecasts that e-commerce will grow by 36% in 2006, with sales worth £26bn. Are you geared up to take advantage of this growth?

Case Study – The ‘Write’ Lines for Success Thanks to a new web-based system developed by Zarr Internet Services budding authors are getting the chance to see their work in print in an X-Factor-style scheme backed by the Arts Council. Zarr has developed website www.youwriteon.com which is aimed at publishing a book by a new writer and distributing it through major booksellers. Members who subscribe to the site review and rate the opening chapters of each others work before randomly sending them on to other members. Each month the three highest rated writers will enter the site’s Best Seller chart and receive a free critique from literary professionals. The completed book of the highest rated opening chapters will win the site’s Book of the Year Publishing Award and be published and distributed. The project is Zarr’s biggest to date and Managing Director, Mark Reynolds said it was a very worthwhile one to be involved in. “Developing www.youwriteon.com has been a considerable undertaking for Zarr but, like all of our projects, one we are proud to be associated with,” he said. “Not only does it help bring new writers to the readership but the site also caters for print on demand which allows for smaller quantities of books to be printed as and when they are requested by interested readers. It is a very exciting project and one we feel will be a resounding success.” Edward Smith, the brains behind www.youwriteon.com, said: “The website is a wonderful way for new authors to develop as writers with the help of their peers and guidance from expert literary professionals. And as www.youwriteon.com members can also self-publish through the site it really is a win, win operation for new authors. I have been very impressed with Zarr’s work on the project and helping to bring my idea to life.”

Coming Soon
Zarr’s March Newsletter features how to create trust online.

Contact Zarr
If you are interested in finding out how your business can benefit from the latest web technology or if you need help with your online business strategy contact Zarr Internet Services on 01788 820900.

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