Perhaps you don't like sales, period. Sure, you would like to make sales! But maybe you compare any type of selling to a smarmy, pushy used car salesman.
Nobody wants to be that person!
Let's turn the tables for a moment, though. You buy products online, right? Sure you do! So you have at least some experience from both sides of this fence...
Imagine for a moment that you log on to Amazon.com and there were NO order buttons. How frustrating would that be? Or maybe there IS an order button, but they give you no clue at all about which accessories or related items you might need to accompany your order. It would totally ruin the Amazon experience we all love!
Amazon obviously ENJOYS selling online, and they do it well. As an example, if you're in the market for a new digital camera they will tell you what's new, what's hot, what's on sale - basically everything you need to know to make a SMART purchase:
What if Wal-Mart avoided "selling" their products?
Imagine walking through unorganized aisles and finding that none of their products had prices on them. And to top it off, there are no checkout lanes to be found! How much effort would you put into trying to make a purchase there, when you could just go over to another store where things are made EASY for you? Right.
Selling online is all about creating a good customer experience.
Imagine reading a great how-to article that gets you pumped up and inspired, ready to tackle the project, and the author just ends the article - leaving you to do all the research yourself for which products to use and where to get them online.
That's just rude! They're the expert. They should tell you exactly what you need AND recommend the best place to get it. Don't you agree?
Consider your own research and buying experiences when you're working on your online business. Who do you buy from, and why? Weave those best experiences into your own content, product pages and sales copy!
NOT selling is a major disservice to your visitors.
You're in business to make money. Embrace that fact, and do not apologize for it.
The fact is, people come online to do product research and to BUY products. This is obvious if you do any keyword research at all.
So don't be afraid to SELL to them. And definitely don't make it difficult for your visitors to buy. That's just downright frustrating!
Would you rather be known for presenting a great product, or for annoying and frustrating your website visitors? The answer should be obvious.
Next, Read: Apology Marketing is KILLING Your Sales!
Best,
