Increasing Your Online Sales - 3 Common Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Selling Online

People who are starting out in online business often assume that the most difficult part will be setting up their website and sales process. They think that sales will just happen once they're up and running. Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that! It takes effort to increase your online sales so that you start to generate profits in your business.

The following are 3 common mistakes that I've seen people making in their online businesses.

Mistake 1: Making assumptions about your potential customers. It's very common to think that they're exactly like you. This is often not a conscious decision - I reckon that it's part of our human nature. Most of us like to belong, so we are drawn to groups that have the same interests or the same values and beliefs as we do. We like to share our knowledge and experiences. But you shouldn't make the mistake of assuming that everyone is at a similar level to you.

You need to put yourself in your potential customers' shoes. The reality is that most of your website visitors are looking for information about your niche. They usually have a lot less knowledge than you. Think about what they want when they visit your website - the problems they're grappling with, the issues they're facing. A website that's designed for your ideal customer will look very different to one that's designed for experts.

Mistake 2: Not educating your potential customers. Once you've addressed the first mistake, it follows that one of your key roles is to give people information in a form that they'll understand. Using jargon and buzz phrases that are meaningless to them will only drive them away from your website. You're very unlikely to make any sales.

Instead, provide helpful information about your niche. You could give some basic facts and tell them how to avoid common mistakes. Describe the advantages of your service or product and be very clear about how they can help them. Don't be afraid to give people all the facts about your product. As an example, if you're in the fitness industry, tell people that if they don't use your machine properly then they could injure themselves.

Mistake 3: Not making it clear what your potential customers should do. This may sound obvious but believe me, I've seen many websites that don't have a clear 'call to action'. They then miss out on sales. You're going to be disappointed with the response if all you have is a 'Buy' button.

Once you've addressed the first 2 mistakes (your website content is pitched at the right level for visitors and you've given them great information about your niche and product) then you need to lead them to take action. Just assuming that they'll automatically click a button won't increase your sales!

Use clear phrases like 'To get hold of product x CLICK HERE now'. And you can make it even more powerful by restating a benefit that they'll get e.g. 'Grab this opportunity to get your muscles into great shape - CLICK HERE to order your Fitness Product now'. If you have a time limited offer remember to state that clearly - it can be the deal clincher.

In summary, if you want to increase your online sales take action today to ensure that you don't make these 3 mistakes in your business.

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