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Both consumers
and businesses are becoming increasing comfortable with using the
Internet as a tool to find information prior to making a
purchasing decision. Companies that provide interesting content
and interactivity on their site typically grab the most eyeballs
and, hence, maximize profits.
eCreativa has
sponsored four content related sites: Lindisima,
MYNIPPON, iProceed,
and LuvCube.
Unfortunately,
this is not the case with a vast number of sites of small
businesses. Most of these can simply be described as digital
versions of their brochures and catalogs (in fact, that is how
these were designed in the first place – by scanning the print
brochures). The Internet has fundamentally changed the manner in
which we obtain information and the amount of information that can
be accessed. In fact,
companies are beginning to compete with each other in how much
information they provide on their websites.
What’s
still missing?
The Web is
essentially the easiest way for a company to connect with the
world and turn visitors into customers by creating a pleasant
online experience. But small businesses have yet to take full
advantage of all that the Web has to offer. For example, several
small businesses, in an effort to create an online presence, yet
with unavailability of internal web design professionals,
companies have essentially taken their brochures and put them on
the Web. It is disappointing to see sites that are not updated
regularly, sometimes for months.
Another
powerful feature of the Internet is its interactive capability.
While a company might need to spend enormous resources to speak
over the telephone to 100 customers to find out their experience
the last time they dealt with it, a poll on the feedback section
of the website will provide such feedback at almost no cost.
The Internet
also allows companies to inexpensively answer questions from
visitors by providing links to appropriate individuals.
As the comfort level with the Internet increases, customers
are increasingly using it as a tool to find information prior to
making a purchasing decision. You should think about providing
such powerful content that visitors feel that they can find out
practically anything about the product. This will result in a
higher comfort level and, as a result, higher sales. An informed
customer is more likely to buy.
The second
feature that you need to include is interactivity. For example,
make interactive product/service data available.
If you have product pictures, make sure it is possible to
see the product from all possible angles by being able to rotate
them. A website that looks like a brochure gets treated like one
— to be seen only when absolutely necessary and just thrown away
otherwise.
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