Posted on March 12, 2009 in First Principles, SEO and Internet Marketing

In the first part of this series I pointed out that the goal of your website is the most important principle to consider right from the start of your website project.

One of the most obvious purposes for your business website is to make sales.

The most classic sales site is a simple online store, an eCommerce website that sells products like books, computers or any other simple products.

Many of these sites have a standard interface design that displays products, adds selected goods to a shopping cart and allows an online payment using a credit card. The relatively low cost of building and maintaining a website means it is a viable option for many small startups as well as a strategic part of the sales plan for larger, established businesses.

The ease of comparing your products with those of your competitors means that you will find it hard to compete on price - there will always be someone cheaper than you.

So to differentiate your site from the others out there, you need to do something else. Try to:

Provide unique products or services. This can be hard to do but is the most important secret to success online. Some of the best eCommerce sites I've worked with sell handmade clothes not available anywhere else.

Use the site as the sales funnel but advertise elsewhere. Even if your products are available from competitors online, if your customers have already heard of you or your products they are more likely to buy from you.

Create brand loyalty. Your business brand is an important asset, if it holds a good place in the conscious mind of your customers they will buy from you. This doesn't necessarily require a huge budget - by collecting the names and email addresses of past and potential customers you can keep in touch easily and quickly.

Provide additional, valuable content. People research purchases online, and if you're providing content that helps them with that research, they're more likely to stick around after reading and buy from you.

Create relationships. One of the most valuable forms of additional content is provided by users themselves in the form of reviews, recommendations and conversations. It's trusted by readers, it's honest, it can be fun and it takes no time and effort on your part to produce (providing that you've got everything else right).

It's easier and harder

One thing to remember with an online store is that shopping is easier but delivery is harder.

This means it is simpler for your customers to browse your site from their lounge room and to complete their purchase than it is for them to visit a physical shop in town. But, delivery from a physical shop is much easier - as soon as the purchase is complete they can take their product with them.

So when you are making your website you need to assure users that you can and will deliver, and that it will be as convenient for them as possible.

Keep these tips in mind if your site is going to concentrate on sales, and if you've got any other advice share your experiences by commenting below.