Part 1
There are only two ways to sell things on the Internet.
Plain and Simple.
There may be a dozen different ways of marketing them, but when it boils down to making the actual sales, there are just these two.
‘Instant Excitement’ and ‘Earned Association’.
Fortunately, with the right plan, they can be integrated. Let’s start today by examining the first method and giving you some resources, examples, and tools for developing this method of sales on your site.
Method # 1 — INSTANT EXCITEMENT
This is, in a way, the heart and soul of the Internet. This is the ‘quick profits’ method that fires people up so much.
Instant Excitement sales are the result of direct sales copy with the single intention of soliciting a sale. Visitors to a site using this method should be guided to a feeling of, “Wow! I’m lucky to have found this product, opportunity, or service!”
Sales copy for this method should be done with a ‘Buy Here and Buy Now!’ attitude. Everything should direct the reader to the order button, and there should be no other destinations offered. I repeat, NO Other Destinations Offered.
This is not a place for banner ads, or links to your other businesses. The visitor should not have to follow a maze to get to the order page. It should be a single, clearly visible, straight shot. (Notable exceptions discussed later).
There should be at least three links to the order page within the sales copy of an Instant Excitement web site or letter.
The first link should be a small link located at the top of the page. This is designed to catch the fast paced mover and repeat visitor who need little persuasion, but are lost if they have to go looking for the order button.
The second link to order should be after the largest portion of your sales copy. Here you will include testimonials, lists of benefits, explanations of what the buyer will get and possible extra benefits.
The third link to order is placed after you give your potential buyer either a quick review of the benefits covered above, bonus features, or additional discounts.
However, there is still no link to leave the page.
Another crucial element for an Instant Excitement sale is the ability to accept credit cards. There must be an option for immediate payment. On my site I use a third party billing company, to accept credit cards, and Paypal. Together, these offer multiple options for buyers. This kind of convenience is necessary.
Instant Excitement can wear off, so there is no room for distractions. Distractions equal lost sales.
Using the Instant Excitement Method, however, should NOT exclude sound business principles. There is no room for dishonesty, false claims, or a “hit and run, sell ’em and dump ’em” attitude.
The excitement for your business should be based on a realistic, desirable product, service, or opportunity. Part of the excitement in the sales copy should include things like extra benefits, additional items, a refund guarantee, and support services.
Just because you are seeking an Instant sale based on a moment of excitement, doesn’t mean you won’t have to follow through and follow up with what you have sold them.
The best part of Instant Excitement for the buyer is receiving an instantly deliverable product. Offer e-books for immediate download. Grant instant access to the ‘members only’ part of the program’s site. If it’s a case where physical goods need to be shipped, send them an immediate confirmation email to let them know the order is on it’s way and when they can expect it.
Customer service is still an integral part of any good business. Demand this in any affiliate program you join as well.
In part two, we’ll talk about Earned Association, how it increases sales, works directly with Instant Excitement, and raises the credibility of your business.
Part 2
In part one, we discussed the first of the two methods to make sales on the Internet — Instant Excitement. This method consists of soliciting sales in the excitement of the moment.
However, not all visitors will be ready to make a purchase at that moment. Some are more cautious and require time to think things over. Others may be interested in buying, but short on money and want to return later.
So, how do you keep the interest of these types of visitors?
Through Earned Association.
There are three ways Earned Association works. The first relates to advertising away from your sales page. Whether people have been to your sales site before or not, it often requires several exposures to your business or product before they will seriously consider purchasing. Often times, it’s just a matter of catching them at the right moment.
So what this requires is repeat advertising. Now, you might consider this a clever ploy by ezine owners to get more advertising, but it’s not. Think of how you react to ads yourself. At times, you will catch on a specific headline or phrase and click to the website. Other times, however, you don’t really look at an ad until you realize it’s been around for a while.
Repeat viewing of an ad makes it more credible in your mind. It Earns it’s way in and you Associate it as a credible business, at least to the extent of it having been around for a while.
However, the second and third methods provide for a better Earned Association.
The second way to use Earned Association is through providing extra information and follow up contact. Auto responders that can send out follow up messages at regular intervals are the best way to continue to provide added information. This Earns an increased chance of a repeat visit to your site, and again, further Associates your business in the potential customer’s mind as a credible, real business.
Other means of providing extra information on the sales site include a Frequently Asked Questions page, and pages providing extra information about specific topics. However, these extra pages should still lead directly to the order page or back to the main sales page. Again, this is no place to change the subject. There should be no distracting banner ads or links to other non-related destinations. (More on this in part 3)
The third means of Earned Association is through your general business or, basically speaking, by having a good reputation.
People will then Associate the credibility of a product or opportunity with the credibility of your main business. It’s entirely up to you to make sure that credibility is good. If you only recommend things you believe in and know to be good, you’re repeat customers or downline will learn to trust your judgment. Then, when you recommend something, they will be more likely to look into it for themselves. You will have Earned this through your Association to good and credible products or opportunities.
This type of Earned Association is effected by the way you advertise, your sense of responsibility, your customer service, and general business philosophy.
While Instant Excitement creates quick profits, it really only will catch a portion of your potential customers. It is essential to use Earned Association as well to get sales from the more selective customers and to maintain repeat customers.
In part 3, we’ll discuss how to integrate the two sales methods on the same site, and how to keep each of them working together for you.
Part 3
In parts 1 and 2 of this series, we discussed the two methods of making sales on the Internet, Instant Excitement, and Earned Association.
Now, the real question is this: How do we Integrate them both on the same sales site?
First, realize that we are talking about a SALES site here. This site is strictly created to make the sale. It is not an information site, and should not be treated as such. The only information it offers is strictly related to the product or service it is intended to sell.
To integrate the two sales methods is simple. Construct the page initially with the intent of soliciting an Instant Excitement sale.
After that is created, go back through and look for points of interest or specific categories of benefits for uses. Ask yourself, what further information you could give for these categories? Then, create another page or pop-up window that offers that further information for each subject. Put links to these extra pages right in the sales copy. You can also create links to each of these secondary pages on the menu at the top of the page.
The goal here is to give the searching visitor more places to go for more information, without leading away from the main objective — the order page.
Another commonly used way of providing further information is the FAQ or Frequently Asked Questions page. Use a question format to further explain how your service or product works or the benefits it provides. Base these questions off of actual user feedback as well.
One more highly recommended method of keeping interest in your site is the Auto Responder. Offer an auto responder link to give people a way to request more information by email. Sometimes, visitors may be interested, but in a hurry, or short of cash, or just not in the mood to read at the time. By placing an auto responder link at the top and bottom of the page, or in a pop-up window on entry or exit, you may get visitors to request the information, and be able to follow up with them even after they leave the site.
Notice, however, that all of these links to extra information still relate strictly to the product or service you are trying to sell. Each of these other pages, or auto responder letters, should still link back directly to the sales site, and the order link. Always direct all information to the order link. Give people the benefits of your product or service, and then show them how to get it.
Offering an ezine subscription related to your business, is the only non-strictly related link that should be allowed on your sales site. This will still allow you to keep in touch with your potential customers and further promote your business.
You may at times choose to link to other sites that have content that confirms the information you are giving at your own site. This may be acceptable if the other site does indeed confirm the benefits of what you are selling, and does NOT offer the same or similar product or service that you are selling.
If you choose to do this, link directly to the page you want visitors to see, and be sure to relate how they will want or need to come back after viewing this other site. Even then, however, you are taking a chance by allowing them to leave your own site. It would be better to just quote the same information and place it on your own site if possible.
One tool you can use when creating links to further information is to have those links open new browser windows. In this way, the new information opens as it’s own window and does not take the visitor away from your main page.
Here is the way to make links open new browser windows.
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Integration of the two sales methods, Instant Excitement and Earned Association, will give you a complete sales site that will appeal to all types of visitors and their own individual ways of looking at things.
Completing this step will put you much further on the road to Internet Marketing success.
I truly hope you’ve gained from reading this series of articles. For more on Internet marketing and other such fun stuff, be sure to check out my site — and don’t be afraid to email me with any questions you may have as well.
Thanks for reading!
Joe Bingham
http://www.netplaynewsletters.com
Written by Joe Bingham of the NetPlay Marketer
Joe has written many articles, both informational and humorous,
with the intent of helping others gain a better understanding of
Internet marketing concepts. His ‘tell it like it is’ approach has
many offering the NetPlay Marketer as one of their most favorite
ezines. See for yourself at: http://www.netplaynewsletters.com/
