What makes a customer choose your business rather than the competition that is, after all, only a click away? If there was a definitive answer, it would be the end of this article. However, customers are a fickle bunch, and the reasons for the decisions that they make are complex. No matter which industry your business is in, there will be hundreds if not thousands of competitors online that can offer similar or the same products or services, so are you making the most from your website?
Your first port of call when you are intending to review and improve your website should be the technical side of it. With the greatest will in the world, customers are not going to spend their time waiting for your site to upload, locate products from broken links or contact you if the checkout is preventing them from completing the sale. You must ensure that your website is technically sound before you address its content needs. If you have concerns about your website, you should contact Data Design Systems who will make sure that it is doing what you need it to do.
Solution
The very reason that a visitor arrives at your website is that they are seeking a solution to a specific problem, whether that be trying to source a pair of red gumboots or seeking a security solution for their hardware.
You must present to the customer very clear reasons why they should buy from you, however, you need to join the dots for them so that they can see the bigger picture. Most solutions fall into three categories:
- Productive: the purchase will help the consumer be more productive and efficient.
- Profit: the purchase will enable the consumer to make a positive impact on their profit margin.
- Image: the purchase will benefit the consumer’s image or reputation.
These three categories show in simple terms the reasons why consumers will buy from you, and they should always be kept at the forefront of your mind when you are making business decisions. You need to use your website to guide visitors into thinking that your product is the solution that they need.
Your Product Description
Successful e-commerce websites not only provide visitors with excellent images of the products that are being offered, but also have carefully crafted product descriptions. If you are selling tangible items, you should also include the dimensions and care instructions for the product. It is this attention to the finer details that will help customers make their decision to spend money with you.
Your product description should also be used to inspire the customer and make the product seem more appealing. This can be achieved by including a FAB statement. A FAB statement comprises of the features, advantages and benefits of the item you are selling. To illustrate the FAB statement, the example of a sleeping bag has been used.
- Features
The features of an item are the easiest to identify; they are the facts or characteristics of your goods or services that make it special.
Example: down sleeping bag
- Advantages
The advantages define what the features do, and why it is a good addition to the design.
Example: down helps to retain body heat
- Benefits
The benefits explain as to why the advantage is a benefit to the consumer, and it must provide a real value that they can associate with.
Example: you’ll be warm at night and be able to have a good night’s sleep so that you wake up well rested.
The completed example could be:
Our lightweight down sleeping bags will keep you warm during even the most extreme conditions and allow you to wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead.
Create a table and list your products in the first column; use the next columns to note two advantages and the final column to note the benefit. Play around with the order that you use for the FAB statement – try stating the benefit first, for example – you will be able to use this table to write compelling product descriptions that inspire your customers.
Product descriptions often fail to inspire the site’s visitor, its success depends on how well you have understood what the customer cares about so that you can develop a description that relates to their expectations. Your product needs to appeal to your customer by connecting it to their needs – providing a solution – and once you have mastered writing a product description, your sales will reflect the effort that you have put in.
