MOST ONLINE BUSINESSES DO NOT OFFER WHAT CONSUMERS DEMAND

There's so much data about the Web floating about, it's
difficult to make sense of it all. And even more difficult to
plan based on the information you have. However, it does seem
clear that B2B (Business to Business) transactions are up, and
are likely to move up even more strongly. Reports indicate very
large increases in capital spending by major companies to take
full advantage of savings to be had in buying on the Web.

Some reports regards B2C (Business to Consumer) transactions
paint glowing pictures of increases in this area as well. But
my hunch is, the "glow" mentioned isn't as bright as claimed.
Certainly the volume of business is not. My conviction is that
online companies hoping to attract offline consumers have a very
long way to go.

A Typical B2C Site

They're usually well done. Navigation is pretty good.
Buy buttons abound. With lots of links to further informa-
tion or comparisons.

But the information provided is pretty skimpy. And the
comparisons are often limited. Okay, this handheld has 2 megs
of memory and this one has 8 megs. The novice has questions:
"Which is best for me? And why?"

On most sites, such answers aren't available. In fact you
may not even find an email address to which to send a question.
It's as if these companies assume you know all about what you
need before you arrive.

My Introduction To Palm Pilots

I recently became interested in Palms and would like to have
one. But I also need the software or whatever to convert text
to a format this unit can display. My guess is that files to
be read on a Palm must be downloaded to a desktop computer, then
loaded into the Palm with a physical or software interface. But
I'm not sure.

Three hours of looking at sites loaded with products and
buy buttons, got me nowhere close to any answer. And at this
writing, I'm as uninformed as when I began. (To be fair,
I haven't yet checked further.)

Will Consumers Commit The Time?

Most realize that for your small online business to attract
buyers, your site must be super simple to navigate, have
flawless paths to completed sales, and provide efficient service
and outstanding support. But these and related notions will
only take you so far.

Will consumers begin flocking to the Web only to spend hours
trying to figure what model of whatever best suits their needs?
In cameras, there is a vast selection. In digicams as well.
And even with something as simple as an audio recorder, the same
holds true. I seriously doubt your visitors will volunteer much
time to find information that should be readily available.

The Present Trend Will Continue

So long as major sites can profit from sales generated with
pictures, brief descriptions and skimpy details, they will
continue to operate in this mode. But most consumer dollars
will continue to be spent offline where information needed is
available.

In selling products on the Web, all possible must be done
to emulate the offline buying experience. Anticipate and answer
completely all questions that may arise in a visitor's mind.
There must be sufficient information for even a novice to make
a good buy decision. While you likely won't show this to all
visitors, it's got to be there. Possibly as an option on the
more-info page.

Until this happens on your site, you will not sell much to
people unaquainted with your products. And you will not attract
many offline consumers. Further, until this becomes the norm
for online businesses, don't expect any mass movement of offline
consumers to the Web.

But Hey, That's A Lot Of Work

You bet it is. And time-consuming as well. But I won't be
buying a Palm until I find a site that cheerfully provides the
answers I need. And what may matter more, responds promptly
to an email.

Further, I want to feel confident I'm buying from a pro
who can and will support the product. Give me that stuff about
hardware support is referred to the manufacturer, and I'm gone.

But given a site with a solid business person behind it,
then my question becomes simple. Which model should I buy?
Likely I'll get good advice in this as well.

And price won't matter much. If I pay an extra $20 over
some discount site, so what? Call it insurance, if you like.
I know where to turn if I hit a snag. A bit extra means
little in comparison. And the same is true for lots and
lots of people.

Forget Price Shoppers

Some businesses are concerned about the shopping bots,
certain they'll get beat out on price on most any product in
common demand. While there are those who shop price, I suggest
you don't need this kind of business. You'll likely lose a sale
on another item to a site with a price even lower than yours.

Build a site that satifies all the needs of a person brand
new to a product, or one even new to the Web. A site that also
satisfies the needs of experts. If you demonstrate your
expertise and credibility, your visitors will buy without much
concern for price. And what matters more, do this right, and
they'll be back.

If you have a mechanic who takes great care of your car, one
whom you've come to trust, chances are you drop your car off,
explain the problem, ask him to fix it, and leave without more
than a mild interest in the cost. Since he's never treated you
unfairly in the past, it's unlikely he'll do so now.

Build this kind of reputation on your website, and you can
safely ignore price shoppers. But above all, provide
information to satisfy the needs of novices and experts, and
all those in between. Since most don't do so, this may give
you precisely the competitive edge you need to beat your
competition.



Article Source: http://www.BharatBhasha.com
Article Url: http://www.bharatbhasha.com/ecommerce.php/17208

Other Articles related to "MOST ONLINE BUSINESSES DO NOT OFFER WHAT CONSUMERS DEMAND" by Bob McElwain

•THREE STOP WORDS THAT PREVENT ONLINE SUCCESS    by Bob McElwainMany new to the Web dream of building a successful onlinebusiness. It's not uncommon to find these newcomers putting upcash for a business opportunity that sounds good. They mayeven try a couple more before coming to realize these programsearn money only for those they bought from. Next, they may buy into a package containing a strategy forgrowing a particular online business. And some such programs doprovide what is needed. Yet failure is more likely than success. Why... •ECOMMERCE YOUR OPPORTUNITIES ARE UNLIMITED by Bob McElwainPeter Drucker believes ecommerce will be to the InformationRevolution what the railroads were to the Industrial Revolution.* To oversimplify, the Industrial Revolution was a time in whichtools were produced that replaced people in the manufacture ofgoods. In the first thirty years, all was devoted to producingknown products with machines. While there were drastic social changes with the massiveshift from rural to urban living, there was little change in theproducts produced... •WHO ARE YOUR VISITORS REALLY ?   by Bob McElwainMarketers and others are fond of categorizing people intosubsets of the general population. If you know the type ofperson your potential customer is, you have a better notion ofhow to make your sales presentation. In theory, if your target is an engineer type, you provideall possible information about how your gizmo works. He or shewill decide whether or not it will work well. And if yourtarget is the impulsive type, load your copy with words thatgrab emotionally, that... •Do You Really Need All Those Scripts ?   by Bob McElwainI often use Internet Explorer (Ver 6.0) on my main system,with Win XP. However, as a consultant I prefer using Netscape(Ver 4.78) to visit client or potential client sites. Sincemany no longer check to see how a page looks in Netscape, I canoften point out some changes to help Netscape users better enjoythe site. As an aside, it's true that earlier versions of Netscape Ver6 would not run for many who tried them. However the currentversion, 6.2, is working for most now. To... •IF YOU CAN T WRITE DON T    by Bob McElwainHere's a hard truth. If you can't write, don't try. Do theresearch. Provide every tiny detail. But hire a professionalto write your pages. This costs. But not as much as poorly written copy. Faceit. How long do you linger on a badly written site? It simplywon't work. Period. Hire the help you need or find anotherline of work.It's Not Fair Surfers become more demanding with each passing day. Theysimply won't tolerate errors on web pages. You can get by withone or maybe even... •DO NUMBERS HELP ?   by Bob McElwainDemographics about the Web abound. You may find such datahelpful. In general, when I look at the research available, Iget a feeling it's incomplete. The Web is so vast, I don't thinkit's possible to find a small representative sample from whichsignificant results can be obtained that reflect the whole. Inthe end, what is reported with numbers may not matter to you, even though the source is impeccable.Numbers Don't Always Work For example, it has been reported that 330... •SMART TAGS WHO SAYS THEY RE SMART SMART TAGS? WHO SAYS THEY'RE SMART?   by Bob McElwainMicrosoft has said a lot about Smart Tags. And it isMicrosoft who claims this is a smart idea. I'm not a fan of Microsoft products. Still, there are realbenefits to all software developers and PC users in theuniformity from system to system that Windows provides. But ifMicrosoft makes this move, it's a step too far. Here's whatSmart Tags will do. > Advertisers will agree to pay a fixed amount for a click on a keyword. As at GoTo.Com, keyword... •YOU CAN LEARN TO WRITE    by Bob McElwainWhile on the phone with a fellow a while back, he mentionedhe wanted to start a business on the Web. When I asked what heplanned to do, he had a couple of good answers. But he qualifiedall by saying his writing skills were not sufficient. I hear this often. And it saddens me some way. This fellowhad demonstrated strong verbal skills. And that he is bright,with solid values and attitudes in place. When I suggested heneed only write as he was speaking to me, I don't think he... •WHAT S THE BEST PRODUCT TO SELL ?   by Bob McElwainThis is a question I'm asked repeatedly. Others related to it include ... I saw this neat whatever. Do you think I can make moneyselling it? I like the idea of multiple income streams. How do I dothis? I haven't much time. What's the easiest way to start? If I read this book and follow the plan in it, will I dookay? You can't make significant bucks selling whatever without asite that works. The same is true of building multiple incomestreams. As to time, if you haven't got... •Never Ever Release Any Of Your Rights To Anyone    by Bob McElwain One of the grandest scams on the Web, which goes largelyunnoticed, is for a web-based bookseller or publisher to requiresome rights to your work in exchange for the service to beprovided. Many demand the electronic rights, for example. Don't do it! Never, ever release any of your rights. Here's why.The Writer's Goal Winning the writing game means becoming an establishedauthor, one who sells a new book every year or two. One whoearns enough to live comfortably from his or her...

Click here to see More Articles by Bob McElwain

Articles In LimeLight

Cheap Used Car Finance Options Vary By Louis Rix Added on Sunday, April 20, 2008 The Truth Behind Advertising By Jonathon Hardcastle Added on Sunday, April 20, 2008 What Happens When You Can't Pay On Your Home Loan? By Ajeet Khurana Added on Monday, April 21, 2008 Supply Chain Scorecards As Performance Metrics For Logistic Network By Sam Miller Added on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 Can Waiora Be A Home Business? By Zachary Thompson Added on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 Buying A Home After Foreclosure By Ajeet Khurana Added on Monday, April 21, 2008 KPI Logistics In The Supply Chain By Sam Miller Added on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 Sub Prime Loans: What's The Problem? By Ajeet Khurana Added on Monday, April 21, 2008 Different Home Loans For Different People By Ajeet Khurana Added on Sunday, April 20, 2008 Show Your Style With Sexy Bridal Lingerie By Amanda Cotterill Added on Monday, April 21, 2008 Why You Should Consider Panel Track Blinds As Prestige Blinds By A.Caxton Added on Monday, April 21, 2008 Show Prudence When Handling Dog Fights By Kelly Marshall Added on Monday, April 21, 2008 Flipping Commercial Real Estate By Kim Lee Added on Sunday, April 20, 2008 Why Looking After Your Picnic Table Is Important By Adam Peters Added on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 Choosing The Right Outdoor Place For Your Childs Party By Low Jeremy Added on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 The Importance Of Insurance In Everybody's Life By Ajeet Khurana Added on Monday, April 21, 2008 Play Them For Free By Nikola Jankovic Added on Monday, April 21, 2008 Teaching Students How To Succeed In Investing Using The Stock Market Game By Gabriel Adams Added on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 What You Need To Know About T1 Service By Van Theodorou Added on Monday, April 21, 2008 Breaking Down The Importance Of Logistic KPI’s? By Sam Miller Added on Tuesday, April 22, 2008