What can a trip to Wal-Mart teach us about marketing on
the Internet? More than you might think!
Most of us have shopped at Wal-Mart at one time or
another. Some of us are big Wal-Mart fans while others are
"secret shoppers" who duck in to grab a low price when
no one is looking.
No matter how you feel about Wal-Mart, you experienced
three things while you were there that are very good
marketing.
Low Prices
This is of course Wal-Mart's claim to fame. When Sam
Walton started the company, his focus was lower prices,
period.
Sure, he was friendly and that was good for business.
But it was peoples' pocketbooks that kept them coming
back, and he was smart enough to know it.
Is your price better than your competitors price?
If so, say *that* in your headline and about 50 times
in your sales letter too, then watch as sales increase.
Huge Selection
The next thing that Wal-Mart does right is offer you a
huge selection. This is no accident.
They know that keeping you in the store longer means a
bigger average ticket, and that is their goal.
It's amazing to see the stuff people walk out of Wal-
Mart with. You just know they didn't have all of that
on their list when they walked in!
Does your site offer enough information to keep
visitors' attention and make the sale?
Strong Guarantee
People want to feel comfortable when shopping. They
want to feel safe. Wal-Mart knows this and takes full
advantage of it with their very strong guarantee
policy, and a customer service center where everyone
can see it.
At one time, Sears owned this space in the customers
mind with their slogan "Satisfaction Guaranteed". But
they didn't keep pace with Wal-Mart's price or
selection policies and they are now owned by KMart.
A cautionary tale.
This has been studied many times online, and the
conclusion is unquestionable. The stronger the
guarantee, the more sales you will make.
Does your site let the visitor know that if they have a
problem you promise to make it right?
If so, say that in your sales copy. Whether you use one
of those big gold buttons, or a box, or just a big
headline-like phrase, be sure to let your visitor know
they can feel safe buying from you.
And be sure to restate that very near your order button
too.
So how does your site stack up to Wal-Mart? Our sites
can be wildly successful without becoming a household
name if we will offer super-competitive prices (because
the Internet is super-competitive), offer a wide
selection, and make our customers feel that there is no
problem we can't solve for them.
There you have it ... three simple things that can make
your site more powerful and profitable than ever
before. Do those things, and watch as your site becomes
more profitable month by month.
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Charlie Page owns The Directory of Ezines. He will help
you succeed online with his Special Reports, membership
sites and more. If you need to make more sales, visit
Charlie and discover what works in the Real World.
http://www.RealWorldTactics.com
Reprinted with permission.
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