If the title has caught your attention, it has probably shocked you that website owners out there actually commit what can only be described as a business sin 101.
To some degree all of us are guilty of this because more can always be done to get the sale.
Look at the majority of websites out there.
Yes - try to click some of the pay-per-click ads.
These are websites that owners have obviously invested substantial amounts of money to reel in web traffic, some to the tune of hundreds of thousands per month.
You might be rightly shocked that the website parades its wares like some marketplace, dangles in-your-face promotions and hope that the visitor happily whips out his wallet.
Then there are websites heavy with content.
These probably want to overwhelm the visitor into a buying inclination by the logic that the sheer volume of facts make them an authority site and therefore should be trusted first and foremost for any product or service in their field.
They also probably hope that the magnitude of facts and benefits are by themselves, convincing sales pitches.
These website owners evidently forget the premise that mom-and-pop shops have existed for hundreds of years and will continue to do so despite being out-priced by the Walmarts, Targets and GAPs out there because they provide an extremely personalized service.
You will want somebody to talk to you like they are your friend, who speaks to you instead of speaking to your wallet.
You want someone to probe your needs and desires (yes, needs and desires are two very different things please do not confuse the two).
You willingly go with the pitch because that someone is bothering to connect your needs and desires with good solutions.
You feel excited that you are being offered a good deal for a quick fix to your problems when you get bulk discount or limited time offers.
Yes we all know the company probably makes a substantial markup but we want to feel we have achieved some sort of victory.
Buyers thrive on the elation that "I got a $32 discount from that $86 restaurant coupon!" despite knowing full well that the coupon is likely to cost perhaps only $21.
Website owners should really invest a lot more of their web traffic budget into effective copy that sells and speaks to the visitor on a very personal basis.
A copy that connects problems, needs and desires with quick fix solutions.
They should also invest in software tools that detect where the visitor is coming from so they can target the message appropriately.
If you knew that your next visitor is coming from an opulent First World country and your next from an underdeveloped Third World country - do you want to dangle that $8000 souped-up PC or that budget $1000 basic model first? What if the customer is interested but still 'shopping around', not ready to buy yet? Would a pop-up 'drop your email to get a free (whatever)' work towards converting the prospect later on? That being said, studies have shown that many sales are converted on the 6th newsletter and that might amount to half the sales for the company.
So why do companies want to forsake half their income? Go figure.
Do you want to convert 10% out of the 10,000 web traffic coming in every month or do you want to convert 20% of the 5,000 web traffic? Both might look exactly the same.
Duh! 1,000 customers - what's the difference? Please be aware that it is a BIG difference.
The 1,000 customers in the first instance are probably not completely sold and try out your basic models costing $20.
The 1,000 in the second instance are hyped up by your pitch and invest in your higher end $80 models.
The difference equals to $20,000 versus $80,000.
Of course I exaggerate using simple extremes and not taking into account mid-range prices but only to make you see the point a lot more clearly.
You do now - don't you? Bottom line: invest half your budget into the conversion process to double your income.