If you're a mom who owns her own business, you probably conduct online advertising. You also have probably lamented the disparity between your traffic figures and your conversion rate. A common complaint is that you're getting traffic, but no one is buying. While there are many reasons this could occur, one major reason is that between 50% and 70% of consumers use the Internet purely for research. These are people who are going to walk into a brick and mortar store and make a purchase. Here, we look at how to take advantage of this phenomenon, and design your online advertising for offline buyers. Why do people do this? Try to step into your customer's shoes to understand the reasoning for not buying online. People want to: * Be assured that product sizing is what they expect, and quality is as good as the copy conveys * Ask further questions about a product, and going into a store is more instant (and more guaranteed of a response), than email is. * Pay using an alternative method to credit cards, or worry about the security of online payments. This perception is surprisingly widespread, especially in certain demographic groups. * To save on shipping charges. What tricks can I use in my online advertising and website to boost conversion for potential customers who are doing research? * Don't make them go too far from the product page. For example, add a 'Research Now' button to help people delve deeper for more information. * Build geographical sensitivity based on IP addresses into your website, and even into your advertising, can make a big difference. Insert the name of a visitor's closest store into an ad, and put the promotional offers that relate to nearby stores in a prominent position. * It sounds simple, but if people ask questions about a product by email, answer them promptly and politely. Not answering will certainly lose a sale, while answering may cost a little time, but could result in a conversion. * Creating information channels with your customers is just as important for offline purchasers as it is for online ones. Email newsletters, Twitter updates, and RSS feeds can all help you keep in touch with your existing customers, save on online advertising and boost customer loyalty.
Article Source: http://bizymoms.com/business
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Online Advertising.