In the world of online sales, things move quickly. A potential customer can find your website one minute and be on to the next thing the next. Because of this, it’s important to make a good impression fast.
You don’t have time for hard sells, long-winded explanations, or anything else that will turn a visitor away. With that in mind, here are six old-school sales tactics you shouldn’t use online—and why.
1. The Hard Sell
The Hard Sell is when you lay everything out there on the table and try to close the deal as quickly as possible. This might work in some face-to-face situations, but online, it’s a surefire way to lose a customer.
Remember, people come to your website because they’re interested in what you have to offer—they don’t need to be convinced. Give them the information they need to make a decision and let them do just that.
2. The Bait and Switch
The bait-and-switch is when you promise one thing but deliver another. This is obviously not a good way to do business, but some companies still try it—especially online where it’s easy to make false promises without being held accountable.
Don’t do this! Not only will you lose customers, but you could also get hit with some serious legal penalties.
3. The Upsell
An upsell is when you try to sell a customer a more expensive product or service than they were originally interested in. Again, this might work face-to-face, but online it comes across as pushy and can quickly turn people away from your business.
If someone came to your website looking for a specific product or service, give them exactly that—don’t try to upsell them on something else.
4. The Cross-Sell
The Cross-Sell is similar to the upsell in that you’re trying to sell a customer something other than what they came for—but instead of selling them something more expensive, you’re selling them something complementary.
For example, if someone buys a pair of shoes from your website, you might try to cross-sell them on a pair of socks. This tactic can work if done tastefully, but too often businesses go overboard and end up overwhelming their customers with too many choices.
If you do decide to use the cross-sell tactic on your website, be sure to keep it simple by only offering one or two additional products or services.
5. The High-Pressure Close
The High-Pressure Close is when you try to pressure someone into buying something before they’re ready by using scare tactics or limited-time offers (think “act now before this deal expires!”).
Again, this might work in some situations, but online it will only serve to anger potential customers and drive them away from your business for good. And when you are too aggressive with this tactic, it can lead to negative word-of-mouth that leads to others avoiding you before you even have a chance to make a first impression.
6. The Lowball Offer
The Lowball Offer is when you offer an initial price that’s lower than what you expect the customer will actually pay so that you can later negotiate up from there (this tactic is often used in car sales).
It might work offline, but online customers are savvy enough to know when they’re being played—so don’t even bother trying this one. Just give them your best price from the start and avoid any chance of coming across as dishonest or untrustworthy.
Today’s Audience Demands a More Informative, Less Sales-y Approach
If you want to succeed in online sales, ditch these old-school tactics and focus on providing potential customers with what they need—quality information about your products and services so they can make an informed decision without any pressure from you.
Keep things simple and honest and let your products and services speak for themselves—that\’s what you really need for success in today\’s digital world! Not sure how to translate your expertise to the online sales world? Need a partner skilled at creating informative and results-driven content for your target market? Look no further than Rise Local.
We serve several states and a variety of companies. We know how to research and present your authority into content that gets results. Contact us today to get started.