Net Sieve

I’m liking the beta of the Wize computer and electronics web site. As their logo boasts, they offer “Millions of Opinions. One score.” on some best selling computer components.

If you’re in the market for computer processors, Wize is currently offering the AMD Athlon 64 upgrade, the AMD Sempron 3000+, and the Intel Core 2 Duo as just a couple of their highest rated products based on users’ opinions. You can customize your product searches with a wide selection of variables including price, brand, processor clock speed, and performance.

Wize looks like it will be a contender when it clears its beta. It has some strong concepts behind it and if the customer service can compete, Wize will be a winner.

And the tip to end all tips - or at least this 12-step program:

1. Starting small is starting smart

Many Internet entrepreneurs take a look at the technology available in cyberspace and think they need to have it all to be competitive. Besides adding to the cost of site development, all the Java scripts, animations, marquee messages, and other bells and whistles can actually push customers away.Starting small is starting smart - focus your time and money on promoting your products and fulfilling orders. Build a strong customer base with a fundamentally strong site with clear descriptions, logical instructions, and focused intent. Make your pages quick to load and easy to follow - you want visitors to notice your product, not your programming.

Later, when you feel you have a strong base of operation and you know more about who your customers are, you can add special features geared to their interests.

2. Think before you link

Success in offline ventures is sure to equal success online, right? The answer is no. Some products and services are just not a good fit for Internet sales.

Think objectively about what you have to offer. Are the costs of shipping and handling going to make sale prices too high to entice buyers? Does the item need the touch of a practiced, personal salesperson? Can your prices stand up against the stiff competition online and off? Are the items too delicate or expensive to ship practically?

Giving your products this honest scrutiny can save you a lot a time and expense. Don’t take your business and your money out on a limb.

3. Don’t neglect the real world

Some Internet stores seem to think that all a business needs to pull in online sales is a good shopping cart and secure credit card transactions. Don’t make that mistake yourself. A majority of “online” sales come from a customer accessing a site for information and comparison, then picking up a phone and calling in their order.

It is critical to always include contact information and display it prominently on each page. Give your business solidity by providing its street address and telephone numbers (toll-free is best). Not only will you make it easier for customers to order; you’ll assure them that you’ll be easy to contact for customer service should anything go wrong.

4. Shameless promotion can lead to an embarrassment of riches

You’ve create your online gem of a storefront, stocked it well and made it easy to buy your product. Now all your customers have to do is find you… but the Internet is not the Yellow Pages and the search engines are as likely to send your customers to your competition as they are to you.

You have to lead your customers to your store by the hand and conventional advertising can sometimes make or break an Internet site. Give buyers every opportunity to find your URL in conventional magazine, newspaper or mass media advertising. These days, leaving off your Internet address is like leaving off your phone number. Be sure to print it on any promotional item you offer and include it on your business card and letterhead.

While you’re at it, create a short and professional sig. file (signature file) to display at the end of every email you write. Your email software should have this option under the preferences menu.

6. Once is never enough

Many online ventures spend all their time and resources in attracting new customers and end up offering them little reason to return. But a key to success in business is turning a new customer into a repeat customer. Beyond offering a product for sale, you must create entertaining and captivating content to bring people back to your site.

Interactivity helps. Consider your products - would a monthly newsletter outlining their benefits be helpful to consumers? Can you create feature articles that would enlighten and inform them? Would games or contests be appropriate? How about regular product updates?

Consider the unexpected. Surprising and delighting visitors with your content can separate you from your competition and bring ‘em back for more.

7. An informed customer is a satisfied customer
Even the most well designed site with the hottest products can fail to elicit sales if you don’t give your visitors a clear understanding of what to expect once they order. Instill consumer confidence by spelling out your sales and shipping policy.

Clearly state, in a prominent position, how long it will take for you to deliver the customer’s order. Explain which methods of shipping you use, and how much you charge for shipping and handling. If there are any additional charges, such as sales tax or insurance, let them know up-front.

8. Advertising alphabet soup
Sorting out the advertising acronyms floating around the Internet can be a struggle. Here’s a run-down of the most commonly used pricing structures for banner advertising.

CPM = Cost per thousand impressions (number of times ad gets seen, regardless of action).
CTR= Click through rate (number of times the banner is clicked on).
CPC= Cost per click-through (as above).
CPA= Cost per action (number of times the desired action takes place, as in, survey, registration, download).
CPT= Cost per transaction (cost per lead generated).
CPS= Cost per sale (directly tied to that advertisement).
(Note: PPC does not even exist. Yes …Â? the days when Google wasn’t yet evil.)

There’s plenty of argument over which structure gives an advertiser the best return for their buck. CPM and CTR/CPC are currently the two most popular models. Determining the best method of advertising your product or services can be daunting if you don’t know what you’re expecting from your ads. If it’s name recognition you’re seeking, CPM is a cost-effective model (with prices for banners actually decreasing at this time) for getting your site seen. If it’s response that you want, (adding names to a mailing list, surveying customer opinion) a CTR or CPA model might be more appropriate.

9. Where do you want me to go today?
(Note: This was a play on some company’s tagline “Where do you want to go today?” Bonus points if you remember the company.)When you’ve designed an ad that makes people want to click, be sure you’re sending them to the right place. Pointing to your home or index page is not always the smart choice. If your product or service has caught someone’s attention, you don’t want to force him or her to search through a series of pages to get where your ad promised to take them.

But where to send them? If you’re collecting information for future leads, take the person straight to your forms or survey page. If you’re featuring a product you want them to buy or download, take them directly to the specific product page

Visitors will appreciate your efforts to save them time and energy by pointing them in the right direction. And, if you’ve designed your pages with ease of navigation in mind, they will likely repay you by visiting a few more pages after the business is done.

10. Provide a good, clean shopping cart

With all of the purchasing software available for you to use on your Web site, there is no excuse for using software that requires a customer to fill out a form before allowing them to create a shopping cart or to put items into it.

Forcing a commitment from your visitor before they’ve had a chance to browse will likely kill sales. Don’t make the mistake of creating a user-friendly site only to alienate visitors at this crucial point. Buyers will have to give you their personal and financial information at the point of sale anyway. Don’t put obstacles between your customer, the shopping cart and your products.