Sell more than a product

By
Angie Herrera

Not every company is going to make a ton of money by having a website. There are certain models that will lend themselves to increased sales and there are those that don't (and instead, benefit much more by having a traditional brick and mortar store). Room by Room is one of them. However, they're still missing out on an inexpensive marketing tool. While it's true that selling products on the web isn't necessarily a good fit for every company, there are other things to "sell". #### Selling your company No, I don't mean actually putting your company up for sale. I mean, show and explain why your company is different or better than the competition. That's a form of selling. One small, short webpage is unlikely to have anything compelling enough to get a visitor to look around more or to pick up the phone. Selling your company properly on the web (regardless of website size, really) means combining good design with great copy. Anything less and you're selling yourself short (not to mention underestimating the power of the web). #### Testimonials, anyone? One of the distinct advantages smaller businesses have over large companies is the ability to connect with their customers on a more personal level. Sure, that means hearing the nasty from the dissatisfied. But it also means hearing the compliments from the content. Testimonials have been proven time and time again in various industries. They flat out work. If you're going to have a website at all, testimonials are something to really consider. #### A picture is worth... Even if you're not actually selling products online, why not more photos? A gallery might be overkill in this situation but how about photos of the most popular products? Better yet, if Room by Room would prefer to "point to real, not virtual products" (which is kind of misleading by the way), why not display bigger, better shots of their store? That in itself is likely a big selling point for them. #### Sell your staff Does your company hire the best? The best of the best? Why not mention that? In fact, it's probably a better idea to give each of your key staff their 15 minutes of fame and provide a brief bio. Showcase why they're the best. Showcase how they can help your customer base. #### The web is so much more than e-commerce If the web was filled with only websites that sold products, it'd get pretty boring pretty fast. Luckily, it's not. In fact, that's not even what it was about in the very beginning. The Internet has always been, and will continue to be, about information. Commercial endeavors are a part of the Internet, but there's still information to be shared. Information that should persuade and convince people that your business is the right fit. Just because you can't sell a product online doesn't mean you can't take advantage of the power of the web and give yourself an edge.