Encourage Web Site Visitor
Interaction
(Modified from the guide with
iPowerWeb
(which this web site is hosted at))
You can make your Web site more interactive with some
of these tools. Feedback from your customers and visitors is
important to let you know what you are doing right and what you need
to change. But more importantly, it can help to build a trusting
bond between you and your potential customers.
Guestbooks
Give your visitors somewhere to air their views on your Web site
Guest books are used by many people to give visitors the chance to
air their opinions on their Web site The disadvantage is that you
have no real control of the nature of the comments your visitors
make. Maybe this is the reason it isn't used much by commercial Web
sites. So you have to decide if it is worthwhile to set up such a
service. In our opinions, we wouldn't use one for the reasons stated
above. Most web hosting companies provide guest books for free, but
if yours don't then there are many organizations that do.
Newsletters
A newsletter will enable you to keep in contact with your customers
and prospects, thereby building a relationship with them. You can
provide news of new products, special offers, new features on your
Web site, etc. Since they have requested this newsletter you can be
sure that they will read it. This will give you the opportunity to
sell to them again and again.
Some web hosting companies will provide a script for you to set up a
mailing list. This will be able to log all the subscribers and send
an email which you provide to all the email addresses contained
within the mailing list. This means you won't need to spend much
time maintaining the mailing list. There are strict policies
regarding bulk emails, so be sure to read the terms and condition of
use, set out by your mailing list host. Be aware that most free
mailing list hosts will attach an advertisement to your outgoing
email to pay for the service. Usually a small monthly fee will get
rid of this advertisement.
Bulletin boards
Message boards are popular amongst web surfers as they allow like
minded individuals to meet up and chat about the same topic. So if
you sell golfing equipment at your Web site, then golfers can meet
up to discuss golf related matters at your Web site You can answer
questions or give advice to your visitors. This can only help to
build a trusting bond with your business as people will come back to
your site again and again for news and information. You can
highlight special offers somewhere within the discussion forum page
to tempt visitors to come into your store.
It can also be used as a classified advertisement board. So if you
are a golfing equipment supplier, your visitors would naturally
assume that people who see their advert are likely to be interested
in golf, therefore a greater chance that they would sell their
wares. Again, this will would help to build a closer relationship
with your customers and prospects.
Most Web site hosting companies provide this service for free or as
an additional service for a small fee.
Chat rooms
Chat rooms are similar to discussion forums, except as that they are
real-time. This means that individuals can meet up and chat to each
other like they were having a conversation in real life.
Let's take this example. Say you are a supplier of angling
equipment. Anglers from all corners of the world can meet up in your
chat room to share their fishing experiences and advice. You can
even use it as a form of marketing. Why not hold a weekly or monthly
meeting for visitors to discuss angling related matters. You can
answer questions and give advice, thereby asserting your knowledge
and expertise.
So where do you think these anglers are likely to go to buy their
new fishing tackle? You, knowing the fact that you are an expert on
angling and you provide free help and advice or another fishing
tackle supplier who doesn't bother to meet with their customers?
Surveys
By placing a vote function somewhere on your Web site, usually on
the home page, you can get quick feedback from your visitors. Use it
as a form of market research. Say you are thinking about adding a
new product line to your store. Ask your customers and prospects
whether they would be interested in such a line of products. This
would save you valuable time and resources, knowing that they may or
may not sell before you even stock the products.
Usually it is only used for one specific survey at a time. This
would give visitors a chance to air their opinions without the time
consuming aspects of a normal survey, which should get a better
response.Forum
Open a forum on your site is a good way to attract
visitors to share information, getting help, and generate more
traffic to your site. |
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