Overcoming objections is one of the many focuses of copywriting.
If your business sells goods online, your ‘shopping experience’ must be exceptional.
Why?
For many people, shopping online is still dabbling in the unknown. If they buy something from a High Street store, they can speak with staff, see the product, pay for it, and take it away there and then.
But shopping online is an entirely different experience:
- There is no one to ask questions of immediately
- They can see a picture of the product but not the real thing
- They can’t touch the product
- Although they can pay for it, they must wait for it to be delivered
Effectively, they are giving a faceless company their hard-earned cash for something they’ve not yet received.
It’s hardly surprising, so many online transactions are never completed.
Don’t lose sales through ‘what if…’ syndrome
What do I mean?
- What if I can’t get back to the webpage I want if I click this link?
- What if I don’t like the product when it arrives?
- What if the company goes bust?
- What if they sell my details to another company?
They are just a few of the ‘what ifs…’ that could be flying through your customers’ heads right now.
So how can you alleviate their fears?
How can you make them feel safe while shopping with you?
Overcoming objections means giving reassurance every step of the way
The key is to reassure them at every stage of the buying process – from the moment they land on your website right through to their sale confirmation email.
- Testimonials
An old one, but a good one. Showing real customer testimonials on your website will help reassure your customers. If they can see other people were satisfied with your products and service, they are more likely to buy.
If you don’t have any, get some. Ask past customers to rate your service.
- Privacy policy
People are, quite rightly, concerned about the possibility of their details being passed on to third parties.
Reassure them this won’t happen by telling them and providing a prominent link to your privacy policy.
- Simple ordering
If you want someone to buy from you, your ordering process must be simple. And I don’t just mean so you can understand it.
People of all IT abilities will be potential customers, so when you design your ordering process, get your Aunt or another member of the family (non-tech savvy) to do a dry run for you. This ‘test drive’ will help you iron out any ambiguities.
- Reputable payment
People don’t like to input their sensitive information online, such as bank details and card numbers. Give reassurance by only using reputable payment partners.
- Guarantee
Everyone loves a guarantee, especially the ‘100% of your money back, no questions asked’ type. It shows your commitment to your customers and your faith in your products.
- Let them know where you are
There’s nothing more off-putting than seeing a website without an address.
If you are genuine, surely there’s no reason to hide your postal address.
- Click points
There’ll be various ‘click’ points for navigation all over your website. Do a full review of them (call in your Aunt again) and make sure they are all clear. If not, add a line of text to explain what your customer needs to do.
- Awards
If you have won awards for customer service or your products, display them on your website. The sight of those will provide an extra layer of confidence for your customers, making them more likely to buy.
There you go, eight straightforward ways you can avoid the ‘what if…’ syndrome.
Over to you
Can you think of any more? If so, leave a comment below.
Sally Ormond, Briar Copywriting Ltd