Using Demos and Education to Boost Online Sales
June 2, 2009, 10:00 am
I really want a BlendTec blender. They sell for about $400, which is far more than I’ve ever paid for any kitchen appliance (including my beloved Kitchenaid standup mixer). But, after seeing it blend an iPhone, I know this is a device I need.
Not that I make iPhone smoothies on a regular basis, but if it can do that to a popular electronics device, it should easily handle my frozen pineapple and mango chunks. And therein lies the brilliance of “Will It Blend” – now that I’ve seen what the BlendTec can handle, I’m confident it’s the blender for me.
The fact that I’m excited about a blender – one of the more boring items on the market – should clearly demonstrate the importance of a solid marketing strategy. You may have the most boring product in the world, but if you can find a way to make it exciting, you’ll increase sales. You don’t even need to do anything as impressive as blending an iPhone – you just need to show your customers what your product can do.
County fair season is starting up soon, which means I’ll be sipping lemonade with my wife and kid while I watch dozens of people pass me with great big rolled-up orange cloths. The “ShamWow” took the cotton chamois out of the fair and into your livingroom, but they did a great clip of business even before the guy with the fauxhawk pitched them on TV. If you’ve ever seen the live demo – how they quickly pick up a 2 liter soda spill, how they dry out a swatch of carpet in minutes, how the pitchman wrings out an impossible amount of water – then you understand the draw. The demos they use address everyday situations – they’re not that extreme, but the product handling them is.
If you sell one or more products online, you’re missing a valuable opportunity if your website doesn’t demonstrate how they work. Thanks to sites like YouTube, internet video is cheap and easy. You don’t need fancy video equipment – a $200 Flip Mino plus $80 video editing software may be all you’ll ever need – and you don’t need to add professional polish. While your demo should be impressive, it doesn’t need to be over the top – if you’re selling a tablesaw, it’s enough to rip a few boards to show how easy and efficient the saw works.
If the product you sell doesn’t lend itself to demonstrations, it’s just as valuable to provide tips, tricks and other relevant information on your site. If you sell fragrant soaps, for example, consider writing an article educating your customers how to select perfumes and colognes that compliment your soaps. Apparel stores keep their customers abreast of the latest fashion trends while highlighting their hottest product lines.
One of the greatest challenges in selling products online is convincing the customer that the item they’re buying is worth the cost and risk. Demonstrating how your products work and educating your customers on how best to use them overcome this challenge and lead to happier customers and more money in your pocket.
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