Saturday, April 16, 2011

7 Ways to Gain Customer Confidence

I shouldn't be the one writing this since I am breaking one of the fundamental rules of gaining confidence - being there and if you won't be available let customers know in advance. As a blogger, I feel you are my customers and should at least give an update for my absence. After the fact doesn't count but let's just move on to some ideas.

  1. Professional looking banner. It's the first thing customers see, make that first impression count. A blurry, amateurish banner screams "I'm not really interested in this"
  2. Be present- on Artfire, check in at the very least, once a week. Make it easy for customers to contact you and respond quickly. And if will be away for more than a few days, let customers know or put your shop in vacation.
  3. Well written description that includes measurements and materials. Make sure a customer knows what they are buying. There is a market for inexpensive pieces as well as high end pieces. Let a customer know what to expect.
  4. Photos - multiple shots, all sides, made them well lit and use white balance to get the colors as true to life as possible. Some of my biggest disappointments have been ordering an item that looks like a completely different color than it looked.in the picture in the listing.
  5. Customer friendly policies -In an earlier post, I spoke of a few ways to scare away your customers. Basically make it easy for customers to order, pay and contact you. Let them know when you ship their item, it is will be later than expected, let them know. 
  6. Be there after the sale. This may be accepting returns if this is feasible option, responding to questions about delivery. Remember as the seller, you are still the one responsible for safe delivery. When you can, using a tracking number, if it is an expensive item, have it insured, so in the case of a lost package, you can refund the price.
  7.  Let your customers know what to expect.  Basically policies, shipping times, payment. If you have a newsletter, make it opt-in, don't just add customers without letting them know.
Etsy proved all too well, that customers value their online privacy and also to be informed if policies changed.You can respect this by letting customers know what to expect when they buy something and keeping them in the loop until the sale is complete and the customer is satisfied. All sections in a shop should be completed but there is no need to show your picture or give your full name; a bio can about your personal techniques.

1 comment:

VAWM said...

Excellent points, Susan