Just as there are many best practices to use in your online business, there are a number of things you can do wrong when you are Selling Online. There are also a number of dire consequences that can occur as the result of less than reputable practices.
A company’s reputation can be severely damaged by word of mouth negative publicity. After all, it is the rare consumer who takes time to publicly thank a company for good service.
Too often, a bad experience or a poor quality product gets the most promotion. In the modern age when lodging a complaint is as easy as posting it on a website, this is a risk you do not want to take.
Your online business may also suffer due to an inordinate number of returns. If you are processing more refunds than sales, it will not be long before you cannot afford to stay in business.
In order to be successful, ensure that you do not fall into the trap of trying to make a sale via unscrupulous techniques such as these.
Fake Testimonials
Promoting your products or services by posting testimonials from nonexistent customers is considered a black hat technique. Not only does it devalue your offerings, it shows customers that you are not to be trusted.
Try to obtain some real testimonials, instead. If you do not have written comments to work with, consider asking your friends and family to try out the products you are Selling Online. Usually they will be more than happy to help you out with an honest appraisal.
If you do get positive customer feedback, remember to ask the individual’s permission before posting it on your website. You could potentially be the target of a lawsuit if you use someone else’s words without their consent.
Exaggerated Or False Claims
Be careful how you word specific claims attributed to your products. For instance, if you have a weight loss product you are Selling Online, do not exaggerate its effectiveness. Word the benefits in a way that they cannot be disputed. If the substance has not been approved by an appropriate government authority, you should state so in your promotional materials.
Use terms like “most people”, “the majority of test subjects”, “you may…”, or “there is a correlation between” as these phrases do not make specific promises.
Worthless Guarantees
While it may sound great to a consumer to read that their purchase will be refunded without any questions asked, at any time, or for any reason, if you cannot truly back up this claim don’t state it. The same holds true for ‘lifetime guarantees’. Unless the company you are buying products from has been in business for decades, chances are they could easily fold and leave you holding the bag to honour the guarantee.
You may be anxious to increase conversion rates or get your business off to a great start, but by utilising deceptive promotion practices, you could end up doing much more harm than good. Be honest, offer great customer service, and sell products or services that are truly valuable. That is the best way for your business to be profitable.
About Sean Rasmussen
Hi Sean,
I’m pretty good at customer service because I’ve done so much of it. I think the reason we hear more negative feedback than positive is that people don’t complain when they’re happy. The key is to keep them happy.
If you’re upfront and honest you won’t go far wrong.
Hi Sean
When selling online one must be in total integrity at all times. Worthless guarantees are my bugbear.
When I buy goods offline I always ask about the guarantee/warranty in depth and make sure I understand the terms and conditions and that they are in print before I leave the store. That way there is clarity about what can be done if the goods are found to be faulty down the track.
These things can’t be discussed online so the written guarantee must not be evasive or left open to interpretation.
Its all a matter of Karma, you will always get back what you give out, so it makes sense if you use blackhat techniques to sell your online business then your deciet will get found out and people will want their money back and will more than likely tell everyone not to buy from you.
This is right Jody, as Sean wrote it is the negative publicity that you want to prevent happening.
Negative feedback spreads like wildfire so if we don’t look after our clients/customers at all times it will be to our detriment. It’s not just about the rights and wrongs of selling on line, it’s doing the right thing to your clientele.
When you are in business you become transparent.