The next VDTA/SDTA Convention & Show will be in
New Orleans, LA
February 27 - 29, 2012
at the Ernest Morial Convention Center

Conversion Is Key
How to turn a Web site visitor into a customer

by Linda Rigano, Director of Strategic Alliances for ThomasNet

It’s no secret that floor care consumers are looking to the Internet as a key purchasing tool, turning away from traditional offline information they have relied on in the past. Indeed, specific company Web sites are one of the primary places consumers go to when looking for products and services.

As a result, floor care retailers are increasingly seeing the critical role an effective Web site can play in driving sales. According to a recent survey of industrial product buyers and sellers, 97 percent of buyers who researched or compared products online took one or more actions either online or offline. (See Table) However, there still remains a glaring disconnect between what buyers hope to find when they visit a potential supplier’s Web site and what suppliers actually provide. If you plan to revamp your Web site this year, what steps can you take to convert Web site visitors into customers?

Buyers after conducting research & comparison phases online

Online Expectations

If a floor care shop owner’s Web site is going to be effective, it is important to provide visitors with the information they are looking for. This means providing detailed information such as floor cleaning product descriptions and specs, product pricing (if allowed by the manufacturer), parts and equipment. You should also provide detailed information about the services and conveniences that are unique to your store, such as store hours, if you provide newsletters or e-blasts to your customers, and what regions you serve. Secondly, customers want to be able to search and compare products and services quickly and easily. In short, they want to be able to take action.

The VSET Test

In order to gauge the effectiveness of a dealer Web site, it can be helpful to take a step back and approach a Web site the way a potential customer would. Using a process called VSET (Verify, Search, Evaluate, Take Action), it is possible to conduct an objective Web site review, asking the following questions:

• VERIFY – Can a potential buyer immediately verify that the site has the right information he or she wants?
• SEARCH – Can the buyer quickly search the site for the exact products, services and specifications they need?
• EVALUATE – Can the buyer easily evaluate the information on the Web site to help them make an informed decision?
• TAKE ACTION – Can the buyer take action during his or her visit (i.e. make a call, send an e-mail, etc.)?

Floor care customers are visiting dealer Web sites looking for specific tools and information to help them make a purchase either online or at the store. Too often floor care service providers, while aware of the importance of a company Web site, are not providing the right type of details that these visitors need to take action.

Conversion is key. By providing the right information and using the VSET test, you can gain a potential customer’s point of view and increase the overall effectiveness of your company Web site to make more visitors into customers.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail LRigano@ThomasNet.com or call 1-212-629-1522.

Reprinted from Floor Care Professional, October 2008