Is Your Business Really Online? Having a Site Isn't Enough

For years, businesses have been told that having a single source of information about their company or products and services just plain isn't enough. Most businesses - especially small businesses with a tighter budget - have ignored the advice because there was no real reason to follow it. There wasn't any real evidence that expanding a businesses' information base would grow its customer base.

All of that has changed with a recent survey performed by Art Technology Group (ATG), which showed clearly that almost one-third of all consumers use two or more "channels" to research a product or service before they ever make a purchase.

What is a Channel Anyway?

By saying "channels" in this article, we will assume the most widely accepted definition of a "business channel."

Channel of Distribution - This business term is what we can hold responsible for the widely used word "channels." Essentially, a channel of distribution is the way a product or service is transferred to the customer. Any person who stands between you, the business and seller of the product or service, and the customer is considered to be an intermediary, or middleman, in the channel of distribution. Putting the two together, channels can range from a one-level channel, where your business sells directly to the customer, to multi-level channels with intermediaries involved. Intermediaries actually deliver the product or service, and should be counted on to provide accurate and engaging information about what they are selling.

As an example of a multi-level channel, think of a manufacturer. This fictional manufacturer creates a variety of high-quality, handmade children's furniture. Instead of selling to the customer (and dealing with the hassle inherent in doing so), they sell their products to a distributor. The distributor operates a storefront, has employees, and actually interfaces with the public to make sales, deliveries, and collect payments.

Channel Management

Once you set foot on the slippery slopes of how channels affect your business, you'll be dragged right into Channel Management. Don't worry - it can't be helped, and it is the foundation for getting the most out of this article and your business sales.

Channel Management - Often performed by a skilled marketer, the term "channel management" refers to the process that you or your marketer performs to ensure that your intermediary is armed with the tools they need to seriously promote and sell your product or service. This means that intermediaries should have access to very effective product knowledge, first and foremost. Secondly, the intermediary should have adequate incentives to make those sales for you. Keep in mind this one fact: the middleman is not your employee. Their goals are not the same as your goals. You want to give the middleman an incentive to bring your goals closer together.

Simply by reading this article and gleaning any information, you're practicing channel management. The concept will stick in your mind, and you're soon going to be coming up with ideas left and right. Perfect - that's exactly what your business website needs.

How Channels and Business Websites Meet

Content is king. It's a topic that I've tackled numerous times, and that experts in everything from Search Engine Optimization to Marketing agree on: without the right information, you won't make sales.

Here's where the basic, most widely accepted definition of "channels" starts to get a little foggy. But we're going to just burst right through the fog and wind up on the winning side of the minefield by putting it like this: It doesn't matter whether you're the manufacturer, the distributor, or some indie mixture of both ... online, channels apply to all businesses and all business models.

To really get started making your business website pop, you need to take a serious and unbiased look at everything from your company home page to your help desk or call center, the store, catalogs, and emails. Some business owners can take this unbiased look - no sentimentality - while others need to hire a consultant or a marketer.

Consumers have some real expectations for the online companies they buy from. Every aspect of your online presence must fulfill their most basic need: Information. And more information. The survey released by ATG showed that a full 78% of consumers stated that they use two or more channels to browse, research, and eventually make their purchases. What this means is that every single page, form, and product or service needs to include the most complete information possible without getting bogged down in too much specifications.

Tips on improving the information your online channels provide:

• At least have a live help desk that is attended on a regular basis. 43% of the consumers surveyed said that they start their research online but call a customer service or call center representative before they make a purchase because the product or service information they needed wasn't available on the website. Make more sales more quickly by having a real person for your potential customers to speak to right away.

• If you sell a product, seriously consider a storefront of some size. Depending on the nature and scope of your business, you may only need a small display space with room for inventory in the back, but most of the potential customers who find the perfect product on your website will want to make the actual purchase in your store because they can touch and better visualize the product.

• Storefront not an option? Don't panic - just make sure that you provide plenty of pictures in natural settings for your product to "live" in, from a variety of viewpoints. Then, beef up the information by providing things like exact measurements, and evocative terms in descriptions.

• Provide a print catalog. For the small or indie business, this is usually best achieved by creating an aesthetically pleasing (but information-filled) PDF that the consumer can download to browse and print. Larger-scale businesses should definitely invest in a professionally printed catalog. Nearly 80% of all consumers surveyed by ATG stated that they use catalogs to browse and research the products or services they need at least four times a year.

• Move into the mobile generation. Especially if your target consumers are in the 18-34 year-old age group, who attribute almost half of their online purchases to mobile devices.

All businesses should take the time to see how they can provide more information online. Every single page, form, and product should provide descriptive information that sways a consumer from being skeptical into a customer confident that they have all the info they need to make an informed purchase.