The sales process is one of the most important aspects of any company that is looking to create a long term brand in today’s modern business landscape
The “online purchase journey” is the process through which a company leads a customer to the final conversion action, which in this case is the purchase of a product or service.
In order to be successful, the journey of an online purchase should be rather straightforward as well as precise. Customers like to make purchases from companies that seem as if they know what they are doing, and the sales process is the main avenue through which companies display their expertise of their industry as well as their own products and services.
How does the online purchase journey usually begin?
The online purchase journey usually begins with an ad or a search engine listing. These ads and listings are worded to attract people who are looking for specific keywords in their queries so as to target individuals who may be more likely to want the product or service that is being offered. There are many ways that companies can modify their ad structure to more precisely target customers that would be satisfied by the solutions that a company offers.
See: Adwords PPC
The landing page
After a customer clicks on an ad or a company listing, they are usually taken to what is known as a “landing page.” A landing page contains the basic information of a company as well as the loss leaders that a business might put forward to attract further sales. The landing page should also address specifically the questions that were raised in the ad or the listing that is attached to it.
The landing page is most often the start page for the company sales process. Landing pages may also contain introductory videos that describe the rest of the products and services that a company offers. There are also usually many well organized links that are on a landing page so that a customer can quickly find his or her way to the next step of the sales process.
Clicking off of the landing page
After the landing page, the commercial website usually opens up to display its wares. Customers are given choices as to what to do next although all choices are clearly marked and every link is strategically placed to lead the customer to the sale. For instance, there will be buy links on every product description page as well as testimonials that display the advantages of making a purchase clearly to the new customer.
The Sales Conversion Page
The sales conversion page is where the money is made. This page connects to a merchant account holder such as Paypal or any of the major credit card companies so that individuals can make a purchase using their preferred method of payment. Sales conversion pages are also pages through which customers can print receipts of their purchase as well as move back into the main part of the website in order to continue making purchases of complementary products if necessary. Many successful companies are also offering coupons after a sale so that customers will have an incentive to immediately return to the site.