The feller from India’s advert and website made me stop to think about how many new vendors stick their foot in it over easily preventable things. Here are a few suggestions, that might help others get off on the right track. (so to speak)
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Don’t announce until you’re certain of production, and I mean within about 4 or 5 months of release MAX! Too many people have been burned with ‘pre-orders’ on stuff that never materialized. Especially with a start up company - if you’re delayed, you’re going to take a beating, and nobody will believe you the next time.
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Beta test the product BEFORE you sell it. Some bugs will still slip through, but expecting the customer to be your final quality control is asking for a huge pile of trouble.
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ALWAYS assume that some people are still on dial-up - so skip the huge graphic files and cutesy animations and sounds on your main pages. There’s nothing wrong with detail pics, in fact they are great… but thumbnail them on the main pages.
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ALWAYS have an easy to find, CURRENT price list on the web site, with links to it from EVERY merchandise page. If they have to call just for a price, most people won’t.
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Make an effort to differentiate which items are commonly kept in stock, and which are special order. And if they aren’t in stock, let them know when they will be. People are bloody impatient these days, even half a week’s delay, if they aren’t advised in advance will cause them anxiety and you headaches.
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Seriously consider an automated shopping cart. If they have to pick up the phone, at least have an answering machine. If all you have is email, then PLEASE set it up to respond that the customer’s query has been received, and has been read!
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Someone on staff fluent in English, not pidgin Engrish, is a really nice touch if you wish to sell to US customers. Perhaps we’re lazy, arrogant, or maybe just hopelessly provincial, but it better be the best damned product in the world at an unbelievably low price if you think a customer is going to hire a translator just to place his order.
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EXPECT a few of us to be cheap, or obnoxious, or to ask stupid, obvious questions. Some of us ARE stupid, cheap and obnoxious… Some of us just a bit oblivious… Some ARE under the influence and/or should have a keeper. A few have learning disabilities… And the rest might just want to know more about your product, and why we should be willing to pay $X for it – and just worded it badly.
8a. No, you aren’t being paid enough to be abused, just make sure it’s intentional BEFORE responding with a reply in kind.
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Customer service, before and after the sale, is something we expect. But most aren’t willing to actually PAY for. It’s a sad reality. There ARE going to be people who will waste your time, perhaps a LOT of it, before ordering off somebody else. (Somewhere around 10% on average). Don’t let it get to you. There are jerks everywhere – they’re there to make you appreciate the good people more…
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Advertising is great. Free advertising is even better. But posting adverts on someone else’s property without the said site owner’s permission is rude at best. If in doubt, ASK!!!
My consulting fee for the above will be $1,576,000.00, payable yesterday. (Hey, if you expect free advice, it should be worth what you paid, right?)