Everyone who has ever had to start up an online business, whether big or small, has had to deal with the challenge of creating an appropriate site with relevant web design. An online presence is a very significant factor in establishing a business and its identity in marketing its products. That is why it is imperative to ensure that the process is carefully planned and executed with the direction of the business in mind.

For one thing, setting up a company’s web design is not something done haphazardly. One of the important things in setting it up is to carefully consider the initial impression that the site can generate. This will be crucial especially for first-time visitors. An important piece of advice is to note that a good website doesn’t necessarily mean heavy graphics and too much text. Viewers will always appreciate a site that is clear-cut and straight to the point.

The site itself should be forthright in stating what the business is promoting and the overall presentation should be clear on this. It only takes a few seconds to make an impact on each visitor so there is only a small window of opportunity to make things count. Bottom line is to keep things clear and crisp.

There will also be a need to consider the target market. Various visitors to the site will have different connection speeds due to the internet connection. Hence, there will be a need to tailor the loading time of the site in order to suit each person’s needs. A possible solution would be to provide a page with options for fast or slow internet connections. This will certainly be helpful to cover a wider market base.

Make sure to keep the website content as organized as possible. A sloppy site will do anything but promote a professional impression. It’s a sure way to turn off potential visitors and have them click elsewhere. Do take care to spend a good amount of proper web design on this area as it will be helpful in guiding viewers around the site.

Creating a site can also be enhanced through the use of widely available online tools. These applications can help in improving the overall atmosphere and site presentation if used correctly. Taking the time to use these tools properly can definitely make the content of a site really stand out.

Last but not least, there will also be a need to have Internet viewers to find out about the site. A website’s lifeblood is its visitors and this can be achieved through the use of advertising and registering with search engines. Also consider the use of a relevant domain name in order to make the business’ identity clear on what it’s all about.

All in all, there is no limit to what can be placed on the website. The important thing to remember is to go about it in such a way that clearly shows what the business or site is all about. Being original and creative with the content and overall presentation will definitely give a good impression. This means in terms of being online, a nicely executed web design can spell the difference in a thriving site or one that just gathers dust.

The confidence and care you take in presenting and demonstrating products can set you apart not just from other retailers but also from the ever increasing competition from the internet. Here are some tips to help you stand out from the pack.

Get your customers involved
If it’s an item of clothing let the customer touch it and then encourage them to try it on. If its furniture, perhaps you’re showing them a sofa, invite them to sit on it. If you’re in a pharmacy and you’re reading information from the label on the back of the box pick up the second item and put it in their hand so that they have it as well. Wherever possible, encourage your customers to hold the item, try it on or use it in some way.

By letting them experience the product, it becomes more real to them. Also it is no longer your product, when it is in their hands or as they are trying it out it is potentially their product. They’ve moved a little closer to ownership of the item.

Handle with care
Have you ever been in a jewellery store and noticed how the staff present a precious diamond necklace or ring to the customer? Without even seeing the price you know it is expensive because of the reverence they show as they handle it.

They should also present a diamante necklace or ring in exactly the same way, yet very few sales people do this. It’s about being customer focussed rather than product focussed. You are handling this person’s potential possession so it should be treated as if it is precious.

Treat your merchandise with respect. Remember, you may be showing the product to its future owner.

I remember trying on a pair of squash shoes in a small sports store. It was busy and there seemed to be lots of pairs of sport shoes spread across the floor. After trying on a pair that didn’t seem quite right, the owner brought me another pair. He made room for me by sweeping aside the first pair and a couple of others with his foot as if they were rubbish to be put in the bin.

He probably thought he was just moving HIS ‘stock’ out of the customer’s way but to customers he is not only devaluing the product, he is treating THEIR potential product disrespectfully.

By the way, it is a good tactic to immediately remove from sight any product that the customer has rejected – though not ones they are just a bit doubtful about – so, the sports store owner was doing something right. It’s just how he did it that was wrong!

Demonstrating a product
We’ve already covered some key points appropriate to demonstrating a product in the previous sections on handling the product with care and getting your customer involved.

The more interactive you can make the shopping experience, the more inclined your customers will be to buy. And if you can provide them with evidence via this interaction they will have proved to themselves that the product can do what you say.

With many products, an ounce of demonstration is worth a ton of words especially if your customers can try out the product for themselves. Research has shown that when a customer is given the opportunity to use a product or see it in operation the chances of closing the sale increase by 17%.

There are a couple of additional rules to bear in mind.

1. Check any products first to make sure they work. This should be done in advance of your customers coming into the store. There is nothing more embarrassing than attempting to demonstrate a product that has a faulty part that doesn’t work.
2. Make sure you can demonstrate with confidence by rehearsing in advance. Take turns at demonstrating products with your colleagues.
3. Be completely familiar with any safety considerations associated with the product.

Case Study: Piano Virtuoso
When my daughter was 7 or 8 years old she expressed an interest in learning to play the piano. So we headed out on a shopping expedition to purchase a piano. Having no experience in anything musical, I relied on the knowledge of the salesperson in the retail store. What would be best for her as a beginner? Which makes and models held their value best in case she didn’t maintain her interest? And so on.

In one store we came across a knowledgeable salesperson who clearly enjoyed seeing a child being introduced to a musical instrument. He answered my questions, translated the features into benefits and took an interest in my daughter as well as me. He almost had us there… then he blew it!

He sat down at the piano to demonstrate and proceeded to stun us by playing the most amazing piece. Then he got up and asked my daughter to have a go. She wouldn’t go near the piano. He had totally intimidated her with his virtuoso performance.

We politely excused ourselves and a few days later bought the same piano from another retail store where my daughter didn’t feel intimidated.

The lesson from this is that whether you are demonstrating a new computer gizmo or an electrical guitar if you concentrate on showing off your skills rather than demonstrating ease of use, you may intimidate the customer. And if they are unwilling to try it they are unlikely to buy it.

These tips come from Jurek Leon’s new two volume, ‘Retail Selling: The Complete Do-It-Yourself Training Programme’. Check the Terrific Trading website for more tips and information on the DIY program.

Face Facts – Your Speech Depends Upon It!

Apart from your voice, the main point of contact between you as the public speaker and your audience is…, your face. Your face is undoubtedly the most expressive part of your body and can convey meaning and emotion beyond words. For this reason it is a powerful ‘tool’ to use to enhance your presentations, whether it is a simple wedding speech, a sales presentation, sermon or motivational speech.

Something we just take for granted, but did you know that you use no less than twenty different muscles to produce at least fourteen different facial expressions, showing seven major forms of emotion. That’s quite a resource to use and like any other resource needs to be used and not miss-used.

Perhaps one way to illustrate this is to think back to the days of ‘Silent’ Movies, (which I’m sure you are too young to remember!). It was possible to ‘follow the plot’ without words because of the facial expressions and body language of the artist e.g. the great Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Buster Keaton etc. In fact, although some of the silent movie stars were so good at using this, when ‘Talkies’ came in, a few found themselves out of work because they didn’t have good speaking voices and found it difficult to adapt, – but I digress! More recently the late Marcel Marceau (22 March 1923 – 22 September 2007) gained massive acclaim and popularity as he took his skill of ‘miming’ around the world.

Just think, if it is possible to tell a story just by using face and body language, even as demonstrated by those who do not have the use of speech, how powerful it can be to combine the effective use of facial expressions with a well rehearsed and delivered talk.

To be honest, if you are really passionate about your subject and intent on getting your message across you will find that your natural facial expressions will reflect that and provide emotion and feeling to your talk. On occasions, however, it may help to slightly exaggerate a look to emphasize a point. I say ‘slightly’ as, if overdone, it loses its impact or, worst-case scenario, looks comical.

A couple of examples;

When you are making an important statement and use a little trick to emphasize that point by stating, “Would you believe, some people would actually deny….(the statement)”, accompanied by a look of ‘shock-horror’ – and the point is made! Your listener will empathise with your expression and remember the point.

When asking your audience a rhetorical question you have the opportunity to pause, to allow the question to register and at the same time adopt a quizzical look with eyebrows raised. Try it. It works!

When describing a product, concept or situation we often use our hands outspread in a broad gesture (you know the type of action, like describing the size of fish you claim to have caught!). Accompany this with a wide-eyed expression that looks as though you are halfway through the word “WOW” and the hand gesture is much more effective.

Even a frown can be effective, for example when a controversial point is introduced, to convey to your audience that this is something that deserves their serious consideration. Allow time for the audience to see how you are looking and for the expression to register.

As with most situations and across most cultures, a smile goes a long way to winning your audience, and you will find that even with a serious subject you will be better received if your introduction is accompanied by a genuine friendly smile. (And as you will be exercising over half of those face muscles each time you smile it keeps your face in good shape too!)

If you’re trying to find a perfect present to get for a runner, either for a Birthday or Christmas it can be hard to know what to buy. Explore some helpful hints on what running related gear you can buy for your buddy or family member.

Whilst you might think that there isn’t much that a runner could need, there are some great products that a runner would like to be given. For those who are looking for an expensive present to get for a runner, then a sports watch is a marvelous pick. Typically you would be trying to find a watch that not only has a stop watch function, but also a watch that has a heart rate monitor to keep a record of heart rate, and also, these days, navigation facilities to keep track of the mileage run.

Entry to a: if you can’t think of a real product to buy, or don’t know the person’s dimensions specifically then a comparatively inexpensive item can be an entry to race. This is often fairly good fun for a runner as they might get to push themselves over a new mileage, or even just do a race that they haven’t done previously. Having a race in your diary approaching also provides excellent motivation.

A specific thing you should avoid buying a runner is jogging shoes! Preferably joggers should visit a specialist running shop to get shoes fitted properly. So this is one product that you should avoid. However, socks are available in fairly wide sizing alternatives so are a good selection. Technical running socks are also somewhat costly so will be a nice present.

Jogging accessories such as jogging bags and hydration sacks are also a great pick for runners who run for longer distances. Running bottles may be appropriate for those individuals who run reduced miles. Hydration is extremely important so all joggers will want to take on board fluids on their runs.

Rain gear and night wear such as reflective clothing and accessories are also an awesome choice for those seasoned joggers who run throughout the year and in any weather condition. As clothing can degrade fairly fast, runners usually cannot get enough clothes and equipment and even if they actually have lots of tops, base layers, rain kit more will always be welcomed.