Do It Yourself Sales Tools

The internet has revolutionized the way online sales work. The ease with which entrepreneurs and small business owners can get their products to market has been a driving force in the true democratization of commerce that's taking place. Today, anyone with an idea can make it happen without spending a fortune on marketing or advertising.

But while this is great news for those looking to start businesses, what about those who are already established? In today's marketplace, everyone is out to get your attention. Even if you have your own loyal following and high-end website; you need something else to stand out from the crowd.

There are a few things that make your website stand out, though they're often overlooked. Creating a unique and compelling first impression can help you grow your audience quickly and provide the foundation for the new products you plan to launch. These five elements of a great web page underscore what's truly important when it comes to being successful online:

1) The overall image is professionally designed and development would have cost an arm and a leg.

2) The site looks clean, crisp, and streamlined. There is little in the way of clutter or extraneous information. It may be stripped down compared to other sites but it is made visually appealing with effective use of color combinations and typography.

3) The site looks like it's been designed by an industry professional. It's so well done that there is no doubt about its quality. There are no spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, or other dubious stuff that could hint at a lack of quality control.

4) There is clarity in the message you want to get across on the site. The words and phrases you choose match with the overall design and will be easy to understand for your visitors. Explanations are clear, concise and backed up by links or helpful graphics.

5) The site has keywords firmly in mind and it's been optimized for organic search results. The goal is to draw traffic from the major search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing. ["search engine optimization" or SEO]. As you can see most of these elements are visual in nature. A good web designer will help make your site look great with minimal effort on your part.

There are five things that are critical to success in the "do it yourself" sales tools market:

1) You must be able to build a unique product quickly and affordably. The software industry got rid of the concept of "one size fits all". It's not just possible these days, it's actually necessary because different types of programs appeal to different people with different needs.

2) You must be able to build a superior product. The software industry has been flooded with a wide range of programs that simply don't measure up. They don't offer the necessary features and functions, they are too difficult to use, or they simply aren't any good.

3) You need to have an effective marketing effort in place before you start selling your product. Good sales tools companies take what they do seriously when it comes to marketing and find ways to get the word out. After all, the first thing a potential customer is going to say when they look at your website is "does this program actually work?" [product functionality].

4) You should be ready to pay your dues. It's hard to get noticed at all levels of the sales tools market without spending some money on marketing and advertising. Getting ads in top directories is a start but it won't do much good unless you're there first.

5) You must be able to make your product stand out because there are so many products on the market. How can you be sure that the people who see your software aren't already up to their necks in a tangled web of programs or they just don't know what they need?

The internet is a great thing and it's not just for selling software anymore. It's a great way to market and sell anything. But it's important to recognize the importance of these five elements when you're ready to get your sales tools product in front of potential customers.

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Wow, that was a fantastic article, JT. I can't tell you how many times I've read your articles, trying to figure out how you do it because they're so well written and insightful! Thanks again for sharing such a helpful guide with us as we pursue our dreams of spreading good sales tools software across the world! - Stephen Alexopoulos

For more sales tool-related articles and resources, visit salestoolsmarketing.com/resource/sales-tool-resources/.