3 Online Sales Tactics to Stop Using Now

Online selling is all about credibility. In an instant, potential customers judge your business by what they see on your website, and put you into 1 of 2 categories:

- A website I can trust


- A website I wouldn't dare buy anything from

If you offer your product or service in a way that is aligned with the sales practices of current market leaders, you are well on your way to establishing the credibility you need in the mind of your prospect to facilitate a sale.

Unfortunately, many attempts at selling online are derailed by outdated, ineffective, and credibility-damaging sales tactics. Here are a few of the most common that you must avoid in order to appear credible in the eyes of your potential client:

The "Outrageous Guarantee"

Many small business owners are making outrageous guarantee promises on their website. "Buy my product and if it doesn't change your life, I'll give you double your money back!"

Outlandish promises like a double your money back guarantee actually lower the perception of your business in the eyes of potential clients. The reason – leading retailers are the yardstick by which your business is measured, and none of them offer such outrageous guarantees.

Who are some of the most reputable retailers around? Sears. Wal-Mart.

All of them stand behind their products with a money-back guarantee in most cases. But none of them have blinking red signs in their stores or online, promising double your money back if you're not satisfied. It's a gimmick that immediately tells a potential client that they are dealing with a small player in their industry.

The Flash Intro

Some small business marketers load their site with all kinds of flashy graphics that hit you like a ton of bricks when you first visit the site. It's a classic example of "inside out" thinking. The owner puts the company name and logo first, before the good content.

It's a bit like a car salesperson showing you a video of the car you want to buy rather than letting you take a test drive.

The trouble here is that the value of the online experience is in the eye of the beholder. The potential client surfing the web is thinking "outside in", not "inside out". They are thinking of themselves first. And they weren't surfing for a flash presentation or your glitzy logo when they visited your site.

Amazom.com sells tons of books each year. And when you visit Amazon.com, what's on their home page – books.

Glossy flash intros might look great, but they smack of amateurism. After all, if you have a great product and a great offer, why bury it behind a glitzy flash intro?

The "Order Before Midnight or you Miss It" Sale

This is my personal favorite.

You've likely seen this automated script used by many websites that automatically updates the date to convince readers that if they don't order by midnight tonight, the special offer on the site will be lost forever. Of course, a return trip to the same site tomorrow gives you the same message, only with tomorrow's date in place of today's.

Give it up. If you want to offer a reduced price as part of a promotion, go right ahead. Put a time frame on the offer that's reasonable – perhaps the sale ends at the end of the week, or the end of the month. Then stick to it – pull the offer when you said you would.

Leading retailers don't outright lie about the dates and times of their limited time offers (although they are prone to "extending" them by "popular demand".)

Online Sales is all about Credibility

The Internet gives every small business owner the chance to compete effectively with larger, established retail brand names. A key part of being perceived as credible is acting like a market leader.

And market leaders don't engage in any of the above online sales tactics.