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Editor's Note - 04.22.02 |
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Anybody can slap together a Web site, but it takes skill and hard
work to attract a devoted group of visitors. It's quite obvious that building
an online community is the best way to get repeat traffic, but what's the best
way to get started? The basic formula is simple: message boards + real-time chat
+ ezines = a sense of community. Your best bet is to serve a niche and give people
place to go to meet people just like them.
In today's article, Herb Wetenkamp takes you through the basics of community building.
It's not a comprehensive guide, but it should give you plenty of ideas for transforming
your site from a lifeless Web address into a thriving online neighborhood.
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Three
Essential Elements of Building a Website Community-And Sales
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by Herb Wetenkamp
 Developing
a sense of community among visitors is now essential for ecommerce success. Community-that
sense of belonging to a particular interest group or market niche-fosters the
credibility a site needs to get repeat visits...and sales.
But just posting a few articles and a link or two is not enough to create product
sales. A website-based Community needs three essential elements to achieve emarketing
success:
1) solid "sticky" features to capture loyalty,
2) creative onsite linking that drives product sales, and
3) effective offsite marketing to encourage people to join the Community.
"Sticky" Features
Sticky features you can add to your Community include:
* COMMUNITY HOMEPAGE. A Community section should have its own Homepage
with a WELCOME MESSAGE and a CONTENTS INDEX to formally welcome visitors and let
them know what's in the section. If several pages long, list "hot links" to various
sections, especially to the product page or online store.
* MESSAGE BOARDS allow visitors to read and post messages, usually
freely, but sometimes monitored by the webmaster or outside "editor." Allowing
people to express their views and read those of others is a proven sticky feature.
* REAL-TIME CHAT enables visitors to have live, two-way "conversations."
* FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS) describe the site's purpose,
how to participate, how to create a member profile, and other information drawn
from email and feedback.
* FEEDBACK FORM allows the visitor to send in an opinion, complaint,
question, or suggestion, often set up with an automatic, pop-up email.
* AUTORESPONSE. Allows the visitor to request pre-written information
or answers to questions by sending in their email address and receiving a reply
using an autoresponder.
* HELP. How-to instructions covering all areas of the site, plus
staff names and emails to contact with questions. Ideally should be searchable.
Consider offering "Live Help", in which a visitor can chat real-time with you.
This interactive process allows you to move your correspondent closer to a product
sale.
* MEMBER PROFILES allow members to create "profiles" describing
themselves, their interests, and their businesses. They can also check other profiles
to find out about other members and even view photos, if you offer capability
to upload photos into profiles.
* "MEMBERS ONLY" SECTION with special information or resources available
only to visitors that have created a profile, in which they set up a "User Name"
and "Password." Exclusivity creates loyalty and allows you to capture customer
information...and opt-ins for your email lists. Special message boards, downloadable
ebooks, articles, free software and other "members only" offers encourage sign
ups and loyalty.
* NEWS & ARTICLES. News about your niche Community, information,
free advice, and how-to articles on topics helpful to your Community members,
written by industry experts or members with particular expertise. Shows you're
helping your visitors (potential customers) become successful. Frequent updating
gets better return visit rate.
* PRIVACY POLICY. Now essential, it assures visitors that their
personal information is safeguarded, won't be used for spamming, and won't be
sold without their consent. They can "opt-out" from being put on an email list
to receive offers or other correspondence. Anyone using a credit card to make
a purchase will be looking for this privacy information.
* ABOUT US details staff functions, background, credentials, and
history of the company.
* EMAIL. Free or low-cost email accounts give visitors a reason
to come back daily.
* CONTACT US. Make it easy to reach you by phone, physical address,
and email, especially if you're selling products on your site.
* SEARCHABLE ARCHIVES for Community sections, specific articles
or even Message boards. Saves visitors a lot of time and possible frustration.
* OPINION. Your views on your niche market can help you establish
credibility. Featuring opinions of members makes all visitors feel the site is
accessible.
* LINKS AND DIRECTORIES. Helpful links, contacts, business resources,
member businesses, industry associations, affiliates and partner sites. If complete
for your niche market, visitors will log on to your site more often to use them.
* ONLINE CLASSES. Develop your own online courses on how to be successful
in your niche market, or link up with an elearning website to offer-or custom
develop-one or more courses.
* ONLINE CONSULTING. Offer a free consulting session related to
your products or services. You can schedule a phone consultation or "live chat"
session on the site. Free consulting is an ideal feature for the "Members Only"
section, too.
* ONLINE STORE. The most important feature of a Community section
for an ecommerce site, your store should be part of the Community or linked to
from the Community section.
* GUARANTEE. Prominently place a guarantee in the Community section
that you stand behind all your products and will cheerfully refund money-no questions
asked-for any product a customer is not satisfied with.
Don't become overwhelmed in adding all these features at once. Select the ones
that you feel are sticky and most useful for your niche market...ones that will
help you best sell products. Add new features regularly and announce their debut
in a press release. (For software and web-based resources you can use to add features
discussed above, see the book, Poor Richard's Building Online Communities, available
from Top Floor Publishing at...(see below).
Onsite Linking to Drive Sales
 Remember,
you've set up your website (in theory, at least) to sell products. Your Community
page should work directly toward helping you sell them. Make the features of your
Community informative. Informative advertising is not manipulative; it instructs,
advises, helps and offers solutions to problems. This "informative advertising"
should position your products as solutions and tools to be used for success in
your niche market.
Throughout your Community section, strategically place links to your product sales
page or online store. Post news items and articles that relate to your products
and services, and add links at the end...or within the text...that go directly
to the related product. Make sure your FAQs have an answer for "How do I purchase
a product in your store?" Make sure your Help and Contact Us sections list contacts
for questions related to products. Prominently promote discounts on products and
services in the "Members Only" section, with links to the store. In short, do
everything you can to link Community page items with your product sales section.
Promoting Your Community Section Offsite
DIRECT EMAIL/MAIL LIST. Promote your Community with regular announcements
on what's new, or that highlight specific sections. Include a "hot link" back
to the Community homepage or section. Email only those visitors that created a
member profile with opt-in permission to email them.
EZINE NEWSLETTER. Better yet, create an email newsletter and send
it out regularly to those that opt in. Include articles from the Community section
with a hot link to the section at the end, or previews of articles that can be
read fully by clicking a link to your site's Community page. Place teaser ads
about your Community features in various slots throughout the ezine.
OFFLINE PROMOTION. Send out news releases about interesting Community
section features to industry and general interest publications. In the release,
note that all readers can take advantage of free email, software or other. Mention
your Community page resources for starting a business in your niche market. The
web address listed in all media exposure should contain the specific URL of your
Community page. Participate in events, such as business shows and trade expos;
you can offer a hands-on preview of your Community on a computer set up in your
booth.
LINKS. Trade links and banner ads that broadcast your free Community
services with other websites. Promote your free or low-cost email, message boards,
chat room, market news and articles.
DIRECTORIES. Get your Community listed in as many online directories
as possible.
SEARCH ENGINES. Submit your Community pages to search engines separately
from other pages on your website, using your Community page title and metatags.
EMAIL SIGNATURE. Include a signature line in all email mentioning
the benefits of visiting your Community section.
VIRAL MARKETING/ TELL A FRIEND. Ask Community members to tell a
friend about your Community section. Set up a "Tell a Friend" button, with pop-up
email form to make it easier for them to do so.
ONLINE EVENTS. Sponsor regular events online such as contests, polls,
guest speaker chats, online seminars. Promote them in your offsite email, ezine
and news releases. Gear them to relate to products or services your company offers.
POSTINGS IN ONLINE GROUPS. Post announcements about your Community
in mailing list groups, newsgroups, online message boards, and online clubs. Study
these groups before doing so and try not to abuse the club rules.
About the Author:
Herb Wetenkamp
is web publisher of Home Business Magazine Online, a website featuring articles,
business tools, networking contacts, business opportunities and other resources
for home-based business owners, home office workers and telecommuters. A former
newspaper reporter and magazine editor, his areas of expertise include website
development, publishing, marketing, sales, advertising, publicity, trade show
production and home office management. Starting a home business and need info?
Wetenkamp welcomes questions and comments, and will personally answer all emails
sent to herb@homebusinessmag.com
Please visit his website at www.homebusinessmag.com
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