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Company-Replicated Website: Your Worst Enemy?


Excerpt from session 7 of the the How To Create a Wow Experience for your guests…

We were all in the midst of helping Winnie create her wow experience, including her invite and flyer. Suddenly another class member asked Winnie for her website – the gal wanted to check out Winnie’s product. Winnie was almost giddy as she started saying these words…

“www.
NAMEOFHERCOMPANY.com
/blahblahblah”

“Oh,” groaned someone, “is that a company replicated website?”

Yes, said Winnie, who added that she was still new and had been in less than a year. Then other voices spoke up…

“Poison,” said one.
“Worst thing you could send a new person to,” said another.
“I’d never send a new person I’m trying to impress there.” Moi.

Winnie was um, say what???

Here’s what some very experienced networkers in the class related:

  • Sending someone new – especially someone who doesn’t know you well – to the company (replicated) site shows that person that you are not really into the the product yourself. Because you’re just letting the company speak for you.
  • Where is YOUR voice? Where are YOUR values? Where is YOUR why for using and marketing your product? After all, it’s a special product, yes?
  • Why would anyone brand new to the product line order through your replicated website when they can see you’ve just passed them on to the company?
  • Do you really want the company to speak for you?
  • What do they need YOU for if you just send them to the company site?

That sounds hard, yes. But put on your consumer shoes. You are offering a product that is higher quality – and also higher priced – than the Wal-Mart quality stuff. Right?

That means that new person needs the right values (same beliefs as yours as it relates to the product philosophy) to pay the extra $. Else “It’s too expensive.”

But, the primary “values” on most every NM company website are: These are the best and most scientifically advanced products out there. Are those even values?

Doesn’t every NM company site say that? How does that “wow” anyone?

Some things we discussed in class that Winnie might do instead – to introduce new folks to her product lineonline –

1) Write an engaging blog page or two, with your first date script story, expanded. Blogs are pretty quick to set up and create, maybe a few days of futzing if you’re new. Blogger.com is free, (that’s what this blog uses) and WordPress.org is free. Word Press has a three-step getting started process on the right side of their home page above.

2) From your company site, get links that go directly to your product pages – provided there is no talk about making money or the business on those pages. For example, if you have a direct link to good product videos, with your ID attached, that would be better by far than sending a new prospect to the company home page (where most replicated sites go by default.) But 1) is better especially if you can link to the product videos or product descriptions on your own blog page. (Some companies don’t provide those links so ask.)

These are just some of the online world marketing twists that most folks don’t think about when they want to sell online. What NMers have related is, they get almost no sales from their replicated websites from new people. Now you know a big reason why.

P.S. Obviously, old-time customers or reps may be used to doing the online ordering. This post is about new customer prospects, especially those who don’t know you well or at all – that you’re trying to interest in your product line.

PPS. If you are interested in knowing when the “How to Create a Wow Experience” program is available (audios and videos), email me here and put in the subject:
“How to Create a Wow Experience” Here’s an example Wow experience (first 2.5 minutes) and here’s a 16 minute ‘3 ways to create a wow experience for your customers’ video clip from the 8 session program.

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Kim Klaver

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