Fashion Startup Challenge
Day Four: 3 Keys to a Website That Converts
Welcome to Day Four of the Fashion Startup Challenge – 3 Keys to a Website That Converts
How are you liking the Challenge? What’s your biggest takeaway so far? Just REPLY to this email and let me know!
(If you missed the previous Days’ Challenges, check the P.S. below.)
Let’s dive in to today’s Challenge…
Pop Quiz: Would you rather have a website that…
a) looks clean, artsy and beautiful, like a museum, or
b) looks pretty good and SELLS like crazy
Too many of my students and clients put up the “A” version of a website. Don’t make that mistake! I’m not saying your website should look like crap, but I am saying that your site’s most important job is to SELL so that’s what comes first.
Here are 3 keys to a website that converts.
1) Have a point of view
Tim Gunn is right, and it goes for websites too. Your site needs a POV (Point of View) because SO MANY sites are starting to look the same! It’s getting boring.
Consider this quote from Johnny Cupcakes:
“Come up with original, clever ideas and make sure you’re doing at least 12 things different from anyone else in your business category. If you don’t do give people something to tyalk about, then nobody is going to talk about you.”
– Johnny Cupcakes
12 things! We tend to look at our own industry for ideas but guess what? How do you even know if what THEY’RE doing is working? I encourage you to look at everything around you – from car dealerships to movie theaters – there’s inspiration all around you. I challenge you to get a little weird in your website. Show your personality and be YOU and trust your gut about how to make your website cool.
I challenge you to get a little weird in your website. Show your personality and be YOU and trust your gut about how to make your website cool.
Here are some examples of websites with a SPECIFIC point of view (you may love ’em or hate ’em but they’re memorable):
- Dolls Kill: you can almost hear the music pumpin’: https://www.dollskill.com/
- Greats: here’s what you see if you get a 404 error: http://www.greats.com/products/the-wilson-red-white
- Ahlvar Gallery: – product shots include the flat sketch of the item: http://ahlvar.com/#product_3151
- The Middle Finger Project: the home page leads with unf*ckwithable, need I say more? http://www.themiddlefingerproject.org/
- Coucou: – just really fun to look at and the product is explained in amazing sketches: http://www.coucoushop.ch/
Disclaimer: Have a POV in the feel and tone of the website but don’t get fancy with the navigation or the tabs, OK? If you want someone to shop, the button should say “Shop Now”, nothing clever like “Explore the Possibilities”.
RECOMMENDATION: If you’re serious about selling online, use Shopify (aff link) as your platform. It’s the absolute best right now. Yes, I’m an affiliate and yes, it’s the best for 99% of my clients.
2) Social Proof is a big deal
What you say about yourself and your product AIN’T GOT NOTHIN’ on what other people say about you. Third party validation means a LOT, and it can come in many forms.
I suggest you start with one of these:
- Ask customers (or your friends and family if you’re just starting out) to post pics of themselves on Instagram using or wearing your product. You can use these casual pics as ALTERNATE views of your
product in your shopping cart. Your main pics should be professional and the extra shots can be these raw, authentic selfies from social media. - Get and use testimonials on your website, ideally including the person’s real name and City. It’s OK to start with friends, as long as they have actually used your product.
- When someone says something nice about you on social media, take a screenshot and use it on your site, on your blog, your emails, everywhere.
3) No sneak attacks at Checkout
Don’t you hate it when you fill a shopping cart on a cool website, finally get ready to press ORDER, and the shipping shows up as $35?
Or maybe there’s note at the end of the Checkout process that says, oh, BTW, we’ll be shipping this to you in 20 business days. Insert expletive here.
Here’s a list of what info needs to be easy to find:
FAQs, sizing info, your phone number (yes! It boosts buyer confidence), shipping rates, how fast (or slow) you ship, where you ship (internationally?), your packaging, if you gift-wrap, if they can add a gift card, if anything you do is customizable, how you handle returns, what payment you accept, and how to sign up for your email list.
True story…
I worked with a jewelry designer who told me the #1 question people asked was: will that bracelet fit my wrist? Seriously, this was keeping people from buying.
So she added a printable mini measuring tape on her site so people could measure their wrist and feel comfortable making a purchase. Problem solved.
TODAY’S CHALLENGE:
- Review the sites I mentioned above and write down 5 – 10 things you can use for your own site. Think HARD about how you can differentiate your site from the pack.
- After you complete this challenge, hop on over to this post and tell me your AHA moments from Day Four. Use hashtag #FBAchallenge so I can find it please.
Click here: https://www.facebook.com/janehamillbusiness/photos…
Don’t just READ this email, tell me what you’re going DO about it, what’s your next IMPERFECT ACTION step?
If you prefer Twitter, my handle is @janehamillchi, and if you like Instagram. it’s also @janehamillchi. JOIN THE CONVERSATION – it’s the best part. #FBAchallenge is the hashtag.
Tomorrow is DAY FIVE of your Challenge (Where to Find Money). See you soon,
Jane
P.S. If you’re diggin’ this Challenge, would you SHARE it? It would mean a lot to me :). Here’s the link to post and share:
https://fashionbrainacademy.com/startupchallenge18/
P.P.S. If you missed Day One, click here. For Day Two’s Challenge, click here. For Day Three, click here.