While everyone likes to window shop from time to time, and it’s great to provide those window shopping opportunities for our readers, what we all want is to make sales. How well we do the job of turning those shoppers into buyers is the key test of how successful our sales lenses really are. Here are some suggestions that just might help turn “just looking” click-outs into money-making sales on your lenses.
* Make it easy for people to find what you’re selling. Do this by making your lens search-engine friendly so it has the best chance of being returned in a search. While search algorithms are top secret and change frequently, there is no doubt that the old saying “Content is king” still rules. What this means is that your own original, descriptive content does get noticed (and rewarded) by the search engines. Choose good keywords. Think about words or a short phrase or two that a buyer might use in a search and use those keywords and phrases in your lens – in the title of the page, the URL if it’s a new lens, in module titles, and in the first paragraph (even the first sentence) of each module. Choose a few keywords and phrases and when you use those words, use them naturally in sentences and titles. Otherwise your lens might be found guilty of keyword stuffing which could be worse than using no keywords at all!
* Write personal reviews. I can’t emphasize this enough. Use first person when you’re writing (“I like this because…”). Include a picture of your product, if you own it, and talk about why you love it. If you don’t own it, then write about why it’s at the top of your wish list (or your child’s, husband’s, mother’s, or best friend’s wish list). Think about the questions a person might have about the item and (as I’ve written before) be the FAQ.
* Use the Amazon Spotlight module. This module is designed to display in an optimized way on your lens whether it’s viewed on a large computer screen or a small mobile device screen. The picture is automatically included by Amazon, usually at just the right size, though note that if the picture is an odd size on Amazon, sometime it won’t display at all on your lens. Also, some Amazon listings are created by sellers rather than an Amazon professional and sometimes the picture the seller provides is far less than optimal (as in “way too small”). If either of these situations is true with the product you’re writing about, find another picture of the product (perhaps even your own) to feature along with the listing.
Search engine optimization is as much an art as it is a science. That’s why personal, unique, original content is so important. While you don’t want to go overboard with “chit-chat” in your lenses, don’t ignore the element of the personal touch. Even when you’ve done everything mentioned above and done it well, people prefer to buy from someone they feel they can trust. So for the best chance at getting click-outs that result in sales, write like you’re giving advice to a trusted friend. If your content rings true (because it is true) that may be all it takes to make that sale.
