Peering down the little side street, the man noticed a little shop near the end of the street. How had he never noticed it before? Curiosity beckoned, and he stepped down the side street eagerly.
A bell jingled as the man pulled open the heavy glass door in anticipation. A rather rumpled looking clerk hurried to greet the man. The clerk's hair was disheveled, his shirt was rumpled, and is that ketchup on his tie?
"Sir, what I have here is the most amazing widget you have ever seen. Now, I know that's hard to believe. There are so many people making ridiculous claims these days. That's why we're offering an absolutely risk free lifetime guarantee."
"And, Sir, I'm going to bribe you to give it a try. As a matter of fact, you can't afford NOT to buy this widget.
If you buy right now, today, I'll take fifty bucks off the price.
And, I'll throw in a free vacation certificate. And free airline tickets. And, that's not all. This incredible widget case is yours, too. And this widget user's guide valued at fifty bucks."
"Sir, this is a limited time offer. It expires at midnight tonight. You snooze, you lose.
Did I mention the lifetime guarantee? You should just hear our customers rave. Yes, indeed, that many people can't be wrong. Just look at what our customers are saying."
He thrusts a stack of letters at you as he continues;
"Sir, I'll even throw in a free subscription to Widget News, too. We normally charge $299 a year for this puppy, but it's yours absolutely free. What's your address, sir?"
The clerk looks at you expectantly. Stammering something, you back out the door.
Hurrying down the street, you mutter something to the effect that a used car salesman would be preferable company. You can hear him calling out behind you...
"Sir! Wait!
Sir, if you're not interested, would you please take this quick survey to tell me why you didn't buy?
Sir? SIR??"
Most people would trip over their feet trying to get away fast enough, yet that's precisely the way many people conduct business via their websites.
Places have an ambience to them. The special atmosphere or mood created by that particular environment.
Think of the little coffee shop where the waitress knows how you take your coffee. Or the restaurant where Antonio claps you on the back when you walk in.
Websites have ambience, too.
If you sell magic kits, do your visitors feel the awe and wonder that Houdini or Copperfield could inspire? If you sell tropical products, can they almost smell the exotic island flowers? That, my friend, is marketing.
Ambience is essential. We humans buy based on emotion and justify with logic. Never the other way around. Ambience stimulates emotion.
According to statistics from the National Sales Executive Association;
Does your website inspire people to want repeat contact with you?
Do your visitors arrive at your website and feel all the emotions you want them to feel, including the desire for repeat contact?
Or, are you busy patting yourself on the back for the 2% conversion rate and ignoring the 98 out of 100 that trip over their feet trying to get out the proverbial door fast enough?
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