Shopster's Dropshippers, eCommerce, and Selling Online Blog

Writing for International Audiences

I read a great article the other day called “Writing for an International Audience, part II” by Emily Thrush. It’s an old article but it still rings true today; especially for people with online businesses and eCommerce sites.
 
The fact is, if you own a website, you’re probably getting international traffic, whether you plan to or not. This article addresses some different strategies for writing clearly and effectively so that non-native English speakers have an easier time understanding your website. Who knows, maybe they’ll become repeat buyers. 

A few tips:

• Avoid using idioms and slang- Idioms are expressions particular to a specific language that mean something different that what the words actually say. Ex. It’s raining cats and dogs. A non-native english speaker would most likely struggle to understand that the writer means it’s raining heavily.
• Avoid using tricky words – Many words in the english language have multiple meaning and can be hard to decipher if the context isn’t clear.  A few examples are words like since and while. 
• Use consistent vocabulary – Reduce reader confusion by using one term consistently throughout your site copy rather than using multiple synonyms for the word.  An international reader might not understand the meaning of each synonym and will not necessarily grasp that you’re referring to the same concept or thing.

These are just a few ideas.  I highly recommend reading the full article, as Emily Thrush does a great job of effectively communicating her point to us.

References:
Writing for an International Audience, part II - Emily Thrush

Build a site that sells

The funny thing about e-commerce and selling online is that it looks fairly simple at a glance. Build a store, put some products in it - done! The sales are going to pour in, and in a couple weeks you’re rolling in cash.  Right?

‘Fraid not.  It’s usually around this time that you discover that the store design was just the tip of the iceberg, and your “little business that could” has unwittingly morphed into a behemoth of a project. It’s a little daunting.  Where do you start, how much should you spend on marketing, and how on earth do you drive traffic? 

Well, there are several things you need to come to grips with, first and foremost, flinging money around will do you no favours -as a start-up you don’t want to waste your money on efforts that aren’t going to give you the most bang for your buck.  Secondly, the very, very, first thing you need to do is make sure your sales process is airtight.  After all, what good does it do to attract a bunch of visitors to your site if no one buys anything?

Optimize your sales process with these simple tips:

1. Perfect your sales copy: Grab visitors’ attention with compelling headlines and then entice them to buy by indentifying with their needs and explaining how your products can meet those needs. Don’t forget your “close” with a call to action that drives your visitors to make a purchase.
2. Collect Customer Recommendations: Ask satisfied customers to offer testimonials.  Positive feedback adds creditability to your site, and if you’re just starting out in the world of e-Commerce (read: haven’t had a chance to make a name for yourself), this is invaluable.
3. Make it easy for people to buy: Give people more than one payment option (multiple credit cards, PayPal, etc.) and keep your navigation simple so they can get to the checkout easily.  Plus, consider including your business number somewhere on your site, so people can call if they have questions.

Good luck & happy selling!

References:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/websmarts/article196480.html