Column
Trust closes the sale
Dave Hultin
Effective order forms are the key to building trust and selling online
Trust is such an important part of selling printing online. Creat-
ing trust is even part of the last step of the digital dialog we’ve
been exploring together in the past few articles. Remember
the definition of digital dialog: the online version of you that
starts conversations, develops relationships, and builds trust
so you can sell more printing. It can take years to build trust.
It takes just seconds to destroy it.
A simple test of trust
Time for a simple test. Take a look at
these real-world order forms found on
the websites of real printers. Do they
build trust? Or are they too simple? Too
cluttered? Too confusing?
they are well chosen and present a clear path for your cus-
tomer to continue using your order form.
Find the right balance How much information is necessary
to lead someone to a sale? If 72% of the order form’s informa-
tion is destined to get ignored, then present that information
with the use of help bubbles. The information is there for
customers who want to dig deeper, but it’s only revealed to
customers who request it and it’s not cluttering up your order
form for everyone else.
Hide unnecessary information How
much information can you eliminate
so you don’t hinder the sales pro-
cess? Once you know your customer
is ordering full-colour printing, don’t
confuse the issue with a question
about spot colours.
See this tip in action at youtu.be/NP_1xFwOlIo
or on.mi4p.com/3-idea-starters
If you’re convinced your website order
forms are doing everything they can to build trust with your
customers and prospects, then congratulations, you can skip
to the end of this article. However, if you’re seeing some
similarities between your order forms and the examples I
provided, then keep reading.
Your order form is your interface. Remember, your online
order forms are your last opportunity to build or destroy trust.
They are the interface between you and your customers who
want to buy printing online. If no one is using your order forms,
it may be tempting to put the task of reviewing them into the
“I’ll get to it later” pile. But perhaps the real reason no one is
using your order forms is that you have yet to make them
trustworthy.
Make it easy to order printing online
If you are serious about selling print online, here are three
idea starters you can use to think about how to best build
trust with your order forms.
Choose your words carefully Website visitors will read only
28% of the words on an average web page. With that kind of
survival rate for the words you use, you have to make sure
32 | May 2018 | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE
These changes to your order forms may not be easy, but easy
for you isn't really the concern. Be concerned about making
it easy for your customers so they will buy more printing. Get
some geeky help to make those changes.
Finish strong and sell more printing. Your website’s order
forms are where you make or break the online sale. It may be
all too easy to put order form improvements on the someday
list, but printers who want to be successful in today’s online
world will keep their order forms’ health on today’s to-do list.
Dave Hultin is the president of Marketing Ideas For Printers,
where content and technology combine to help you sell more
printing. Email Dave at [email protected].
graphicartsmag.com