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The basic principles used successfully by brick and mortar storefronts in moving your potential clients through a successful sales process is also the most effective way on the web.

But how?

You do this by following the five step process in your marketing strategy by attracting potential clients, building trust, helping them choose the right product, presenting the product, and then closing the sale.

Step One- Marketing / prospecting:

Prospecting is the delivery of qualified visitors to your website. It can be achieved by many forms, such as, search engine marketing, pay-per-clicks, and e-mail advertising that draw people to your site.

Once they are there, it's your responsibility to show them how your product can fill the void in the marketplace and what sets your product apart from the rest. Deliver your 'Unique Selling Proposition', USP.

Step two- Building trust:

Just like in a brick and mortar business where you greet a person when they walk in the door or physically help them find what they are looking for, you can build trust by doing similar things on your website by the elements that surround the design and development of your website.

Your visitor is unconsciously judging your credibility by asking themselves the following questions:

1. Does the website have the feel and look of a legitimate company?
2. Is it easy to find the company contact information?
3. How is the copy on the site?
4. How fast does it download, and are there any broken links?
5. Is there a privacy policy posted on the site?
6. Is it easy to navigate?

Step three- Help the buyer:

If you have done your prospecting right, the visitors coming to your website are hoping to find a solution to their problem. The solution can be a product or a service. Internet marketing studies show that 7 out of 10 visitors are ready to buy. They are only looking for a vendor who they find more helpful.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Are you helping your visitors to identify and find the solution to their problem?
2. Are you guiding them to find the solution by easy to find information, and navigation?

Step four- Present the product:

Before you present your product, make sure that you have already helped the buyer by identifying with their needs in the previous stage. When you present your product or service to your visitor be sure to keep their attention and their interest by motivating them to continue with the sale.

Step five- Successfully close the sale:

Look at each of the products that you offer and ask yourself these questions:

1. Are you assuring them by giving guarantees?
2. Does your description answer all their questions?
3. Are you giving them feed back and testimonials from your clients?
4. Do you take credit cards, if so which ones?
5. What happens after they purchase?

Take the guess work out of the purchase process.

If you court your visitors by the five steps above, you'll see better conversions, and increased profits.