The following article explores the business strategies of Walmart and how these strategies can be applied to web design and online businesses. It delves into the importance of customer satisfaction, the need for a reality check in business, the absence of solid guidelines for webmasters, and the significance of understanding and applying the rules of online business.
Imagine walking into a Walmart store and being greeted by a friendly staff member who offers you a shopping cart and a flyer with the day's specials. Now, imagine if this staff member was instructed to turn away every tenth customer, stating, "Sorry, we don't want your business today." If this were to happen across all Walmart stores, the company's profits would likely plummet. Not just by 10%, the percentage of customers being turned away, but potentially by more than 20% due to fixed costs such as salaries, inventory, and overheads.
This scenario seems absurd for any successful business, yet many webmasters unknowingly apply similar tactics to their online businesses.
Creating something, whether it's a bookcase, a novel, or a website, is often an emotionally driven process. It's difficult to be objective about the results, and we often embrace the flaws we recognize. However, to succeed, creators must discover what people want and find a pleasing way to present their content. This principle applies to writers, home builders, musicians, shopkeepers, and webmasters alike.
Starting a brick-and-mortar business involves upfront costs and ongoing expenses. Profits must soon cover these costs, or the business will fail. While startup costs for an online business are minimal, the same principle applies. However, many online business owners choose to ignore these realities, often because the overheads for a website are relatively low. This can lead to a prolonged state of denial about the impending failure of the business.
Webmasters often struggle with the lack of uniform guidelines for online business. While there are ample resources for starting an offline business, specifics about the Web are often lacking. Many webmasters are determined to do their own thing, but to succeed, they must focus on what their visitors want and how they want it done.
If your website isn't achieving its purpose, such as closing sales or generating leads, it needs to be fixed or abandoned. This harsh reality is often overlooked in the online world. If you're unsure how to improve your site, seek help from forums, newsgroups, or professionals in the field.
There are certain rules in online business that can enhance user experience. For example, using Verdana or Ariel on a white background can improve readability. Limiting table widths to 600 pixels and ensuring line lengths are a maximum of 65 characters can also enhance the user experience. Breaking these rules may not turn away a significant percentage of your visitors, but why risk it?
Branding is a hotly debated topic in online business. While it's crucial for large corporations with significant budgets, it's often not feasible for small businesses. Instead of focusing on branding, small businesses should concentrate on improving their website and user experience.
The importance of following certain rules in online business can't be overstated. If you're turning away a significant percentage of your potential customers, your business is unlikely to succeed. Walmart couldn't make it happen, and neither can you.
Never, Ever Release Any Of Your Rights To Anyone
One of the grandest scams on the Web, which goes largelyunnoticed, is for a web-based bookseller or publisher to requiresome rights to your work in exchange for the service to beprovided. Many demand the electronic rights, for example.
The Hits That Matter Most
So you know what hits mean. Unique hits or user sessions,I mean. And you know what CR means. Right? If so, you're ingreat shape, for many people don't. They think they do. But they've got it wrong.
Customer Personality Types: Does It Matter?
Marketing types are fond of classifying people intocategories. Here are four which I took from "Differentiate OrDie," by Jack Trout with Steve Rivkin. (John Wiley & Sons, NewYork, 2000, p15.) Only the first few words of each are includedhere.
