Like the rest of the country, I am floored by the weekly rise in the cost of petrol. The rapid change in price from the teens to the thirties has hit me by surprise. Not only does it now cost me £40 a week in petrol (for a three-day work week) but my grocery bill has gone up by at least 20% for standard weekly goods and I have resorted to buying 2 for 1 caged chickens!
Two weeks ago, I drove on fumes from the Derbyshire Dales back to Manchester because, on principal, I could not bring myself to pay £1.35 p/litre for diesel, when I knew that it could be purchased for £1.30 in the City. Today, prices are closer to £1.35, I’m still filling up my tank and I’m punishing myself for being a hypocrite. Yes, I can save a few pennies through sites like http://www.petrolprices.com or on petrol reduction vouchers, but surely, you will agree, this new urge to save pennies is a sign of the times.
Pretty soon
it’s going to be more cost-effective for me to order my groceries on-line and
have them delivered to my home at someone else’s petrol expense. Likewise, casual
out-of-town shopping trips to country-based retail outlets or weekend family excursions
beyond 20 miles are all going to be sacrificed to saving money in light of the
rising cost in fuel (petrol and food) for our cars and our bodies. Consumers,
locally, nationally and globally are already scanning the internet for the best deliverable bargains as the culture
of shopping evolves. Online businesses are poised to flourish.
If you've been sitting on a 'niggling online opportunity idea' for the past year, now is the time to get fuelled up and take action. Ask yourself the following questions. Hopefully they’ll get you focusing on how you might change your career, life style, view of the future and earning potential?
- How much money do I really need to live? Think food, clothing and shelter.
- What is my current IT set up at home?
- Would an online business suit my lifestyle?
- What does retirement mean to me?
- How equipped am I for a virtual future?
If you already have a website start thinking about how you can maximise on your investment. Your site should be telling visitors and potential buyers how they can save either money or time and, it must be simple. Today's consumer is financially frustrated and impatient. Consider the following:
- A Home Page which says exactly what service or product you have to offer.
- A clear 'Call to Action' on every page to phone or to e-mail for information/assistance
- A visible and legible drop down list or menu of products and services
- Individual information pages per product / service (proofed for spelling and grammatical errors!)
- Payment options and a clear Returns Policy
- A promise/guarantee of the delivery
process
Administratively,
keep organised records of your transactions. Consider investing in
off-the-shelf customer relationship management and accounting software and
acknowledge phone calls / e-mails from potential customers.
I know I’m stating the obvious, but I’m continuously perplexed at how many sites get caught up in telling you how wonderful they are and how long they’ve been in business when all I really want is a service or a product, as cheap and as quickly as I can get it.
Get into the psyche of today’s consumer and get your online business fuelled for change.
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