Have you ever heard people say they had no choice in which restaurant they eat at? There must be something about that that makes me feel that these people most likely don’t want somebody telling them what to do in any other way. What if the only way they can eat there is through a portal? What if they don’t have enough cash on-hand to pay dining bills and grocery bills? It’s very difficult for them to go to crowded bars where they can get a drink and engage in a lively conversation. What if, yet again, they realize that they have no choice but to eat at the next best restaurant chain that they see on the online classified advertisement? They have no choice. They have to make the conscious decision that they have to eat at the particular place.

This is what you can do if you want to compete in the online environment as well. You can offer something extra that your target market needs to make buying decisions that make them feel comfortable in their buying decision and to raise your odds of making a sale. In a bookstore for example, there is a new edition of the best seller on the shelves. When you apply your advertising to anything online, you can even apply your offering to your Internet marketing campaign and raise its odds of getting purchased.

Make sure that your offering costs some money and not just cash at the point of purchase; in many cases time only. Make sure that people can actually do more with your item after purchasing it. Take a page from the book of self-help and make sure that the offering is free. Let your potential customer know that their information is safe and that they’ll receive correspondence from you. When people feel good about what you are offering, you will begin to establish some sort of trust that will enhance your chances of making sales. When people believe in the quality and value of what you are offering they are less likely to want people to try out the product at other outlets because they won’t trust you.

This is what we do when we directly refer our target market to different merchants. One example is in the online environment. You might say, “Would you like to start learning how to install these new wood stove? Visit the flamesign on the web. These heaters were originally designed for use in wood stoves either in kitchen interiors or bedrooms. We recommend that you supplement your wood stove by purchasing these new heaters on the web because they are available at an affordable price each and are guaranteed to heat your entire house in 6 months or less if you follow the instructions.”

Another way to effectively promote the potential for people to purchase your own offering is through quality web content and proven methods of getting people to your site. This is where many businesses fail in their online promotions. They rely so much in the cost of ad placement on the web and making the fancy choices that the information wins out over quality and value. But how well do you sell an eBook when there is no quality information at all? And how do you effectively promote your marketing materials when you have nothing to offer?

Making a difference in the online environment today is tough to do because of the number of options a person has to view products and services. You will need to step up and make a difference in how you intend to keep people around. Make your offering the offer they want and give them all the information they need to carefully evaluate why your offering is valuable. And when you do offer a choice make sure that you have made the right one by giving your visitors the ability to understand what they want, not what you want.

Make your offer clear. Communicate to your visitors what you will do for them and push the guarantee as far as you can. If you have something to sell then make sure that you sell it with a guarantee so that your potential buyers feel protected in their decision to make a purchase.