Internet Marketing Information

Enough With the Upsells Already!



It happened twice during the same week. All I wanted to do was make a purchase, and they were making every effort to keep me from it (or so it seemed). Why would a business who wanted me to buy from them so badly put enough roadblocks in my path to make me want to click off the site and go someplace else?

The roadblocks that almost kept me from purchasing were repeated upsells. You know the kind. You go to a site and add something to your cart or speak with a person on the phone and tell him/her you want to buy. Then it starts. The upsells.

But Wait? There's More

"As a special offer - only for people who buy today - you can also get?" I'm a copywriter so I understand the power of upsells, and one, maybe even two, is a good thing. Lots and lots of people will add more to their carts (or agree via telephone to buy more) when given the chance to upgrade or buy exclusive offers at the same time. But there is such a thing as overdoing it.

The robot-like sales clerk just about blew the order! I called to buy a book I'd seen advertised. As soon as the salesperson said, "I've got you down for one copy of the book, but - just for people who call today?" I knew I was in trouble. One upsell offer came. Then another. "We have a special bonus for you, too" followed by "Because you're a health-conscious person, we'd like to give you this special surprise for 30 days absolutely free." I am not exaggerating when I say there were 10 upsells in a row.

Stop It Right Now or I'm Leaving

I finally couldn't take it anymore. I interrupted and told the clerk that I wanted the book and only the book. If he was able to stop reading from his script and process the order for my book, I'd still like to buy it. If he was not able to do that, I would hang up the phone.

He couldn't do it! He floundered around, flipping through the pages, trying to think of what came at the end of all the upsells. I guess he'd never gotten that far before. The sale was stopped. I didn't order the book after all. I was so frustrated and aggravated by the time I hung up the phone I could have screamed!

A few days later, it happened again. I was at a website, transferring a few domain names. After I added the transfer service to my cart, the upsells started. Page after page came for hosting; domain parking; useless, mass search engine optimization; anonymous WhoIs registration - you name it! Did I buy any of the offers? No. After reading the first one or two, I scrolled - without reading a word - through FOUR more pages of upsells before reaching the final order page.

Don't Abuse Upsells

What happened here? Like so many other good things, the upsell is being badly abused. What started out as a wonderful marketing tool has ended up on what seems to be a drug-induced rage. Do upsells still work? Yes. If they are handled properly.

When someone adds something to their shopping basket or calls to place an order, by all means offer them special deals to increase sales. This strategy has worked to bring in additional revenue for decades. Don't, however, bombard the customer with upsell after upsell. Not only will the effect be completely lost after three or four attempts to make additional sales, but customers will also quickly become irritated. They may even hang up or click away to another site.

Use common sense when adding upsells to your marketing mix. If you, personally, wouldn't want to sit through an additional 20 minutes of sales pitches on the phone, don't make your customers. If you wouldn't want to scroll through page after page of bonuses and specials, your customers won't want to either.

The greed involved with hounding people to buy additional items or services can very often have the reverse effect. Instead of adding more to their shopping carts, your customers may decide to avoid the aggravation altogether and leave. Keep your upsells focused and to a minimum for the best results.

© 2005 http://www.learn-copywriting.com

Copy not getting results? Learn to write SEO copy that impresses the engines and your visitors at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Be sure to also check out Karon's latest e-report "How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy)" at http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword


MORE RESOURCES:

Internet Marketing Expert Cheryl Heppard Teaches Strategies to Attract Clients ...
PR Web (press release)
“A well-designed marketing funnel will continue to nurture your prospects into becoming paying customers who will invest in your higher level services, programs and products. During this online group coaching call, I'll show the participants how to set ...

and more »


Charlotte Internet Marketing Company Shares Criteria for Successful Internet ...
PR.com (press release)
At the center of every successful Internet marketing campaign is a well-defined set of marketing criteria that best describes and presents a company's messaging, product/service features and benefits, and a story outlining the competitive strengths and ...



People Polled on "What is the Best Link Building Strategy to Get a High Page ...
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
Internet Marketing Company (www.internetmarketingcompany.biz) Reveals Results of the Poll, "In Your Opinion, What is the Best Link Building Strategy to Get a High Page Rank Website?" on the Facebook® Platform Internet Marketing Company, a company that ...
Following the Users: Where Businesses Are Spending Web Marketing Dollars in 2012Business 2 Community

all 6 news articles »


Internet Marketing Agency Ajax Union Presenting Free Google+ Webinar at Noon ...
ABN Newswire (press release)
Ajax Union, a boutique internet marketing agency based in Brooklyn, will be hosting a free webinar at noon today, Tuesday Feb. 17. Available at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/643447998, the webinar will discuss the ins and outs of Google+, ...
Announcing a Free Social Media Webinar for Small Businesses by SEO NY experts ...PR Urgent (press release)

all 2 news articles »


HigherVisibility Named Eleventh Best Web Design Company by topseos.com for ...
Press Media Wire
The independent authority on Search vendors, topseos.com, has named HigherVisibility the eleventh best web design company in the online marketing industry for the month of February 2012. Their position in the rankings of top web design companies is ...
The Best Reputation Management Companies in Australia Named by topseos.com.au ...San Francisco Chronicle (press release)

all 8 news articles »


Chiropractic Economics

Search engine marketing simplified
Chiropractic Economics
Through the use of search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM), you can improve your online visibility. The primary benefit of SEO is that it forces you to take a careful look at your practice's website to determine if its ...
SEO Positive's Head of Search Announces Presentation Slot At Internet World ...PR Web (press release)
SEO Link Monster: All About the New Blog Network that Promises Top Ranking for ...International Business Times
Google Places Gives SEO Boost to Local Small BusinessesWebWire (press release)
King of How To News -Everything PR
all 68 news articles »


Joint Effort Marketing Named Second Best Video SEO Company by topseos.com for ...
Press Media Wire
The independent authority on Search vendors, tospeos.com, has named Joint Effort Marketing the second best video SEO company in the online marketing industry for the month of February 2012. topseos.com has named Joint Effort Marketing the second best ...
1SEO.com Named Best Integrated Search Company by topseos.com for February 2012San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
The Best Social Media Marketing Companies in India Named by topseos.in for ...PR Web (press release)

all 16 news articles »


Disaster Recovery Services Company in Austin, TX, Hires Online Marketing Pro ...
PR.com (press release)
“We at Prospect Genius are eager to get the word out in the Austin area about A-Best Water Damage Restoration & Carpet Cleaning's team of experienced professionals,†states Matt Gallo, a senior Internet marketing strategist at Prospect Genius.



Dental Marketing: Facebook as an Effective Internet Marketing Tool
The Wealthy Dentist (blog)
Some dentists are still not convinced that Facebook is an effective Internet dental marketing tool. Last week, Facebook started the process for its highly-publicisedipated IPO. In anticipation, the online competitive intelligence service Hitwise just ...



Online Media Direct Ltd (blog)

5 Tips for Mobile Marketing
Online Media Direct Ltd (blog)
With mobile marketing becoming such an important facet of online marketing efforts these days, it is important to remember some of the 'golden rules' in this fastest-growing of areas. Here's five top tips to help anyone planning a mobile internet ...
ClickXPosure, Chicago's Fast-Growing Internet Marketer Celebrates Big MovePR Web (press release)
Internet Marketing Going to be Essential for Web Marketing SuccessPromotion World (press release)

all 4 news articles »

Google News

Home | Cell Phones | Watches | Make Money | Work at Home | Web Hosing | Free Traffics | Free Classified Ads | site map
© 2006