Suggestive selling is nothing new, but some home based Internet business marketers may not know how to increase website traffic with the power of suggestion.

© GT Bulmer
Web Biz Opportunities - StarrBizz.com

Many years ago... many, many years ago... I got my start in the business world as a management trainee in the restaurant business. Yes, I started as a dishwasher in high school, then worked my way into a cooking position and eventually into management.

I learned many valuable lessons in those formative years: customer service, quality control, resource management, staff relations, not to mention scheduling, goal setting, focus, determination, perseverance...

One element of the restaurant business that really stood out to me was the emphasis my trainers and mentors placed on Suggestive Selling: customers respond well to the power of suggestion. And this principle applies to every industry.

In the restaurant business, here is the best example of suggestive selling and the power of suggestion that I can think of. See if you recognize it:

The server asks, "Would you like fries with that?" or "Would you like that supersized?"

That's it. The server or seller (in any industry) simply plants the seed of suggestion into the mind of the customer and leaves it there to germinate. In many cases, the customer responds favourably.

Sales trainers through the ages tell us that if you don't ask for the sale, you may not get the sale. So ask.

The other thing is, the customer can't make a decision if he or she doesn't know what the options are. It stands to reason, then, that in order to do their job effectively the seller or server has to "suggest" the options to help the customer make a decision.

Years ago, in the restaurant business, we trained our servers to "suggestive sell" dessert at the end of the meal. They didn't just ask if the customer wanted dessert. They actually presented each and every customer with a tray of various types of desserts and asked which one they wanted. The customer clearly knew that the cost of the dessert was extra. Even so, presented with the options, the majority of the customers couldn't resist taking one. That is the power of suggestion.

How to Increase Website Traffic

Now, let's bring this concept into the 21st Century; the present day, as it relates to Internet Marketing and how to increase website traffic with the power of suggestion.

Here are several "suggestive" phrases that you can post on your website that will help increase your web traffic. This info is taken from the StarrBizz.com Home Internet Business Tips Newsletter available free to subscribers. It's not new information; you may have seen some of it elsewhere on the Internet:

1. "Bookmark This Website Now": Actually tell your website visitors to bookmark your site. Their bookmark will act as a reminder to return. And if you also suggest a reason to bookmark and return, such as "new content added regularly," this will strengthen the power of the suggestion.

2. "Subscribe to Our Free Ezine": Point your visitors to your sign-up link and tell them to sign up. Not only will this help you build your list, but each time they read an edition they will be reminded to return to your website.

3. "Sign Our Guestbook": Ask visitors to sign your guestbook. The power of suggestion will produce more responses than just placing a guestbook link on your homepage. The feedback they leave will help you improve your site to attract more visitors. Here is a source to get a free guestbook for your website: Bravenet, Free Guestbook

4. "Use Our Free Content": Consider the exposure you can get by letting other marketers post your articles on their sites or in their ezines. Be sure to ask them to include your resource box with any content they use.

5. "Refer Our Website to a Friend": Ask your visitors to refer your website to others. They may know someone who would benefit from visiting your site.

6. "Fill Out Our Online Survey": Again, don't just post the survey link, ASK your visitors to fill it out. Many people see the survey and think it's a good idea, but some need that extra prompting to actually do it. Surveys can be an excellent way to get valuable feedback to help you improve your site.

Suggestive selling can be powerfully effective in both generating sales and in motivating visitors to do something you would like them to do, such as the things listed above and more.

Providing a list of links to these features on your website is one thing. Taking it to the next level by asking or telling your visitors what to do is much more effective because it plants the seed of action in their mind.

Now that you have more insight into how to increase website traffic with the power of suggestion, take some action. Select a couple of the suggestions from the list and apply them on YOUR website! Oh, and one more thing: would you like fries with that?

Sincerely, GT Bulmer
StarrBizz.com - Home Based Internet Business Opportunities


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