Is Your Film’s Website Optimized For eCommerce?

Ok, so while we’re on the subject of launching your DVD online, there’s something else you should be concerned with other than what type of campaign you are going to run, and that is whether your film’s website is actually optimized for eCommerce.

What that means in plain talk is this: after you drive all that traffic to your website either via partners or screenings or whatever, is your website set up to actually take orders for your DVD?

For example…..

1. Can the buyer actually EASILY find where to buy the DVD (you’d be surprised….many people don’t make the BUY NOW button front and center)
2. Is buying a one or two click process? (ie: you don’t want to make it too complicated to complete a transaction)
3. Is your site secure giving buyers confidence that their credit card details are safe?
4. Do you accept credit cards either through Pay Pal or a Merchant Account system? (sending in checks is no longer very efficient)
5. How are you going to fulfill your orders? Do you have inventory on hand ready to ship? Or are you using a manufacture on demand service like Create Space?

These are just a few of the very BASIC things you need to have in place to make sure your site is optimized for eCommerce. You also want to make sure you have a place where potential customers can sign-in to get on your email list, so that if they don’t buy on the first visit to your site (most won’t), that you are able to convert them to buyers down the line by forming a ‘relationship’ with them through regular communications, offers, and free content that makes them happy

One of the best film sites I’ve seen out there for optimizing eCommerce (and I use this example all the time) is Hunter Weeks’ www.10mph.com. Clearly shows you how and where to buy, guides you through the process absolutely clear and pain-free. Every filmmaker is marketing their film online should build a site like Hunter’s!

Incidentally, I go into further dissecting of the 10 MPH website and other optimized film websites in my SELLING MORE ONLINE course which is free this week for Film Specific Members. You can read more about it here:

http://www.filmspecific.com/public/776.cfm
(past participants to this live course paid $300, but I’m making the on-demand course free for FS members)

And as always, I’d love to hear from you — show me your website and how you’ve optimized it for sales? What has worked best for you? What tweaks have you made along the way to improve sales?

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