Not long ago, businesses and consumers hesitated to purchase products online. How times have changed. Today the Internet is part of how we do business on a daily basis. As with other high tech businesses, the HME market is quickly entering cyberspace, and one of the product categories leading the charge is scooters.

However, selling complicated items, such as scooters, online takes more than just knowledge about building an attractive and easy-to-use Web site. It takes a commitment to customer service.

Today’s scooter customers have choices of how and where they shop. For some, the traditional HME store is a place of comfort where a friendly face will greet them and knowledgeable staff can answer their questions and help ensure that the power-operated vehicles they purchase match their needs and expectations. Meanwhile, other shoppers enjoy researching major purchases, such as scooters, on their own and like purchasing products online where there is no risk they will run into “smooth-talking” salespeople.

Buying online is also ideal for potential scooter customers whose mobility limitations make it hard for them to travel to traditional HME showrooms. Online they can communicate with peers who have a similar disability and evaluate a wide range of manufacturers and product options without going from showroom to showroom to gather information.

Online Pros and Cons
On the sales side, Internet scooter retailers have the advantage of low overhead. They need not rent accessible premises in order to perform their service or hire a large sales staff because a single computer programmer can create the electronic version of a sales brochure, a virtual salesperson, and an after-sales support package.

Traditional scooter retailers have the advantage of trained staff that can ask customers about their lifestyles, needs, product expectations, and home environments. This helps identify the customers’ requirements and ensures the right products are sold to meet their needs.

The ability to read customers’ body language and observe them as they test out scooters are definite advantages, because it is the paying customer who directly impacts the success or failure of any company—whether online or not. Spending a little extra time before the sale to ensure the scooter sold meets the needs of the customer improves profitability by reducing returns, shortening the time spent troubleshooting problems, and increasing the number of happy customers who recommend the company to their friends.

Whether you sell scooters online, in a showroom, or in both mediums, it is important to remember that most customers do not differentiate between an employee and the company. As far as they are concerned, the employee is the company. How are your employees treating your customers? Have you evaluated your own policies to ensure they are up-to-date and meeting the customers’ needs? Have you granted your employees the power to make decisions on their own without seeking permission for every little thing out of the ordinary? Empower your staff to solve customer service issues on the spot. This proves to customers that you value their business enough to have sales staff who will satisfy their purchasing needs.

A virtual retailer is not excused from providing quality customer support. In fact, in this case, the customer service aspect is even more important since that will be the only human contact customers have with the company.

Serving the Internet Buyer
Scooters are products that are used by the young and old, but typically, a senior is the user. It was not that long ago that the elderly were considered too technologically unsavvy to purchase a computer, never mind get on the Internet! While this is true of some seniors, it is not the rule. In reality, people age 60 and above are among the fastest-growing group of computer users.

When marketing online to seniors, make sure that your site uses clean lines, sans-serif font (minimum of 12 point), and lots of white space to make it easy to read, even with poor vision. Use colors with high contrast and refrain from reversed text, italics, or heavy use of underlining.

Make use of small “thumbnail” images instead of full-scale photographs to reduce the space and time it takes to upload your site. A slow-loading Web page can cause some users to become impatient and switch to another site.

Every page of your site should let the customer return to the home page by the simple click of a button, rather than to backspace through multiple pages. It is also a good idea to have your contact information and order form available on every page. After all, if a potential customer has found what he or she wants, you do not want to risk losing the sale by forcing that person to search for ordering information.

Of course, once you have developed the site, registered the address, and are online, you need to make sure that you are easy for customers to find. There are several technical ways to do this that your Internet service provider can show you. However, the easiest method is to link your Web site to other sites that users would logically associate with scooters.

Remember, a scooter purchaser may be a senior, but that does not mean he or she wants to be associated with a disability. Choose your links carefully, especially on your Web site. Be sure they go where you think and to sites that you are proud to be associated with.

Your site also should include information about shipping the product. Mention any additional shipping fees and time lines for arrival. Most online scooter retailers give the option of a low-price delivery schedule and a premium-price fast turnaround schedule—usually next-day shipping.

Warranties are often the primary reason a senior or a person with a disability chooses a product. Make sure you address this simple, but critical, piece of information directly on your Web site.

In researching this article, I found several online scooter providers who gave information about third-party coverage on their Web sites. This helps identify a company that knows its customers.

When you set up your Web site, think about the questions that customers ask you in your store and address these on the site. Most companies add a “frequently asked questions” page, and while this should be old hat for marketers, I was surprised how few Web site scooter providers did this.

Remember, the image of your store or Web site tells customers who you are and how much you care about them. Both sales locations must be equally inviting and accessible. Know who your clients are and make sure they can easily access you with questions or concerns. Regardless of mode of shopping, there is no excuse in offering anything less than the highest level of respect to your customers and the best quality product. Store-front or Web-based, good customer service is what sells and keeps people coming back.

Brian D. Kon is the president of Sterling Frazer Associates, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Visit his Web site at www.sterlingfrazer.com.