thinks

You want the single most effective way to get more sales? Regardless of whether you conduct your business online or offline, the process is simple. Ask for the sale. Every interaction with your customer should be another step towards closing the sale. Look at your website that way. Do you have a clear call-to-action? No, really. Is it clear? Is it simple?

Fred Wilson tells a story about a pitch received via email that never asked him to invest. So he didn’t. Funny how that works, no?

Seth Godin shows how Borders books uses merchandising to ask for the sale. Since they can’t stock every book, they’ve been more effective showing the books they do have. But even Seth can learn how to ask for the sale more effectively.

It’s very simple. For example, I want more subscribers for this blog. You can subscribe to this blog by clicking this link.

Painless, no?

Take a good long look at your website and at the actions you want your customers to take. Better yet, get a stranger to take a look. See if they know:

1. What you offer
2. How to take you up on that offer

If they can’t answer one - or, God forbid, both - of those questions, that’s where you can start to improve your sales.

What’s working best for you? How do you ask your customers for the sale, online or offline? Tell us about it in the comments.

It’s been a quick, crazy week here at Thinks Central. The economy is wacky. Society seems to be breaking down. But - when we’re not trying to block shocking shots Annie Leibovitz took of us at 15 from hitting the street - we’re on the beat, looking for tips to help you get the most out of what you do. Here’s what we found:

• Sometimes the best thing to do is do nothing. While I’m bullish on social media marketing for most companies, Rebecca at SEOmoz rightly asks whether social media marketing is right for you.
• Want an edge your competitors haven’t found yet? Glenn Pingul at Search Engine Land says video SEO can give small business an edge.
• Video, social media marketing, and SEO techniques too fancy? Then get the most out of your existing site using data. Melissa Burdon from GrokDotCom explains why you need to think like an investigative reporter for your analytics.
• Finally, if all that isn’t enough, old Thinks friend Anne Truitt Zelenka points to a Wired article explaining how to be smarter by believing you can. Admittedly, it’s a bit new age, touchy-feely for these tough times. But, sometimes the best thing to do when life is a roller coaster is enjoy the ride.

Happy Friday, folks. Rest up and we’ll see you next week.