Don’t think of your website as a glorified business card. Think of your website as your business hub. All online marketing efforts should funnel into your website, BUT when that traffic comes in you need to some key components to convert sales and generate income.
Yes, you do want an attractive website with a good design. However, if you want to make sales online you need to consider more than just text and images.
- Blog — Blogs are an easy way for you to highlight your expertise while sharing valuable tips and resources your target market seek. Consistently providing new content via a blog keeps both your target market engaged and google regularly scanning your site.
- Video — Blogs can be text or video format. Video is a more powerful way to connect with a potential client. It allows a relationship to grow faster because you are providing a face and voice for your potential client to connect with. Plus, YouTube searches are at times as high as Google searches.
- Capture names and emails — Don’t let visitors to your website come and go without asking for their name and email. It is highly unlikely for website visitors to make a return visit to your website…let alone buy anything once they leave your website. If you do not have their name and email, how will you follow up with them? Offer an enticing gift they can receive for free in exchange for their name and email. Use services like Aweber or MailChimp to keep this process automated.
- Pre-Qualify — This tip is particularly for those offering a free consultation/sales phone call to potential clients. You don’t want to waste time with those not ready for your services and/or not ready to buy. Pre-qualify potential clients by having them complete a questionnaire. Use the questionnaire to obtain all the standard information you would collect during an initial consultation appointment. This way when you get on the phone you can keep the free consultation to a reasonable 15 minute length and not giveaway an hour of your time to someone who, in the end, may not purchase your services.
- Ask for the sale — Have a program or service available for purchase directly on your website. If you don’t ask for the sale, you won’t get it.
Well, I said three, but I’m tacking on a fourth:
This piece doesn’t “live” on your website, but it’s important. Follow up. You need to have a plan for what you will do with the names and emails you collect. How will you follow up with these potential clients?
All the best,
Lisa Nelson