by Cultivate | Jan 29, 2015 | Content Marketing
Maybe you’re a manufacturer that doesn’t sell directly to the public—so why worry about what’s on your website?
While plenty of manufacturers still depend on tried-and-true marketing tactics (including cold calling, mailing out printed catalogs and attending trade shows), there’s another highly effective marketing method on the block that’s about to help you do even more to improve your customer relationships and hike up your sales: digital marketing.
Get this: Companies that ignore web-based marketing are missing out on huge sales opportunities. More than 45% of B2B buyers say they research solutions online to narrow down their choice of vendors and …
Not sure how to go digital with your marketing? Start here.
Here’s what your manufacturing website needs so your enterprise can attract more attention and retain more happy customers…
- Enhanced Content
Your top-level webpages are just the beginning. Buyers, whether individual consumers or businesses, want the same thing: Information, and lots of it. You can enrich your content with white papers, case studies, articles, FAQs, and a blog covering company and industry news and concerns.
A great content strategy helps your manufacturing marketing efforts by:
- Increasing your web traffic and pushing you up in web search results.
- Building customer trust and buyer confidence. (Try answering common customer questions—they’ll love ya for it.)
- Establishing your in-house experts as knowledgeable voices of authority within your industry.
- Increasing brand recognition.
But let’s not forget your standard website basics: contact information, pricing, shipping, and technical information are all must-haves.
- Call-to-Action Buttons (CTAs)
A straightforward CTA gives your content teeth. Asking site visitors to provide basic information in exchange for something valuable, such as an eBook or white paper, ensures you don’t lose a potential lead.
- Immediate Response
One of the biggest mistakes any company can make is not responding to customer or prospect requests in a timely manner. People want answers right now—not in a few days. The faster you respond to inquiries, the more likely you are to make the sale. If you don’t, you can bet your competitors will.
To speed up response times, consider automated email responses and sales team alerts.
- Behind-the-Scenes Analytics
Analytics is the science of measuring, analyzing and generating reports from visitor and user data. It can include where users are located, how long they remain on each webpage (and even how far down they scrolled), where the visit originated, and where they go next.
Understanding what your website visitors do (and don’t do) can help you improve your website, target your marketing, separate hot leads from casual lookie-loos….and cut down on wasted time.
- Responsive Design
Many business executives report they usually search the web from their desktops, but mobile marketing is rapidly on the rise. Few online experiences are more frustrating than using a cellphone to access a website that’s not properly sized for a mobile device. Your clients may not be researching your product on mobile devices today, but they will be…soon!
Want to learn more about attracting more customers through effective digital marketing?
Download our FREE guide: Manufacturer’s Guide to Attracting More Customers to learn how your business can use digital marketing to grow. The guide includes:
- 5 key marketing strategies used by leading manufacturers
- 20+ effective, proven tips for generating more qualified leads
- Step-by-step instructions to attract and retain more repeat customers
No matter what industry you’re in, the competition is heating up, so traditional marketing methods simply aren’t enough anymore. Isn’t it time to get ahead of the curve and cash in on the inbound marketing phenomenon?
by Cultivate | Nov 6, 2014 | Growth Cycle Marketing
Have you heard? Great website content attracts more prospects and results in higher conversion rates. More customers? Woohoo! But…
How do you effectively create and shell out GREAT content to draw in those customers?
You can’t just put stuff on a webpage and expect people to find it by magic. (Ok, you can, but it’s unlikely to happen.)
Here are 5 ways to (really) Make the Magic happen…
1. Offer Extras Prospects WANT. Everybody loves free stuff, and enriched content (like an eBook or white paper) can work wonders for your lead pipeline—but ONLY if you’re offering up tactical content your potential customers really want. Either give away your content for free, in exchange for their precious email address (Presto! A new lead!) –OR– launch a special giveaway for an information-laden eBook across different social media channels to engage your audience on a broader spectrum.
(Abracadabra: Here’s everything you need to know about How to Run a Successful Social Media Sweepstakes.)
2. Provide Answers. The majority of people search the web for answers to specific questions. The more in-depth information you can provide about topics they’re looking for, the more eyes you’ll get on your page. The longer visitors stay, the more likely they are to buy from you, or at least return for more information. Providing information builds trust, and people buy from businesses they trust. Be the authority. They’ll love you for it.
(Abracadabra: How do you find out what your prospects want to know? Listening in on social media is a great way to keep your finger on the pulse of the market and inform your business decisions.)
3. Hold Webinars. People love to participate in webinars, especially when they’re on a not-so-easy-to-understand subject. Give your prospects an opportunity to ask questions live and you give them a voice: answer their questions and they’ll know they’re heard and that your business cares. Plus, displaying recorded webinars on your website allows visitors to find out what other people are asking. You demonstrate your expertise and build credibility during that delicate research phase.
(Abracadabra: A report commissioned by Adobe found webinars are effective throughout the buying cycle, so check out these tips for a successful webinar.)
Want to learn more about this mysterious buy cycle? No need to pull a rabbit out of your hat. Just download our FREE Growth Cycle Marketing white paper to better connect with your prospects before, during and after the sale.
4. Be a Tease. Think about how news programs entice viewers to tune in: “Are you at risk for Ebola? Find out at 11.” If they just stated a conclusion like, “Don’t worry, you’re not at risk for Ebola,” fewer viewers would tune in. Their goal is to get your attention—and your viewership—by adding a sense of urgency to what would otherwise be fairly ordinary reporting. But you don’t have to follow the example of our hyperactive media—it’s better to be measured and honest than simply sensational. For your business, post enticing teasers with a clear call to action.
(Abracadabra: Last year, Twitter offered advice about the most effective calls to action on Twitter. Check it out!)
5. Offer Fresh Content—Often! One of the most important things you can do to attract visitors is keep your website new and updated. Even your old customers will get bored with the same content day after day. Serve up piping hot fare fresh every week and they’ll keep coming back for more.
(Abracadabra: While you’re working to build regular, fresh content, pretty please avoid the crap. If you have to choose between quantity and quality, pick quality.)
If your website isn’t bringing in the traffic, there’s no need to wave your magic wand—instead, it may be time to rethink your content strategy. Too many businesses make their web and social media offerings all about themselves and not about their customers. While telling your story is important, always do so with a focus on how you can help your customers—then watch your content work its magic!
