6 Things You NEED on Your Website Right Now
How many potential customers arrive at your website only to leave immediately, disinterested and unimpressed? If you had to stop to think about that question at all, we’ve got some bad news: you lack confidence in your website. The good news is there’s a roadmap you can follow to drive more prospects to engage with your business online, moving them closer to the sale.
You already have your prospect’s attention, so you’ve moved through the Awareness stage of Growth Cycle Marketing and into the Consideration stage. Now you need to keep that attention and get that prospect laser-focused in on your business and your brand. In this crucial stage, your future customer is hungry for more information about your products and services. So when that person arrives on your website, you need to ensure they’re impressed, engaged, and moving oh-so-much closer to making a purchase.
If they click away, you’ve already lost the sale. Time to make a lasting impression!
1. Helpful and Informative Content
Today’s informed consumer is looking for information. They want to learn as much about your products and services as possible before they make contact with interest to buy. It’s time to show your stuff. This doesn’t mean you should load up your website with just any ol’ content. Instead, brainstorm specific topics that will interest your customer base and keep them poking around your website. Provide information about your products and services, but do not oversell.
Your objective: Be helpful, not pushy.
Your goal: Increase prospect engagement and build trust to earn yourself a customer.
2. Call-to-Action Buttons (CTAs)
One way to measure prospect and customer website engagement is to create call-to-action buttons, then strategically sprinkle these little pieces of candy all over your website. We’re not talkin’ a simple “Click Here!” button. (Seriously, don’t use “Click Here!” It’s a turn off.) Instead, use verbs (action words) to get site visitors’ attention. A great CTA is irresistible—it simply must be clicked. Now. Keep it short and simple, and offer an awesome incentive so they know their click will pay off. (See # 3.) And guess what? Clickable call to action buttons are trackable. You can count those clicks to determine what’s working on your website (converting prospects to customers)…and what’s not.
Your objective: Get ‘em clickin’; keep ‘em engaged.
Your goal: Measure CTA click data to increase your conversion rate and get more customers.
3. Targeted, Shareable or Downloadable Goodies
But what are you offering when they click your oh-so-alluring CTAs? Helpful and informative shareable or downloadable freebies! Each time your prospective customer downloads a free eBook, whitepaper, case study, or infographic—and they truly find the information useful—you’re building trust in your company and in your brand. Plus, by offering these helpful and informative materials, you have a real chance to showcase your expertise and rise above your competitors. No matter the demographics of your target market, when a person decides to engage with a business and spend money on products or services, they want to be confident they’re getting real value out of the exchange. Each piece of free, authoritative, helpful content is one more big opportunity to build trust and generate qualified leads.
Your objective: Offer up great content and build prospect trust.
Your goal: Convert qualified leads to awesome customers who love your business.
4. Email Opt-In Subscription Options
The number one rule of successful email marketing: your emails should never show up unannounced. Prospects and customers must opt-in to your email list, or you risk being flagged as a spammer, which can really sour your marketing efforts, not to mention completely destroy your company’s reputation. Remember all those great goodies we mentioned in # 3? In exchange for that super-helpful information, ask for that visitor’s email address. Bam! Now you’ve added a qualified lead to your email marketing database. When that same prospect asks for more of your super-great content, you’re looking at a big opportunity to collect even more information using a form.
Your objective: Get that qualified lead to provide their email address (and maybe more) without pulling teeth.
Your goal: Build your database up with truly qualified leads—prospects you can entice with more great content down the road.
5. Social Media Buttons
When your prospective customers are lovin’ your website, they’ll want to connect with your business on social media and share your content (blog posts, infographics, etc) with like-minded peers. You cannot buy this type of publicity, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to engage more potential customers. Add social share buttons to each piece of shareable content. You can even embed your Facebook and Twitter feeds right into your website. Offer super-simple clickable Like and Follow buttons to engage more qualified leads on social media. Your social network is a great resource, as people love to spread the word on social media when they’re satisfied with your business.
Your objective: Add those social media share, like and follow buttons in all the right places.
Your goal: Engage even more prospective customers via social media.
6. Contact Information
It may sound simple, but have a listen: do not bury your contact information on your website. Present, at minimum, your phone number and email address so website visitors can contact your company with questions or to inquire about purchasing your products or services. If you offer a contact form that’s fine, but don’t require your prospect to fill out 150 fields just to get in touch. On the back end, ensure you have the resources to handle customer calls and emails as they come in. When you offer excellent customer service well before the customer buys anything, you’re making a MASSIVE and lasting positive impression.
Your objective: Keep. It. Simple. Make it easy for your prospects and customers to get in touch.
Your goal: Create more opportunities to showcase your amazing customer service—even before they buy.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Remember, it’s essential to create a marketing strategy first, rather than winging it and adding all these components in piece by piece. Strategy is a prerequisite to any successful marketing plan. That’s why we here at Cultivate Communications operate under our Think, Engage, Measure mantra: we think strategy FIRST to ensure the utmost level of long-term customer engagement, and we can see that uptick in in engagement because our strategy incorporates click data we measure over time to report successful results.
If the thought of establishing a content marketing strategy and process is totally overwhelming, please contact Cultivate Communications for more information about launching an awesome and workable content marketing strategy.