Getting Visitors To Your Web Site Is Only Half The Battle

Ron Jobson, president of ForSight Marketing, shares innovative strategies for converting web site visitors into actual customers.

May 14, 2007
Found in: Articles : Editorial : Web Site Marketing & Strategy :

The profit is in the planning.

Today, small and mid-size businesses are utilizing a variety of search engine marketing, advertising and email strategies to generate web traffic. But research shows that the average visitor will only give your web site about 4 seconds to speak before leaving… and that number is quickly dropping. Once prospective customers are driven to your site, how will you ensure that they stay there long enough to learn about your service offering, find a solution to their problem, and eventually become a paying customer?

Getting visitors to your site is the first step in a comprehensive marketing plan…but the next (and critical) step is making sure your web site effectively educates prospects with relevant information and leads them to take action. If done correctly, your web site can prove to be one of your most effective and profitable marketing tools.

Build your case of evidence.

“Most people don’t understand that their web site is a marketing tool, meaning it needs to function just like one of your salespeople would,” says Ron Jobson, president of Pasadena-based ForSight Marketing. “The first goal of your web site is to build a case of evidence for your business. That means it needs to educate visitors about what really matters to them and tell them in simple terms what you can do for them, why you are better than the competition, and why they should choose you.”

Jobson says one of the easiest ways to do this is to create web site copy that focuses on your customers, not on you. A good rule is that the words “you” and “your” should appear at least twice as many times on your web site as “we” and “our.” Rather than relying on lengthy lists and descriptions of your services and products, write copy that is benefit driven. How does your product or service benefit your customers? And how is that benefit any better than what your competitors offer?

Educate web visitors.

According to Jobson, most marketing fails to provide its target customers with relevant education. Jobson says one of the first things companies must do is to identify the important issues customers need to be aware of, and then demonstrate in a quantifiable way how you can meet their specific needs. Provide educational information that will be of interest to prospective customers.

But how do you know what will actually be of interest to customers? “The first thing you have to do in marketing is to identify your customers’ ‘hot buttons’, or the things they really care about when doing business in your industry,” says Jobson. “Hot buttons are unique to each industry and niche market. Simply put, all of the problems, frustrations, annoyances and confusion that your customers and prospects typically have when dealing with your industry are considered their hot buttons.” All of your marketing, including your web site, ads, postcards, etc., should hit those hot buttons and provide relevant, corresponding education.

Why educate? Research shows that less than 5% of any company’s target market is ready to buy now. By consistently using your web site and other marketing materials to educate prospective customers, you’ll guarantee that when the other 95% of your prospects are ready to buy, your business will be the obvious choice. Education-based marketing will elevate your company and its product and service offerings in the minds of prospective customers, and it will ensure that your marketing is perceived as valuable rather than as just more annoying advertising.

Make a risk-FREE offer.

When prospective customers visit your web site, the easiest thing for them to do is…NOTHING! Having a well-designed site or prominently featuring your toll-free number doesn’t give prospects a reason to call you. Instead you must ask them to take immediate action. By simply using a risk-free offer, you’ll increase your rate of conversion by 2 to 100 times.

Jobson recommends that your web site include a risk-free offer on the homepage (and additional web pages as appropriate). Give visitors the opportunity to subscribe to a free e-newsletter or to download a free report (or offer a discount or financial incentive!). In return, all they have to give you is their contact info. That way, you can begin to build a database of qualified prospects who respond to your offer. And then you can create a system to proactively educate and nurture them…so when they’re finally ready to buy, they’ll choose you.

And don’t forget…when you ask prospects to give you their contact information in return for a free report or guide, make the contact page simple and easy to fill out. Don’t make prospects jump through hoops to respond to your offer!

Want to know if you’re getting the highest ROI on your web marketing dollar?

Call (626) 449-8990 today for a FREE review and analysis of your web site…or a FREE no-obligation review of your other marketing efforts. In just 30 minutes, Jobson can show you how you can easily double your response rates and generate thousands more in profit from the same marketing tools you’re already using!

You can find out more about Enthusiast Partner ForSight Marketing at www.forsightmarketing.com.