Your small business may have an excellent website. Yet it might not be enough!
A site with great design and well-written descriptions may not get you the clients or followers you need to have a successful business. Why? Lead Capture is missing.
You need to market your website to get the maximum number of visitors and make sure you keep in contact, so they end up as customers, not just one time visitors on your site.
They don’t often buy the first time!
Most site visitors don’t commit to buy your product or use your services on their first visit.
Thus, it’s critical you make sure you have a way to capture their contact information when they DO visit! With consistent interaction after the capture you may convert your visitor to a customer over time. A well-designed opt-in offer to capture the email address and open two-way communication is an excellent way to engage your visitor. Their first visit is the best chance you’ll have to make that connection, so you need to choose your offer wisely and deploy it well.
The Offer Must have Value!
Research shows that free offers in exchange for an email address are effective.
Your visitors have a chance to try something without cost or obligation. They get to know you better and learn that you have something beneficial to offer. You’ll need to provide something of real value related to your products/services in exchange for their email address. It might be an eBook, a webinar, a product sample, a coupon or a highly informative video or newsletter. If you have a service, you can offer a free trial to “try before you buy.” It must be of enough value and compelling to motivate a sign-up.
Even if your business is not selling products or services, you need to grow your email list. Why? It’s the simplest path forward to stay in touch with your clients and potential clients. Successful opt-in offers follow these guidelines:
- Have an opt-in offer form which matches your site branding. Make sure the form is easy to complete (Not too many fields; best is name and email). Make it easy for a visitor to quickly opt-in.
- Make sure the opt-in form is a prominent item on your site. Be sure it’s easy to locate. Use color, motion, or eye-catching graphics to call attention to it.
- The offer should be really helpful. Make it nearly impossible for visitors to consider leaving without taking your offer. Your audience must see the value in the offer.
- A well-received form might include a picture of you to make the offer more personal and humanize the business.
- Make a strong case for the benefits your prospect will gain by accepting your offer.
- Include success stories and testimonials to help encourage acceptance.
Conversion rates vary for opt-in offers. The more time you cultivate the contact, making sure they get the full value of the offer and keep in touch, the better the conversion rate. According to Totango research, trial offer conversions could run from under 8% up to 20% with follow-up. The key to better conversion is communication with the lead on a regular basis, and using their first name. This is part of your email nurture follow-up strategy. Deployment of emails should be on a scheduled basis or based on the lead’s use or lack of use of the trial product. You can offer coaching or help by phone or email.
If you make a good impression, you’ll be rewarded!
These are essential keys to success on your site. Any questions?
Author: Mike Gingerich, President of web firm Digital Hill, Co-Founder of TabSite .
Digital and Social Media Marketer, Speaker, and Business Consultant. Part geek, part marketer, total digital junkie! Seeking to add value, make the complex simple, and leave a positive impact.
Follow me on twitter: @mike_gingerich.
