It takes more than mere information to engage website visitors. They need a reason to inquire, subscribe to your newsletter, or buy your product. So how can you get the visitor to stop skirting around the edges and come in? Look at the following ten ways to help convert your site visitors to leads.
1. Improve your content
As with all good website copy, trim the fat and give them the cold hard facts. Visitors want to know how the service or product will fulfil their wants or needs. Compelling, interactive, well-written content will pull the reader in. How can you make sure you have good content on your website? Follow the basic principles of good copywriting, and you’ll be fine. Make the copy concise, and speak to the target audience. Remove all the hyped-up marketing jargon such as ‘we have a fantastic product’ and ‘we’ve had overwhelming results.’
2. It’s About the Customer
Everyone wants to know, “What’s in it for me?” The customer may have a problem and want a solution, or they are looking to invest in a product but need to be convinced it’s a good choice. Your goal here is to show them the solution. Tell them the benefits of the product or service rather than highlighting the features. The features won’t solve their problem or make the sale, but the benefits will.
3. Be Approachable
Use an active and friendly voice to engage the customer and keep them motivated to continue through the process of clicking on your newsletter link or making a sale. An active voice is energetic and approachable, and ultimately, it’s more personal.
4. Trust is a factor
Trust is a significant factor, so you aim to create plenty. A visitor can’t see you, so the issue of trust is even more critical on the internet. I’m paid every day by someone I have never met; now that’s trust! How do I know I could trust him? The first time I worked with him, he outlined the process and followed through with my expectations: I was paid on time and in full.
If you are exchanging personal information online, privacy also comes into play. Assure customers you will maintain their privacy. Tell them why you are collecting data and make them aware of what you are using it for. Place your privacy policy on your website so it can be accessed. And if you are engaging in online sales, increase the trust factor by offering a variety of ways to order your product, such as via email, by phone, or over a secure payment system such as PayPal.
5. Look professional
Almost half of online sales are lost because the website fails to provide the trust test with the customer. A website with an unprofessional look and feel makes the customer uneasy and gives the illusion that you are not trustworthy. Bye, bye sale.
6. Make an offer
Make the customer an offer they can’t refuse. Provide them with something for free, such as an information package or set of articles: For example:
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7. Position yourself
Tell the customer what makes you unique and different from the other guy. Why should they do business with you? For example, my position as a writer is that I am diverse and can write in various mediums. This makes me unique because some writers love writing copy but hate writing proposals, or they’ll write a sales pitch but won’t write a sales manual. Stand for something and make it known.
8. Forms
Give the customer a reason to fill out a form or sign up for a newsletter to continue communicating with you. Once you have their permission to contact them, you can start offering tools, information, and benefits to speaking with you. Maybe you are sending them information packages or keeping them in the loop with special offers. Whatever it is, getting them to sign up will increase the likelihood of a lead.
9. Maintain loyalty
You can build and maintain customer loyalty in a variety of ways. Perhaps one of the most important ways is to keep your promises. Are you offering a durable product with free shipping or a reliable service with a money-back guarantee? Stick to your commitment and follow through; your customer will remember it. All customers like to be valued, and value builds loyalty.
10. Track it
Track what your customers are looking for. Did they find their information or product? Ask them how they got to you. What words did they use to search and find you? Ask the customer what they liked and what distracted them. Your customer is a great tool to gauge success. Use it.
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