Turn Your Browsers Into Buyers

Running a successful website is very much like having a real bricks and mortar shop.

When you start out it’s as if you’re positioned down a backstreet, hidden away from the majority of your shoppers.  Rent is cheap there, but the likelihood of your customers stumbling across you is quite small.

As you work on your marketing activities you slowly move your shop from that depressing backwater where the till barely rings towards the bright lights, hustle and bustle of the high street where there are much higher levels of footfall.

Except an internet high street (the listings on page 1 of Google) is even better than a real one – all the shoppers on your online high street are looking for a solution to their problems that you can solve!

So when visitors start coming to your website, what’s in your shop window to entice them in?  And once they’re in, what are you doing to encourage them to become loyal customers?

High Street stores spend millions making sure that once their expensive ad campaigns and costly location have tempted customers to their door that they then have a fantastic in-store experience and come away having bought something and wanting to return.

Your store can be no different – it must engage your prospective customers and entice them to buy and return, otherwise you’ll be shelling out huge amounts of time and money getting them there only for them to walk away empty handed.

Factor in the statistic that says the average website (including the really big successful ones) achieves a conversion rate of only 2-5% (ie for every 100 visitors you get between 2 and 5 sales/bookings or enquiries) and it becomes even clearer how much effort we need to put into making our sites encourage a sale or booking, rather than just hoping for the best!

So here are 3 key features that every successful website must have in order to turn browsers into loyal buyers:

1.  Eyecatching Headlines

When you’re surfing around the internet looking for a solution to a problem you’re dealing with (let’s say you want to find out how to promote your business using online marketing! ;)) when you click on a listing you want to know you’re in the right place before you waste any more time there and click away.

Some say we have less than 7 seconds to grab a browser’s attention, so having a bold headline or two which spells out what you do in a crystal clear way helps your visitor relax knowing they’ve come to a worthwhile place and spend time reading the rest of your copy.  Without that clear indication it’s too easy for them to move on.

2.  Clearly Presented Offers and Packages

New visitors do not want to have to click around very much to get to your offer.  Put brief details about special offers, packages and gift options on your home page and quick links from there to the pages which set them out in more detail.

Also make them easy to find and get to from your other pages as these days not everyone will find your site through your home page alone.

3.  Include a Bold, Bright and Clear Call to Action

It’s so easy to forget to ask for a sale, but this tip applies to all your marketing activities.  Make it really obvious what someone must do to start the process of working with you.  These can be bright buttons, or even subtle text links but they must say something like;  Buy Now, Book Now, Enquire Now, Sign Up, Join Up etc etc.  Simple, clear and concise.  A confused customer NEVER buys!

There are many more ways to ensure you turn more of your browsers into buyers and I go through some of the most important ones at my Internet Marketing Training workshops.  These small group, boutique workshops takes place in Walton-on-Thames and will give you a really good overview of online marketing and how it can help you promote your business cost effectively.  If you’d like to book a place on the next one, please Click Here.

Your Marketing Goal for the Week

Have a look at your website’s home page and ask yourself these questions:

1. Is it completely obvious what I do for my customers?
2. Have I included brief details about my offers, packages and gift options?
3. Have I used a bold and clear Call To Action?

Goal complete.

Now spend some time rejigging your pages a little to make sure they do include these features.

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Do you need more customers?

Then find out how Online Marketing can help you promote your business affordably at my next Online Marketing Workshop:

Harness the Power of the Internet and Take Your Business to the Next Level – 30th November, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

Visit www.e-VisWorkshops.co.uk for more details.