Your visitor has arrived at your site…yeah…but now what? In What are the Marketing Goals of Your Website, I talked about the importance of linking the marketing purpose of your website to your business goals. Now, let’s dig a little deeper and talk about the actions we want our visitors to take when they arrive at our website. This is the process of building relationships that turn visitors into clients and clients into fans!
Here are 3 Questions to consider:
1. What do you want your visitor to do when they land on your site?
This might sound like a ‘duh’ question, but you would be surprised how many of my clients cannot answer this question. Many people still think of their websites as simply a brochure (Web 1.0) versus an interactive sales tool (Web 2.0).
To help my clients move their thinking to the LIVE Web 2.0 world, I like to have them visualize their site as WebGuy…a super 24×7x365 sales guy. And then ask: “When a visitor lands on your site, what call-to-action do you want WebGuy to take in the sales process?”
For example do you want WebGuy to help your visitors and clients…
- Sign up for your newsletter
- WebGuy!
- View a certain page on your site
- Comment on your blog
- Read an Article
- Download your free e-book
- Call you at your 1-800 number
- Set an appointment
- Drive to your store
- Contribute to your non-profit campaign
- Request Information
- Download a software trial
- Purchase a product…etc
As you think this through, you will identify several calls-to-action that you want your visitor to take. Each action needs to have compelling content that encourages your visitor. Answer the following two questions to get your ideas bubbling over with compelling content ideas!
2. What do your prospects and customers really need to know?
Think of the top 3-5 benefits that your prospect will get if he takes the action that you want. For example, if it’s to sign up for your newsletter…will he receive industry insider tips on a bi-weekly basis, your exclusive new e-book that outlines the latest how-to technique and receive discount coupons only available to subscribers. Or if the desired action is to make a donation will her donation support the purchase of school books, which will be used in a new school built in xyz country, with the ultimate goal to eradicate poverty thru education.
3. What information can you share about your request for action that provides your prospects and visitors the most benefit personally or professionally?
The answer to this question generally falls into one of three categories:
Time
How does your product or service help people save time, use their time more wisely, or increase the value of their time.
Money
How does your product or service help people make more money, save money, get better value from their money.
Attraction
How does your product or service help people to become more attractive, vital, healthy etc. Or from a company viewpoint, how does your product or service increase the attractive factor of their branding, ideas, products and services.
It starts with web traffic. And when you add planned calls-to-action plus compelling content, WebGuy is on his way to becoming your favorite 24×7x365 sales rep!
