Seven
tried and true steps for attracting visitors to your site--and getting them to
buy.
Contributed By:
Allen Moon
Source: Entrepreneur
There is a proven sequence of steps you can follow to guarantee
your success when you're starting a small business online. I've seen thousands
of people start and grow successful businesses by doing the following:
1.
Find a need and fill it.
2.
Write copy that sells.
3.
Design and build an easy-to-use website.
4.
Use search engines to drive traffic to your site.
5.
Establish an expert reputation for yourself.
6.
Follow up with your customers and subscribers with email.
7.
Increase your income through back-end
sales and upselling.
Anyone, from newbie to seasoned online entrepreneur, can benefit
from this process in learning how to start a business online.
Step 1: Find a need and fill
it.
Most people who are just starting out make the mistake of
looking for a product first, and a market second.
To boost your chances of success, start with a market. The trick
is to find a group of people who are searching for a solution to a problem, but
not finding many results. The internet makes this kind of market research easy:
·
Visit online forums to see what questions people ask and what
problems they're trying to solve.
·
Do keyword research to find keywords that a lot of people are
searching, but for which not many sites are competing.
·
Check out your potential competitors by visiting their sites and
taking note of what they're doing to fill the demand. Then you can use what
you've learned and create a product for a market that already exists--and do it
better than the competition.
Step 2: Write copy that sells.
There's a proven sales copy formula that takes visitors through
the selling process from the moment they arrive to the moment they make a
purchase:
1.
Arouse interest with a compelling headline.
2.
Describe the problem your product solves.
3.
Establish your credibility as a solver of this problem.
4.
Add testimonials from people who have used your product.
5.
Talk about the product and how it benefits the user.
6.
Make an offer.
7.
Make a strong guarantee.
8.
Create urgency.
9.
Ask for the sale.
Throughout your copy, you need to focus on how your product or
service is uniquely able solve people's problems or make their lives better.
Think like a customer and ask "What's in it for me?"
Step 3: Design and build your
website.
Once you've got your market and product, and you've nailed down
your selling process, now you're ready for your small-business web design.
Remember to keep it simple. You have fewer than five seconds to grab someone's
attention--otherwise they're gone, never to be seen again. Some important tips
to keep in mind:
·
Choose one or two plain fonts on a white background.
·
Make your navigation clear and simple, and the same on every
page.
·
Only use graphics, audio or video if they enhance your message.
·
Include an opt-in offer so you can collect e-mail addresses.
·
Make it easy to buy--no more than two clicks between potential
customer and checkout.
·
Your website is your online storefront, so make it
customer-friendly.
Step 4: Use search engines to
drive targeted buyers to your site.
Pay-per-click advertising is the easiest way to get traffic to a
brand-new site. It has two advantages over waiting for the traffic to come to
you organically. First, PPC ads show up on the search pages immediately, and
second, PPC ads allow you to test different keywords, as well as headlines,
prices and selling approaches. Not only do you get immediate traffic, but you
can also use PPC ads to discover your best, highest-converting keywords. Then
you can distribute the keywords throughout your site in your copy and code,
which will help your rankings in the organic search results.
Step 5: Establish an expert
reputation for yourself.
People use the internet to find information. Provide that
information for free to other sites, and you'll see more traffic and better
search engine rankings. The secret is to always include a link to your site
with each tidbit of information.
·
Give away free, expert content. Create articles, videos or any
other content that people will find useful. Distribute that content through
online article directories or social media sites.
·
Include "send to a friend" links on valuable content
on your website.
·
Become an active expert in industry forums and social networking
sites where your target market hangs out.
You'll reach new readers. But even better, every site that posts
your content will link back to yours. Search engines love links from
relevant sites and will reward you in the rankings.
Step 6: Use the power of email
marketing to turn visitors into buyers.
When you build an opt-in list, you're creating one of the most
valuable assets of your online business. Your customers and subscribers have
given you permission to send them email. That means:
·
You're giving them something they've asked for.
·
You're developing lifetime relationships with them.
·
The response is 100 percent measurable.
·
Email marketing is cheaper and more effective than print, TV or
radio because it's highly targeted.
Anyone who visits your site and opts in to your list is a very
hot lead. And there's no better tool than email for following up with those
leads.
Step 7: Increase your income
through back-end sales and upselling.
One of the most important internet marketing strategies is to
develop every customer's lifetime value. At least 36 percent of people who have
purchased from you once will buy from you again if you follow up with them.
Closing that first sale is by far the most difficult part--not to mention the
most expensive. So use back-end selling and upselling to get them to buy again:
·
Offer products that complement their original purchase.
·
Send out electronic loyalty coupons they can redeem on their
next visit.
·
Offer related products on your "Thank You" page after
they purchase.
Reward your customers for their loyalty and they'll become even
more loyal.
The
internet changes so fast that one year online equals about five years in the
real world. But the principles of how to start and grow a successful online
business haven't changed at all. If you're just starting a small business
online, stick to this sequence. If you've been online awhile, do a quick review
and see if there's a step you're neglecting, or never got around to doing in
the first place. You can't go wrong with the basics.
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