Contributed By
R. L. Adams
Source: Entrepreneur
Want
to make money online? Live the life of your dreams? Travel the world as a digital nomad, roaming
to remote white-sanded beaches replete with pristine turquoise waters?
Sure you do. Everyone does. But realizing this dream is easier said than done.
That's especially true for those in the throes of a 9-to-5 life, tethered by a
corporate leash that doesn't afford them the luxury of time or travel.
But
there is a way. Sure, it's a road less traveled. It's one filled with twists
and turns. One rife with fear and anxiety. Not knowing what's around the bend.
Oftentimes unsure of which fork in the road to take. But the answer to this
isn't some complex or convoluted financial instrument. It's straightforward --
build a converting offer. That's it. Once that offer exists, you need to
worry about optimizing its conversion rates.
What
does that mean? Simply this. Put the pieces of the puzzle in place so that you
can spend $1 to make $2 or $3 or even $10. Yes. Basic math. But the truth is
that in practice it isn't that simple. If it were, everyone would be doing it.
Not only do you need to build that converting offer and optimize your
conversion rates, you also need to understand a wide range of digital marketing
disciplines to implement and achieve just that.
Sure,
you could turn to others. You could spend thousands or even tens of thousands
of dollars for "expert" advice. But if you have a bit of a background
in online marketing, then
the real knowledge lies in the trenches. When you can create an offer that
converts, then optimize that conversion rate, you could almost infinitely scale
your ad spend and continue to churn a profit, effectively making money while
you sleep. Clearly that doesn't happen overnight. But it does happen.
How to optimize your
conversion rates.
At the
basis of a converting offer is a sales funnel. If you don't have a sales
funnel, you need one now. It's the foundation for making money online.
Some call this a marketing funnel. Others call it something different. But the
truth of the matter is that it's central to the core practice of selling
anything online.
Quite
frankly, you've probably seen sales funnels everywhere without quite
understanding what they were. Ever wonder why so many blogs and website try to
get your email address by bribing you with some discount, free ebook or other
promotion? Yes. You guessed it. They want you to enter their funnel.
What
most newcomers to the marketing world don't quite grasp is that people will
oftentimes never buy from you during the first interaction. The sale happens
over time, by building a relationship with the consumer, and by constantly
feeding them value and ensuring that whatever it is that you're peddling, it
solves a problem and alleviates some pain points. That happens in the sales
funnel.
Your
goal? Create an offer that converts by first building a great product or
service, but then implementing a great sales funnel. Afterwards, worry about
optimizing the conversion rates. All of it is much easier said than done. Yes,
I know. But if it were that easy, wouldn't everyone be doing it? Of course they
would.
However,
when you boil this down to the fundamentals, it's clear as day to see how it
works and just how you can optimize your own conversion rates by following a
few simple steps and ensuring that you keep pace with the following tips. The
better you are at doing that, the more potential you'll have at churning a
profit. That's it.
1. Identify the
problem.
The
first step in optimizing anything online is to ensure you've identified the
problem. What's the problem that the consumer is experiencing? What are the
pain points associated with that problem? Now, this should usually be done
before you ever build your product or service. But even if you have a product
or service and a sales funnel, the better you identify the problem, the more
likely you'll be to improve your offer and your sales in the long term.
2. Understand your
demographic.
The better
you know your customer, down to the last detail, the more likely you can
identify where they congregate. This means, you should know the ideal customer
who's experiencing the pain you're attempting to solve. This involves knowing
their gender, age, their income bracket, their occupation, their marital
status, their geographical location, and so on, so that you can target them
accordingly in your ads
3. Create a powerful
lead magnet.
Lead
magnets entice consumer's to part with something they value highly these days
-- their information. If you want to reach the right consumer, and you want
that consumer to willingly give you their details so that you can attempt to
peddle your offers to them, then you need a great lead magnet. What that lead
magnet is entirely depends on a number of factors. Consider things like PDF
checklists, free ebooks, trial memberships, and so on.
4. Use
clear headlines that sizzle.
The
headline is crucial for optimizing your conversion rates. Do you have clear
copy that sizzles? Does it address the problem or pain points? Is it concise
and enticing? Oftentimes, a small tweak in your headline can lead to massive
results. It really boils down to how well you're addressing the consumer's
problem, then opening the door for the solution further on in the copy.
5. Fine tune your
sales copy.
Your
sales copy is excruciatingly important. It defines your potential for success.
If your copy fails to convey the problem and offer a solution in the best
manner possible, people will click off and go elsewhere. Remember, you have to
pull them in and keep them there. At the end of the day, you need to write compelling copy that
sells.
6. Have a clear
call-to-action.
How
obvious is your call-to-action (CTA)?
Are you using a button? What color is it? What text is being used on that
button? Does it create a sense of urgency by using words like "Now"
to drive action? Does it offer a good value proposition? Where is the button
located and is it easy to find or is it easy to spot?
To be continued tomorrow, Tuesday, October 3, 2017
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