In the digital age it doesn’t matter what kind of business you have, you’re going to struggle to beat the competition if your website isn’t up to scratch. Just having a website is not enough though. To tempt customers into your digital space you need to treat it like a first date.
The customer is the princess and you’re just one of a thousand suitors. We’re here to show you the top 4 things you can do to stand out from the crowd.
Strong Call to Action
BUY THIS! HIRE US NOW! NARNIA THIS WAY! The call to action is your website. You can have the greatest website content ever but if you don’t call on your visitors to perform an action you’ll never get results. If your site hasn’t been converting visitors into customers the reason is pretty obvious: your call to action sucks. Don’t worry, this is quite normal but we’re going to give you the edge.
Design advice is usually to keep things tidy, neutral and orderly. Not with your website’s call to action. That puppy needs to bark. Make it stand out through whatever means necessary. Use contrasting colours; larger fonts; better positioning or more compelling phrasing. It needs to be a complete juxtaposition to be noticed.
You must also ensure each page has a call to action. This can be as simple as collecting an email address, getting an up- or down-vote or visiting another page. The ultimate goal is to create a customer and gaining a further action, no matter how small, gets you one step closer to that.
Get Some Details
No-one in the history of dating has ever been given the number of their wannabe beau by holding up a placard that says “DO NOT APPROACH ME”. If you aren’t asking your customers to subscribe to an email or newsletter then that’s essentially what you are doing. And wooing customers is kind of like dating. There’s no love at first sight – you have to give people reasons to love you. Getting a commitment to stay in contact is how you start giving out those reasons.
Your signups will grow the database of potential and existing customers with knowledge and data that can be mined to improve and streamline the sales process as well as the content of the website.
Make it easy on them though. No-one wants to jump through hoops or embarrass themselves on the dance floor if they aren’t getting ‘hey, come talk to me’ signals (am I taking the dating analogy too far?). Use pop-up or modal windows for signups because it’s casual and easy to say yes to. Also make sure you only ask for the minimum details necessary – name and email.
Incentives
Free things attract people. Not everyone will be wowed enough to become a customer but enough will to make the incentives worth your while. In fact, they don’t really have to cost you a thing. Incentives can be free additional subscription months for inviting friends, an eBook or tips guide, or even free delivery.
What you offer is less important than the fact you are offering something they won’t get with your competitors. Even an extended guarantee can make all the difference and long refund terms have the added benefit of giving customers a chance to invest in a product or service. The more they’re invested the less likely they are to cancel or return.
Content
After the call to action, content is everything. It’s the attractive outfit that gets you noticed across a crowded room and the stimulating conversation that keeps them interested. Content attracts qualified, convertible traffic. Customers want to be educated and are more likely to convert the longer they spend on your site so give them a reason to stick around!
Attracting the right visitors to your website is a crucial aspect of an effective market strategy. A well-maintained, professional website adds value by converting website visitors into customers. You wouldn’t go on a date in your loungewear and neither should your website.
