Why do we visit websites? One reason is to learn more about a company or individual and what amazing products or services they provide to make our lives more fulfilled, right? In other words, we visit websites to, well, buy stuff.
We may want to look at the company’s clout on Twitter or Facebook. If we’re impressed with what we see, we’ll look for an email address or phone number. Sign me up! I want one! Yet oftentimes these seemingly simple means of contact are buried on websites, leaving me to don my camouflage and I hunt and I hunt and I hunt some more…
Why not make it easier on your visitors to reach you? Here are three tips to help you seal the deal – use your website to sell sell sell!
1. Make your “contact me” big and bold.
Your “Contact” tab should reside as a standalone page. If using a “contact me” form, use one that is short and sweet; you might lose visitors if you insist they fill in 20 fields of text. Give your preferred means of contact in a prominent place on your home page as well.
Maybe I’m lazy, but I don’t want to search a website…then search Twitter for your Twitter handle, then search Facebook for your Facebook page…then search Instagram for…you get the idea. Make it easier for lazy bums like me to find you all in one fell swoop! Post those icons or links for your social media properties to your home page (at minimum). One little click and I’m where I want to be.
Ultimately, avoid making your visitors work to find you. Some of us bury our email addresses in the middle of five paragraphs of text – not ideal. Having a clear means of contact will only ease the path toward potential sales.
2. Have a clear call to action.
What do you want your visitors to do?
a. Look at your page and say “ho-hum” and leave? No!
b. Sign up for your newsletter? Sure!
c. Call and schedule an appointment? Buy your product? Yes, even better!
Make it clear what you want visitors to do. Add a prompt or a call-to-action button on your home page. And make sure it entices. What is the benefit of them taking action? Spell it out:
Walk your first 5k in no time! Contact me…Gain the confidence you need to start your private practice! Contact me…Learn to cook a mouth-watering quiche in 30 minutes or less! Contact me…
3. Offer a freebie.
Cringe. You want me to just give my stuff away? Yes. At least consider it. People love a free gift; it draws them in. They feel special. Consider providing a brief, free, 15-minute consult. A free pint of sorbet. A free tips sheet.
I recently sat down with an accountant for a meet and greet (which he advertised on his website) to learn whether ongoing account management would be necessary for my business. He provided wonderful resources but we determined that with a little direction, I could manage this ship on my own right now. He didn’t charge me a drop for that meeting. But you know what? If and when I do decide I need an accountant, I’m knocking on his door. And if someone asks for a referral for an accountant, I’m sharing his name. Freebies pay off.
Business Coach Marjorie Geiser, MBA, RD, BCC of MEG Enterprises, Inc agrees. Margie believes creating a mailing list from your web leads is the most effective means by which you market. Therefore, “You MUST have a freebie on your site,” she shared. “In the marketing world, that’s known as your ‘lead magnet,’ because it leads the visitor to request your item, which then adds them to your mailing list.”
Avoid sending your web traffickers on a wild good chase. Tell them how to find you, why they should find you, and entice them to buy.
How are you using your site to sell sell sell?