As a salesperson or business owner, you know how crucial the internet is for business. But if you’re scratching your head about how to attract more people to your website and turn them into buyers, don’t worry. Although there’s no secret trick to make your site instantly irresistible to everyone, combining different lead-generating techniques and tools can help you connect with and keep potential customers.
Here’s a simpler guide to get you going with nine straightforward strategies:
1. Make your website easy to find
To get more people to visit your website, start by making your site easier to find on Google. This is called search engine optimization, or SEO for short. It helps your site show up when people search for what you offer, like gourmet cupcakes. If you don’t use words like “gourmet cupcakes” on your website, people looking for them won’t find you. Making these changes on your site can be tough, especially if lots of others sell the same thing. But it’s worth it because it’s a free way to get more visitors and sell more without paying for ads. If you want to attract customers without spending on ads, SEO is the way to go.
2. Get more people to take action on your site
Conversion Rate Optimization, or CRO, is all about making changes to your website to get more visitors to do something, like buy something or sign up. You test two different page designs to see which one works better.
Imagine you have an online store and 1 out of every 4 people buys something; your conversion rate is 25%. You want to make that number bigger, so you try out different looks and words on your site to see if more people will buy.
Even small changes, like a different picture or a new button text, can make a big difference. To get more sales or sign-ups, keep testing different parts of your website to see what works best. Keep improving and testing, and you’ll start getting more customers from your website.
3. Use online ads that target the right people
Advertising is a common way to get more business leads. Old-school ads in magazines or flyers aren’t as good anymore, and it’s hard to tell if they’re working. It’s better to use online ads that are super specific to who you want to reach.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads are a smart and money-saving way to find leads online. You can use them on Google, Bing, or Facebook. You pay every time someone clicks on your ad. The cost can be just a few cents or a lot of dollars, depending on what you’re trying to advertise.
PPC is great because you can make ads show up for very specific things. Say you’re selling a blue tractor with a mower; you can make an ad that shows up when someone searches for that. Even if you pay a bit for that click, if the person buys your tractor, it could be worth it.
PPC ads usually give you good value for what you spend. You can start or stop them anytime, change how much you spend, and see how they’re doing really easily. If an ad is doing well, you can pump more money into it quickly. You get to see the results and how many new potential customers you’re getting right away.
You could also buy ad space on websites or blogs, but it’s not as easy to see how well these ads do unless you do something special in your tracking tools.
Even so, advertising is still a solid way to make more people know about your brand and get leads online that are important for your business.
4. Make your website a joy to use
If your website looks great but is hard to use, it’s not going to do you much good. User Experience (UX) is all about how people feel when they use your website. Good UX means people enjoy using the site; they stay longer and interact more. Bad UX can make people leave fast and feel confused.
The way your website is set up for people to move around, called navigation, is super important for UX.
Here’s what your website’s navigation should be like:
- Really simple, with just a few menus and pages
- Clear words – use “shop” or “store” instead of fancy phrases
- Easy to find, like at the top or side of the page
- Organized, with similar pages put together
If someone visits your site and can’t find what they need quickly, they’ll probably go away. And if they want to buy something but can’t figure out how, you’ll lose a sale.
To check your website’s UX, pretend you’re a visitor.
Ask yourself: Is everything easy to find? Is the menu straightforward? If not, you should change things now. Or, if you’re not sure what to do, get some UX testing done to find the problems and learn how to fix them.
5. Share stuff that helps and interests people
Most people, like 9 out of 10, find it helpful when brands share content with them. To attract more customers online, think about offering content that teaches them something or solves a problem before they even buy anything. This kind of help can make people really loyal to your brand.
Content marketing can be a bunch of different things, like blog posts, cool infographics, or detailed guides. If it’s interesting and useful for your potential customers, content marketing can pull in more visitors to your site and keep them interested. Lots of brands are doing this and seeing good results by sharing stuff their audience cares about.
For instance, if you sell curtains and rods, you might not grab attention with just a blog on curtains. But if you talk about how to make a room look nicer with your curtains, people might love it. Running out of ideas? How about a fun infographic on curtain history or a story about famous curtains from old paintings or events?
A good trick to get new leads with content is to make something really cool and useful, like a big guide or a research report, and then make it so people have to fill out a form to get it. They’ll give you their email, and then you can start emailing them helpful stuff, or even just say thanks.
If they like what you’ve shared, they might reply to your email, and who knows, they might end up buying from you in the end.
6. Get social online
Different businesses use social media in different ways. While it might be hard for some to see how platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube can help get new customers, social media is actually really effective for that.
Before people buy something, they often check a company’s social media for what other customers say about the product. If you’re not on social media, potential customers can’t see this feedback, which might make them think twice about choosing you.
To get new customers using social media, you need to know which platforms are best for your business. Not every business needs to be on every social media network. For instance, if you sell software, being on Facebook and Twitter is important for getting customer opinions, chatting, and answering questions. But Pinterest or Instagram might not be useful for you.
However, if you’re selling delicious baked goods, Pinterest is perfect for sharing recipes and Instagram is great for showing off pictures of your treats. But Twitter might not be the best choice for engaging with your fans who want more than just a short tweet about your latest products.
By figuring out which social media platforms fit your business and then working on your profiles, you can start getting new leads and customers without spending much, if anything at all.
7. Teach something valuable through webinars
If you’re knowledgeable about a topic, consider hosting a webinar. These online events are a powerful way to attract new leads and boost sales. A webinar is an online workshop that’s often free, covering various subjects.
Remember, the webinar should be educational, not just a sales pitch. For instance, if you run a toy store, a webinar on toy safety could showcase your expertise and unique products, encouraging participants to visit your website afterward.
After the webinar, have a Q&A, provide contact information, and follow up with a thank-you email. This can prompt attendees to engage with your site later.
8. Keep in touch with emails
Email marketing turns interest into sales. It’s affordable and can be tailored to send the right message at the right time. If someone subscribes to your emails, they’re interested. Begin with informative emails and gradually share more details and benefits of your products. As decision time approaches, offer a contact option. Timed right, these emails can turn leads into customers.
9. Reach out directly
Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands and look for potential leads yourself. If you stumble upon someone online who could use your product, have a plan for how to reach out. Just make sure not to spam people — that’s not cool and can turn them off your brand.
With these strategies, you should be able to start attracting more visitors to your website and converting them into leads and customers. Just remember, it’s about building relationships, not just chasing quick sales.
If you want to learn more about our innovative marketing strategies and how we use market insights to drive your business, contact our team at Floodmaker.