Imagine what your business would be like if all of your prospects walked into your business ‘pre-sold.’ What? No selling? Your website is one tool that can help you do just that. Unfortunately very few websites accomplish that goal.
An effective website should use these secret strategies to help increase your sales.
Secret # 1
Prospects visit your website for one main reason – to get information they can use to make their buying decision. That’s why the first secret is to give away free, relevant and helpful information.
Well, not totally for free. Offer visitors interesting special reports or an e-mail course in exchange for their e-mail address. These special reports will not only educate your prospect, but also endear them to you because you are trying to help them make an educated buying decision.
Special Report titles such as “12 Critical Questions You Must Ask Before You Select a Financial Planner,” will attract the attention you want because visitors are curious to know what those 12 critical questions are. Offering special reports like this will help improve your chances of sign ups. Once you have their e-mail address you will be able to send your marketing message to them again and again at no cost.
Secret # 2
Consumers like to buy; they just don’t like to be sold. Why not let your current customers do they selling for you using testimonials. Remember, testimonials are not ads; they are third party endorsements, which lend credibility to your claims, and makes the buying and selling process easier. That’s the power of good testimonials.
While many websites use testimonials, most make the mistake of placing them all on one page titled, “Testimonials.” That is underutilizing an extremely powerful tool at your disposal. Instead, sprinkle your testimonials all over you site including your home page, guarantee section, in the products and services area, etc. Using them as headlines can very effective in capturing attention.
Secret # 3
Create an “About Us” page. In the final analysis, people don’t buy from companies, they buy from people. Becoming a “real person” on your “about us” page, humanizes you and your website. Tell your visitors about how your business began, how it has grown from a 2-person office to over 150 people in just 5 years by providing excellent customer service. In many cases, the “about us” section is one of the most visited pages on your site. Make it work hard for you.
Secret # 4
Add an audio message to important areas of your website. Hearing the owner’s voice reviewing your no-risk money back guarantee or how he/she is available to answer questions, will help build trust and rapport with your visitors. Audio programs are very inexpensive and easy to use and install even for novices.
Secret # 5
Your website should clearly explain how your company is different from the competition. Old phrases such as “service with a smile” or “satisfaction guaranteed” don’t impress anyone, anymore. You not only need to make your unique competitive advantage clear and concise, but it needs to “wow” them. “30-day money back guarantee and we pay shipping” is certainly more powerful than “satisfaction guaranteed.”
David Carleton is a San Diego Local Business Marketing Consultant who specializes in showing small business owners how to spend less and get more from their marketing and advertising using low cost strategies in local business marketing, lead generation and conversion, Internet marketing and social media. To download a copy of the free report, “7 Steps to Website Success”, go to http://LocalBusinessMarketingSuccess.com
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