According to the Marketing Leadership Council, 57% of decision makers have gotten their information online before they ever speak with a salesperson.
This is true if you have a team of sales people and sell complex software products or if you’re a solopreneur who handles the selling, the marketing and the fulfillment.
Your web content can sell for you.
IF, you lay the right groundwork for targeted traffic.
Many businesses jump right into the new website, social media marketing, content marketing, fill in the blank marketing tactic without thinking about the specifics.
Instead of thinking how will we make sure this snazzy new website results in an increase in targeted traffic and sales, you jump right into a beautiful new site without thinking through the content.
Here’s what I see happening with many of my clients.
Does This Sound Familiar?
1-There’s no good keyword strategy. You brainstormed a bunch of generic terms like “overwhelm” when you’re in business coaching or “marketing” when you’re selling marketing automation solutions. This leaves you chasing broad terms that pit you against Amazon and other big fish. You can read this post on keywords if you want more info.
2–Is your copy focused on how you help your prospect and answers their questions or is it too focused on how wonderful you are? Ideally, your copy tells the story of the problems you solve and answers your prospects questions.
3-Does your site have enough content? This is a biggie. Of course, I also see the ones that have 1500 words in a big block of text. Think about the layout and try to answer the questions in your prospect’s mind.
Why Web Writing Matters
There’s a trend for businesses to use few words on web pages and replace the copy with a video or pictures. It’s true that we’re moving to a more visual web but search still relies on words.
Search engines aren’t able to read pictures or watch videos (yet). But they can read words. And it’s words that people type into search boxes to find the solutions to their problems.
Here are a few common other elements I often find missing.
1) Web content is missing key SEO elements
2) Web content has no call to action – invite people to take the next step to work with you.
3) No newsletter sign up box – email marketing still works. In fact, Forrester Research says, companies will spend $1.2 billion on email marketing in 2014. They predict that will skyrocket to more than $5 million over the next 5 years.
Here’s an example of a successful marketing strategy using blogging + smart email marketing.
Blogging + Smart Email Marketing
Let’s say you sell “blue widgets”. Your prospect Googles “Best Blue Widgets” and up pops your site because you wrote a blog post entitled “best blue widgets”. That’s a little basic SEO bringing you targeted traffic.
You also offer a downloadable guide entitled, “5 Elements of the Best Blue Widgets” which your prospect can sign up to receive.
Your prospect reads your post, signs up for your guide and now you have their address in your email system.
Next you send educational emails about blue widgets on a regular basis. How to use them, how to troubleshoot them, etc. You invite your readers to follow you on FB, Twitter or other social media channels and they do. You offer a webinar and they sign up.
All along the way, you’re feeding them bits of useful content and developing trust.
How do you know it’s working?
Because of your email marketing program. You’re able to track them and know which emails they’ve opened, which links they’ve clicked. When it’s time to send a “ready to buy” email or schedule a call.
By the time you reach out, all you need to do is answer a few questions and ensure you’re the right solution.
Sound good? Of course it does. It takes a bit of prep upfront but once it’s set up, you can check it on it and tweak as needed. Soon, you’ll improve your targeted traffic and your conversion rate.
Are you ready for your website to bring you more visitors and make you more money?
