Over the last several months I’ve covered a number of topics concerning online marketing in this 5-part series called Online Marketing in 5 Easy Steps.

In part 1 of the series, I discussed the importance of web presence and the essentials of planning, and building, a good business website. In part 2 of the series, I taught you all about the value of social proof, and gave you some insight into how to go about handling your social media marketing. In part 3, I talked about content marketing; what it’s all about and how to do it right. In part 4, I got to the “tough” part, the deceptively easy practice of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Now, in this 5^th and final part of the series I’m going to address conversions.

What do you do with all that traffic you have painstakingly attracted to your site?

How do you get those visitors to convert into customers once they have finally found you?

First, let me backtrack just a little bit.

From the beginning, you should have determined who your target market is. Your “buyer personas” are the people who are most likely to be your customers. You may have several different buyer personas, depending on your business. For example, if you are a resort on the Tanzanian coast, your buyer personas may range from the bride to be who is planning her honeymoon, to the executive who is arranging for a corporate getaway.

All of your messages, from those on your website and your social media campaigns or posts, to your content writing for your email blasts, your blog articles, press releases, and sales letters should speak directly to someone specific, according to the service or product you are trying to sell.

After all, selling – or converting prospects into customers- is what it’s all about.

So. You’ve targeted your market(s) and visitors have found their way to your website, or a landing page you have created. Next, you will want to guide your visitor to take an action by placing a lead form with a Call To Action (CTA).

Determine in advance what that action is. Are you just trying to get visitors to give you their contact information (convert to leads), or are you trying to get those visitors to convert to customers by completing a purchase? Do you have a number of “upsell” (profit maximizer) products or services? Regardless of your intent, the process is all pretty similar. The following is a good guideline:

1. Drive traffic to your landing page, or website, through your social media efforts, email campaigns, pay per click campaigns, and content marketing efforts.
2. Create a lead magnate. A lead magnet is an appealing inducement that will give something of value to your prospect in exchange for their contact information. By completing the lead magnate transaction, your prospect has essentially just become your customer.
3. Set a “trip wire”. A trip wire is a highly affordable offer that is nearly impossible to resist, and typically costs between $1 and $10. The objective is to solidify your relationship with your prospect from mere barter customer to purchase customer. Studies have shown that the conversion of a prospect to customer is almost a surefire way to establish a path that leads to profit maximization. A good example of a trip wire for a hospitality organization might be a local language translation guide or an area map of attractions, eateries, and bars.
4. Make your core offer. This is where your flagship service or product comes in. Time and time again it has been proven that it is much easier to sell a core product to a warm or hot lead, than to a cold one. By making your prospect into a 2-time customer, you have established a good relationship and you can be certain that they are a good prospect to buy more.
5. Maximize your profits by offering an upsell. For example, a resort might offer to create a package of tours and activities, or provide airport transfers with an accommodation booking. It may come as a surprise, but this is the stage of conversion where many business make the most profit; this stage and the next:
6. Return path. That’s right; your existing customers will be your best customers in the future if you continue to market to them in the right way and deliver on what you promise.

Author

Lynette Garet is a copywriter with over 20 years of experience and proficiency in traditional marketing, digital marketing, copywriting, editing, optimized content creation, SEO, project management, voice-over work, narration, scriptwriting, and production.

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