What people buy is pretty random. How they buy it is not. Since you're in business to sell stuff, let's take a look at that process.
We'll begin this conversation by stating the obvious. Your website isn't like Facebook or YouTube. People don't come to your site to browse around and kill time.
If someone lands on your website, they've got a problem and they're looking for a solution.
Your job is to give them the solution they're looking for.
I know that sounds pretty obvious but websites mess this up every day.
Most websites are focused on selling to people who are ready to buy. Unfortunately, that's only about 20% of your website visitors.
What about the people who don't know what they need or aren't ready to buy?
Here's an example. Two people go to Google. One types in “Vera Wang wedding dress Boston.” The other types “top 10 honeymoon secrets”. That first person is showing an intent to buy something soon. The second person may be doing research for a future purchase.
The typical wedding store website will have lots of info for the first person. They'll have nothing for the second.
These people are at different places in the buyer's journey. You need a mix of content that provides value for each of them.
Graphic courtesy of the Hubspot Blog.
Base Your Messages on Where Your Prospects Are in Their Journey.
The awareness stage is information heavy. You've got a blog on your website. Use it! You can also publish on websites like Tumblr or SlideShare.
When people have a problem or question to solve, their first stop is usually the internet. This is a pretty big opportunity. Be the one that provides the quality informationthat they need.
You know your industry so you know what questions your prospects are going to ask. More importantly, you know what questions they should ask.
Provide quality content. In most cases, what you provide will be the best, most informative information available. That makes your content incredibly valuable. It also helps establish you as an authority.
In the consideration stage, prospects have the solution thing figured out. Now, they're looking for someone to provide that solution.
For the folks in this stage, you'll create articles that touch on what to look for in a service provider. Once again you're helping prospects and establishing your brand as a trusted resource. It also helps prospects and leads see you as their best option.
Send the Right Message at the Right Time
Retargeting is the best tool for keeping your brand in front of web surfers. With it, prospects get the marketing message that's right for them.
Let's say that you have a shopping cart on your site. Sometimes people leave the site without completing a purchase. This is an opportunity to send a “10% off if you buy now” coupon to get them to complete the sale.
For someone in the consideration stage you could send out an alert whenever you publish a new blog post. They'd be pretty interested in an article such as “The top 10 Reasons to Buy a Vehicle's Extended Warranty” if that is something that you sell. Tailor your message according to their journey and where they are in your sales funnel.
Not One and Done
Creating content that's tailored to your prospects isn't a one time activity. It should be a regular and continuing part of your content marketing activities.
Be consistent and don't skimp on the quality. Over time, this creates a snowball effect for increased visibility and authority.
Overcoming Obstacles
Knowing what your prospects need to know may not be as challenging as getting those ideas crafted into articles. In that case, get someone else to write for you.
One of the most popular sources for freelancers writers on the internet is Fiverr.com. There are tons of workers who can help you move your project along. They can take you ideas and craft them into an article. They can take your ideas and combine them with their own research for an even more in depth article. The end result will be a piece of content that will work hard for you long into the future.
Related: Rule #5: Be Where They're Looking
Back to: Conversion
