If you want to try using the Internet to promote your business and build a clientele. Creating a website is a logical first step.
You obviously want to give your prospects incentive to buy from you, so you'll probably include things on your site like a refer-a-friend promotion, a first time customer coupon or anything else you can think of that will get people to ring your phone or come through the door.
These are all good practices, but if you stop there you will miss your opportunity to reach the largest percentage of people who visit your website.
Most people who visit your website don't want to buy anything from you… at least not yet. Eventually they may, but right now they haven't reached that part of their Buyer's Journey.
The Buyer's Journey is the path that everyone goes through when they make any kind of purchase. Whether it's an impulse buy at the supermarket checkout or a big ticket purchase like a home or a car. We all do it.
Solve Problems. Make Money
As you develop your internet marketing strategy, always remember that you are in the relationship business. What you provide isn't unique. The only consistent way to stand out and attract the prospects that will become first time customers and then repeat clients is by building a relationship. The fastest way to do that is to help them solve a specific problem they're dealing with.
“Sharing Knowledge” is Power
I know the expression is actually “Knowledge is Power” but in the game we're playing sharing knowledge is where the true power lies.
Let's do a quick thought experiment. Think about a popular service you provide and a specific problem this service solves. Now put yourself in the shoes of a prospect who has that specific problem and is actively searching the internet for a way to solve it.
The problem is real and your prospect wants it to go away. So we know that they are going to spend money at some point in the future. Just as soon as they find out where and on what.
- What information could you put on your website that would help them understand everything they need to know to make their problem go away?
- What type of advice could you provide on your site to help them avoid common buying mistakes?
- What if none of your competitors provided these expert insights and you did?
Related: Rule #2: Don’t Be a Commodity
