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Is Your Web Site Marketing Killing Sales?

Charlie Cook

May 02, 2007

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Everyone wants their web site to make a fortune but most never will.

Why?

Most sites kill potential sales before they have a chance.

Marilyn is a psychologist who called to find out how to increase the 'sales' from her web site. She's determined to use her web site to build a tele-consulting business so she can give up the commute from New Jersey to her Manhattan office.

She had a professional-looking web site that was getting a good number of visitors, but very few of them were calling her, much less signing up for her services.

Why not? Why weren't prospects visiting her web site and then immediately picking up the phone? And what could she do about it?

Website marketing is about attracting attention; moving people to become prospects, to try your products and services and to sign up for your top end services or buy everything you sell. For many it can seem complex and overwhelming but it's simply a matter of helping people move from point A to point B to point C.

Every web site and business owner wants their prospects to become high paying clients, but most web sites don't provide prospects with pathways to follow from point A to B and to C, to become mid-level or super clients.

Let me explain...

Imagine that you're opening a new restaurant in a three-story building. The first floor is the lobby or waiting area. Moving up to the second floor, customers can order individual items from your menu a la carte; the prices range from $5 to $19. Customers who move up to the third floor can enjoy a spectacular view and a 4 course, fixed price dinner served with wine for $70.

You're ready to open the doors and start making money. There's just one problem. The architect for your building didn't include any staircases or elevators. People can't move from one floor to the next.

Of course, no one would build a restaurant like that but in fact, that is how many online and consulting business are structured. One of the biggest marketing mistakes people make is not providing prospects with options for moving from point A to B to C. In many cases the pathways don't exist or the doors to the stairs aren't obvious.

Ready for your web site marketing to generate more paying customers and or super clients?

Want to make it easy for prospects to become super clients? Marketing pundits will tell you that to get prospects to buy your top end services, you first need to get them to buy your $29 product, then your $200 product, and then these customers will be ready to spend thousands.  

It's true you need to create simple and obvious pathways for prospects to follow to become clients, but don't take this linear pathway idea too literally. While some customers will follow it, others won't. Give your prospects multiple ways to try out your products and services.  

Structure your web site marketing pathways with the following in mind:

1. Your first marketing goal is to get people in the door so they can get to know you. The best way to do that is to give something away for free. Offer prospects something they want. If you are opening a restaurant, free beer or wine would be a start. Online, free reports, online courses, or audio and video files can be successful offers. Or if you sell products, contests, and special offers work.

2. Once you've got a prospect interested, the temptation is to try to make a sale right away. Don't. Take a deep breath and count to three. Rushing the sale can kill it. Your prospects will become paying clients when they know you, trust you and are sure you can help them.

You've gotten their attention with your free offer. Now educate them about the core areas where you can provide assistance. Give prospects a sample of your best goods. Finally, explain the solutions you offer in terms of their problems and how you solve them.

3. Your freebies will attract three basic types of prospects: people who like freebies and aren't buyers; people who have limited budgets but will buy your entry and mid-level products; and people who have unlimited funds and may buy one of your entry-level products or may jump right to your top end services.

4. You'll make the most money from people who buy everything you sell or who spend tens of thousands of dollars on our services, so how can you get more people to become these super clients?

Every web site and business owner wants their prospects to become high paying clients. The more you give away, the more prospects will move from testing your free stuff to immediately becoming your best clients.

Imagine if instead of just offering free peanuts in the lobby of your restaurant, you offered a sampling of the best appetizers served on the top floor along with wine to match. More people would be likely to become high-end spenders on their first visit, assuming your building has stairs or a high-speed elevator. Yes, your freebie will cost you more but you'll make a lot more if you can motivate prospects to spend two to three times more.

Does your web site marketing provide paths for prospects to become super clients? Take a minute to answer these questions:

1. What do you do to attract prospects, e.g. to get them in the door?

2. If you sell pricey products or services, do you have a low-cost way for people to get hooked on buying from you?

3. What pathways do you provide to move first-time customers to become second time customers and spend more?

4. Do you provide enough for free to entice some prospects to immediately become super clients?

Ready to make your web site marketing sell and get all the super clients you can handle? Use these 4 simple steps to market your web site and get your prospects in the door so they can become loyal clients.

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