Posted on: 31 May, 2017
Author: Susan Friesen
Do you get constant emails from "experts" who state they have reviewed your website and point out this flaw or this action that can make your site more visible to search engines? For the first question these "experts" have not looked at your website and are most likely international email farms that scour the web and contact "illegally" thousands of site owners daily. Have you done SEO yourself or have hired someone and have had no viable return on investment and little to no sales? Think about other options and do deligence in finding a true professional. It’s been said you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. This is certainly true when it comes to online marketing as well. While business owners are hungry to achieve 1st page Google rankings (and if they’re not, they should!), sometimes they are puzzled why greater traffic doesn’t lead to greater sales. After reading this article, you’ll find out what SEO is, what it isn’t, and how to harness the power of SEO to drive more sales for your business. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is online efforts designed to help your website get higher up in search engine rankings. Basically that means when your potential customers type keywords related to your business in search engines such as Google, your website comes up higher in the search results. Google (and other search engines) loves websites that are highly relevant for a given keyword phrase. So the key is to create valuable content that is optimized for a popular keyword phrase. Hiring an SEO firm knows how to capitalize on each of these areas and can help you to optimize your website, create new keyword-rich content and blog posts, and get ranked high in Google. SEO does not guarantee you will get more sales or lead conversions. Its sole purpose is to get people to come to your website only. However, driving traffic to your website with SEO is only half the battle. It’s also important to make sure your website is designed in a way that converts those leads into sales. When you have a website that has a solid conversion rate, it ensures the investment you make in SEO will result in a guaranteed boost in sales. How Do You Improve Website Conversion? This is where it really pays to hire a marketing firm to analyze your website. While a website designer may design a gorgeous website, only a marketer knows techniques to keep your visitors engaged, give them product information, and incent them to take action. Place an opt-in form prominently on every page of your website with a free offer so irresistible that visitors will be compelled to sign up. This gives you the opportunity to send an email follow-up messages that builds rapport, provides value, and drives sales. Present your options simply so a visitor can categorize themselves and select the right product/service that meets their needs. Having 3 or 4 graphics boxes on the home page that show your products and who they are for helps visitors to take the next step. First impressions are critically important. Within a few seconds people are judging if they trust you, if your option is what they need, and if your solution will solve their problem. You want to build credibility with testimonials, benefits-driven website copywriting, and professionally designed graphics. Add contact information on your website so customers can ask questions and overcome their objections. A FAQ page or a customer service chat feature helps customers instantly get answers to their most pressing questions. Not every visitor will buy right away. The potential customer might not need your product right away so you may have to prove value more before they feel comfortable in. They might not trust you yet so offer multiple options that help potential customers stay connected to you. This can include social media, consistent newsletters, and/ or a blog. Create an exit page that gives a special offer before they leave the site. You could also add an upsell in the shopping cart that gives them a complementary product for just a few dollars more. Email them a special introductory discount thanking them for being a new customer. A confused mind says “no” so keep your home page simple. Think of it as a funnel so that when your visitors come to your website, think of how you can easily lead them through the choices to buy. It’s best to remove any text, outgoing links, or information that distracts from the key actions you want a user to take. Create a flow chart of possible actions a prospect will take from the moment they land on your website until they buy. Have a planned series of marketing communications and offers that work together to nurture that lead into a sale. If you are among those frustrated business owners who feels they are doing all the right things to drive traffic but not getting the results you are looking for, look at your website conversion. Instead of blaming your SEO team, hire a marketing professional to review your website and turn those new leads into sales for your business. Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com Susan Friesen is the founder of eVision Media, a boutique web development and Digital Marketing firm of over 15 years that specializes in designing, building and marketing professional, unique websites for entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations. Visit www.ultimatewebsiteguide.ca and grab your FREE "Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Website's Profitability - 10 Critical Questions You Must Ask to Get Maximum Results".