Wednesday, July 4, 2007

So you think your need traffic? Think again!

Are you ready for visitors? Maybe not!

I have a project request form that I have potential clients fill out when contacting me for possible services. It asks various things, and provides me with an overall idea of where they stand now and where they hope to go, 60% of the time their main concerns is attracting visitors to their website. I have found in getting these requests that many times these companies are not even close to having a website that converts their visitors into paying customers or clients. Quite the contrary – their website is just an online brochure without any legs (and sometime not a very good brochure at that).

An online brochure may have been all that was needed in the past, not anymore. You will not even see a fraction of the success you could have if you were to put all the proper pieces in place. *Note: It is better to have an online brochure than nothing at all.

Businesses need to have a website. If you have this type of website it should be upgraded as soon as you can afford it. You can have a million visitors a day and if your website has nothing of interest you will not benefit from traffic to your website. Worse yet if your website turns them off by, looking unprofessional – tacky – or not targeted to your individual target market guess what? They will go somewhere else.

It doesn't matter how great your service is, or what you know. It really doesn't even matter how great your product is– you will not get the business. They will not stick around long enough to find out.

One thing that is very important to understand, businesses and individuals alike go online to actively research products and services, before they decide who they will do business with. Visitors really need to believe in your ability to deliver. They need to know you are not just a bunch of hype. If you are selling goods or services, they want to know you are credible, and they are getting what they pay for.

It is a fact a visitor who goes to a website will go to that website several times before making a purchase or inquiring about a service. This being the case – what do you have that will bring guests back? How will you keep your business in front of these potential customers/clients? They are visiting your site, they are obviously interested in what you have to say or sell. They are just not ready to make a commitment yet.

Having worked and developed websites for years, I understand that businesses are different, and you may not need a lot of bells and whistles. You do, however need a website that stands out from your competition. So what do you do?

Offer more to your visitor – great information, a free report, fantastic resources. Have them sign up before you disperse the information. You definitely want to collect the name and emails of people who are interested in your product or service. Using an auto responder will make this task so much easier. Do not have them fill out more than just a name and an e-mail. I personally hate long forms, unless I am ready to purchase the goods and services. Using an online Auto Responder will add names and emails to an online database. This allows you to stay in touch with people who are interested in your business.

They may not be buying your services today but may need them tomorrow. A database is gold and if you use an auto responder to collect emails – to keep in touch with your potential clients and visitors you will be amazed at how your business will explode. One word of caution, make sure you have a privacy policy.

Do not under any circumstances provide or sell your list to anyone.

The bottom line - – get your website in the best shape possible – put marketing pieces in place. Get your SEO (search engine optimization) tweaked and then start submitting to search engines and utilizing other online marketing strategies.

I have an e-book that will give you many ideas on how to get a stream of visitors to you website. I am offering it for free, go to http://artistadesign.com - you will get immediate access. If you need help in constructing a plan for your online success, consulting – as well as hands on work, send me an email. A lot of business owners just don't have the time or expertise to do this on their own. That is why they hire me – I break it down into phases, and we do what is required to reach your goals. To Your Success!

Pamela Jacob - Artista Design

Providing Creative Solutions & Amazing Results

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