5 Things You Want First Time Visitors to do at Your Website
There are several ways to make money online. You can be an affiliate marketer, network marketer, sell a product, or provide a service. In each case you need to have a website in order for people to see what you have to offer and get to know who you are. Once you have the website, though, then what?
Or more to the point… what do you want visitors to do while at your website? And to take that one step further; first time visitors.
Have you ever asked yourself that question? Do you know what you want first time visitors to do while at your site? This isn’t a question for newbie marketers either. It’s something that I continue to ask myself even after years of internet marketing.
This holds even more weight to it if you’re into affiliate marketing where your income is based upon commissions. The actions that a visitor will take, or doesn’t take, at your website, or landing page, will have significant impact on your income.
A web page, no matter what it is, should always have what is called a call to action. You want the person visiting to do something else to keep them on your site longer. The longer they are at your website the higher your chances are for earning a sale.
Five Things You Want First Time Visitors To Do
A website if your storefront. Think of it as a digital, maybe even virtual, marketplace. The webpage, or landing page, you decide to send traffic to is the place where they get to hang out, look around, and get a feel for the atmosphere of your store. You don’t want them to just walk out two minutes after they walk in. Here’s a few things you should be including on your webpage to keep the visitor engaged and doing something that will help them take the next step.
You want them to be drawn into the website by the copy While this isn’t a “physical” thing it is something you want to happen. I wrote a few solo email ads for a client a couple weeks ago. In looking at his landing page I told him I wouldn’t recommend sending traffic to what was there now. There was one video, which was ok, but nothing else. It was boring and dull. No excitement whatsoever.
After that, we talked, and worked on it and it is now a lot better and his conversions are much higher. All because the copy on the site helps people be drawn into the other parts of the site.
You want them to watch something. Online video is big. It’s popping up everywhere. Landing pages are quickly becoming video hotspots. There is a reason for this. The conversion rates are much higher when video is used.
When you use a video to show a testimonial, demonstrate a product, or provide information you are giving the visitor an almost “real life” experience. No longer are they just visiting a website. But, they are now seeing something happen. You want them to have that feeling. You want them to watch a video.
You want them to sign up for something. A major goal for your landing page, especially for your advertising campaign, is to grow a strong, vibrant mailing list. This is where you can stay in contact with the people who visited your website without actually advertising to them again. You have several more opportunities to turn them into a customer. Have a free report, ebook, special video package, conference call… anything as long as they sign up for it.
You want them to click to the sales page. As a result of the combination of your compelling copy and video you then want the visitor to click on thru to the other side. This could be either your own sales letter for your own product or the merchant site. The point is you want them to go there.
You want them to interact with you. Here’s the kicker. Most landing pages have the video, have a sign up form, and have a way for the visitor to click to another page. Very little have a way for real interaction between the visitor and the web owner.
Some people will try to do this with a form to fill out to ask a question or request a phone call. That’s ok but it isn’t immediate. What your webpage needs is something that is immediate. A way for visitors to contact you now and even talk with you for a few minutes.
There are several ways this can be done. Most of us online are already signed up for the IM tools out there. Put your screenname on the page and be available to talk. Skype is a great tool for this as you are provided a button to put on your site so people can see if you’re available or not.
The key is to be able to talk with people as they are at your webpage. This way you can speak to them and help them with their decision. A very powerful took that is very under used.
Keeping people active means more conversions
Affiliate marketing, or even running an online business, is made much easier if we remember that people at our webpages need something to do or they will go elsewhere. What can you use from this list to help people stay active on your page? What can you add to it?
