Too many small business owners still believe that just by creating a website, prospects will come and buy from it. But unfortunately, “build it and they will come” only works in Hollywood movies. In order to turn your website into a lead magnet, it’s not enough just to have an informative or well-designed one.
Turn Your Website Into a Lead Magnet
This week on the Small Business Radio Show, Beth Thouin, Vice President of Digital Marketing at Web.com discusses how to use your website as a key part of your marketing strategy. Since your site is equivalent to a retail location, she suggests thinking of the best marketing channels to attract customers to this place. Beth describes using distinct tactics in each part of the buying cycle which includes awareness, consideration, and repeat purchase. She emphasizes that “location is a discovery channel” – people are looking who do not need your product or service at that very moment. But regardless, they see you (awareness) and will think of your business when they need a solution you solve (consideration).
Rethink Your Use of Marketing Channels
Beth wants small business owners to think about marketing channels as roads. They all lead to your website at various stages of the buying cycle. For example, you can advertise on Facebook or Instagram to build brand awareness. You can also publish blog articles. They should come up on page one in organic searches that feature your company. And they position you as an expert at solving a customer’s problem. Directories and listings like Google My Business are where many customers find companies as well. Backlinks can also bring highly qualified traffic. Beth does not want small businesses to forget about physical things they can do to create awareness such as business cards, storefront window displays, shopping bags, and t-shirts.
Beth reveals that almost half of small businesses use a budget of less than $10,000 per year and roughly 20% of that budget is going social advertising and another 20% to websites. She says that “it doesn’t matter how much money you spend, what counts is how much you pay for every new customer acquired online compared to their lifetime value.” The cost to get a customer can easily be tracked through most advertising platforms which report on performance; they tell how much it costs to get a visitor to your website. Google Analytics, a free platform can also tell you which visitors from that advertising channel become paying customers.
Listen to the entire interview on the Small Business Radio Show.
Image: Depositphotos.com