It’s great to have traffic to your website, yes? But have you ever wondered “who” exactly is visiting? Do you wonder if your website is going to resonate with the people you have identified as your ideal clients/customers? Will it influence them to hire you, or buy your products?
Assuming you have figured out who you want to attract to your website (you’ve done the work and defined a very specific niche whose problem you can solve best, and for whom you do your best work–because you love, LOVE, working with this type of client/customer), you can make sure that it will. If you haven’t figured this out, you will want to consider making it priority because it is the difference between running a profitable business or not. An expert expert like Tami Smith of Targeted Traffic Strategies can help you figure this out, so don’t hesitate to reach out to her if you think this is an area you need to define. Before you can make sure your website attracts the right people, you need to figure out who they are, so make sure you do not do yourself and the future of your business a disservice by skipping this step.
Once you know–really “get”–who you want to attract, the first question is how to attract them to your website. The second is how to make sure they know they are in the right place once they arrive.
The Right Content
Does this seem obvious? It’s not. You have to think like your perfect, ideal client thinks. What will he or she search for online when they need you–your product or service? Does your website speak to this clearly and concisely? Is every page containing relevant content optimized as it relates to your products and services–the value that you provide for your clients? You can learn how to optimize the pages of your website on your own–ping me for a list of diy resources–or tap into an expert like Tami Smith mentioned above to help you with this process.
The key is to make sure that you are speaking to them–in their language–and not at them. They want to know what you are going to do to solve their problem. They do not care about how great you are (yet). First and foremost answer this question: What will you do to solve your ideal client/customer’s problem? You can back it up with your wonderful credentials, reviews, testimonials, but this is for your About page and should not be the centerpiece of your message. Since it can’t be overstated, I’ll ask again: What will you do to solve your ideal client/customer’s problem?
The Right Appearance
If you had an office and were taking clients in for appointments, how would it need to look in order for them to feel relaxed and comfortable? Your website is no different. It is your base of operations online and the way it looks and feels matters to your visitor. In fact, it matters so much that it will influence their decision (in under four seconds) as to whether or not you are credible.
Your website visitors are not going to hop over to your about page and read your impressive bio or cv and think, “Well… they don’t know much about presentation, but they sure have a lot of great credentials…I think I’ll work with them even though they made a bad first impression on me…” It’s just not going to happen. Well…unless you are in an industry where scarcity rules and you are the only one out there who can service your market. If not, they will find someone else in one click. Harsh?
Ask Yourself if you rather do business at Kmart or Target? Why? Think it over and believe me when I tell you that your brand image matters. The way you present yourself and your message matters–a LOT. Think about how much money you are leaving on the table if your website does not have the right look and feel for your clients and customers.
Who do you want to attract and how you want them to interact with you once they’ve found you will deeply inform the appearance of your website. Are you selling to a large base of people who want what you have to offer at a low price point (Kias)? Or are you selling an exclusive product or service at a high price point (Cadillacs)?
If you are unsure about your brand (“Gosh…what is the right appearance for my ideal client/customer anyway?”), and serious about your business (business is for gladiators…so I’m assuming you are serious), you need to contact an expert like Maria Ross of Red Slice for a Slice Session or BootCamp Workshop. In one day, she’ll help you get your brand and messaging on the right track–and your business, and future clients will thank you for it. Actually, you’ll thank her because you’ll be taking your business to the next level by making sure your website has the right appearance and messaging for your perfect client/customer. Now they will know they are in the right place when they land on your website, and be able to get the help they are looking for–the solution that you can provide for them better than anyone else in your niche!
The Right Inbound Strategy
Where do your ideal clients and customers hang out online? This is where you need to be; sharing your content, advertising your solution (not your product or service…your solution), establishing yourself as an industry expert, meeting people (online networking), etc. Link back to your website (to a page that contains relevant content if you can) every time. A big part–especially in the beginning–of making sure your people will find you online is getting out there and in front of them. Some places to get out there online might include:
- Facebook (your page, groups where your ideal clients hang out)
- LinkedIn Groups
- YouTube
- Google+
- Online Networking Groups
- Relevant Websites and Blogs (make comments (contribute value), become a contributor, guest blog)
- Your Blog
- Your Email Newsletter
- Paid Advertising if it Makes Sense
All of these places (and places like them) will help you stay consistently in front of the people who need to find you. The more links you have going back to related content on your website, the more Google will determine your relevance and enable your website to be more easily found in organic search for related search terms. Your social media profiles establish not only important back-links to your website, but also enable you to begin building community around your brand–all important for your overall online visibility.
At the foundation of your online presence you have the excellence of your product or service. You have taken the time to build a business that will serve your ideal client and customer in the best possible way. They deserve to find you and you deserve to be found.
With the right content, you build on that solid foundation with website content that speaks specifically to your ideal client/customer and communicates to them (in their language) how you will solve their problem. You make sure they know they have landed in the right place and that you understand them like no-one else because you have taken the time to make sure your website has the right appearance. And finally, with the right inbound strategy, you make sure you are getting in front them by spreading your content across the online places you know they will be likely to congregate, making your solution visible to them and providing links back to related content at every stop.
You will begin to be found more and more by your perfect, ideal clients and customers who need what you can provide for them better than anyone else. Your business will thrive, and your customers will refer their friends and colleagues to you, and participate in your social media communities–generating even more inbound traffic to your website. You will attract the exact right people to your website, they will be happy to buy your products and/or services, and you will get to watch your business grow.
What Do You Think?
If you have questions or comments to add about attracting the right people to your website, feel free to reach out to me below in the comments.
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