The Planning Phase is the most important phase in building an online sales funnel, and it is often the most overlooked. I'll give you an overview of the strategies and tactics that will set the foundation for all of your online marketing efforts.
Beware! This section is going to seem a bit odd at first. Why? Because most web design firms and marketing agencies are missing many of these elements. But if it's missing, how do I know it works?
Many of the top online marketers are using these strategies and tactics to generate millions dollars in revenue in the following niches:
Weight loss. Business opportunities. Personal development. Dating/Relationships.
In my consulting practice, I have used these strategies and tactics to create millions of dollars in sales. And you should try it!
Understand Why We Build Websites
Most people build websites that I characterize as brochure sites. They talk about their products, services, and about themselves. And guess what? Brochure websites don't pay my bills, so I don't recommend them to my clients.
Effective websites are built for customers and tell your customers, What you have for your customers in it?"
Action Step: Write down who your website is targeted for and what's in it for them.
Automation & Outsourcing
Why is automation and outsourcing critical for online lead gen? Automation and outsourcing eliminates follow-up failure, the major pitfall of small business lead gen.
In section 3, Traffic, I discuss how content creation is critical to drive both SEO and social media traffic. I always recommend that my clients either hire a copywriter or freelance copywriter for their blog articles. Despite my recommendation, most of my clients decide to produce their own blog copy of which 95% of them, fail to write effectively.
Action Step: Take a piece of paper and brainstorm weaknesses and areas where you are understaffed that can be automated and outsourced... so you can eliminate follow-up failure!
Define Your Conversion
In setting up a website for e-commerce, your conversion goal is always a sale. Everything on your website should lead the prospective customer to your conversion goal.
Action Step: Define your conversion goal.
The Importance of List Building List building is the single most important part of e-commerce. Having a list allows us to maximize repeat sales with the same customer, thus increasing the lifetime value of the customer.
The easiest way to build a list is with an ESP (email service provider). There are many to choose from, so refer to the resources section for specific recommendations. Action Step: Select an email service provider.
Create Your Avatar
In order for you to understand your ideal customer, you must create an avatar. An avatar is a representation of your ideal customer. The avatar will include the following elements:
Gender. Age. Income. Likes and dislikes. Job. Pain. Fears and frustration Goals and dreams. How does your product/service eliminate pain or provide future benefit.
Your avatar will become the lens in which your review all of your marketing efforts. If it doesn't work for your avatar, it doesn't belong.
Action Step: Map out your avatar.
Determine Your Color Scheme
"Colors have deep subliminal meanings that affect our thinking and rational. Usually colors have different symbolic meanings that vary according to the culture and countries. So, keep in mind that the color planning is also every important for your business.
In short, you want to match the color of your site with the solution that your avatar is looking for. For example, if your customer is looking for stability and trust, then blue is a good color. Green is often associated with health. While red is associated with strength, vitality and sex.
Action Step: Determine your color scheme.
Map Out Your Mental Triggers
Direct marketers, like Joseph Sugarman (who wrote the above text); were the first to discover that mental triggers could increase conversion rates. Some of my favorite triggers that need to be woven into your lead generation copy include:
Stories. Events. Community. Social proof. Scarcity. Authority. Common enemy. Proof. Reciprocity. Specificity.
Action Step: Brainstorm which mental triggers would be relevant to your avatar.
Map 0ut Your Offer
Your prospects will not give you their information just because you want it! You need to offer them something.
Ask yourself the following questions:
1. What are you going to give them? A free report, a whitepaper, or a webinar? 2. How are they going to get it? 3. Are you going to offer a front-end bonus or surprise bonuses? 4. Guarantee. 5. Terms and price.
On a side note, make sure that you include a privacy statement with your offer, as people are always concerned about their private information.
Action Step: Get your team together and map out your offer.
Decoy Pricing
Decoys are price points that a business doesn't really want you to take. It is a great way to move people to a higher price point.
Economist Dan Arely, author of "Predictably Irrational" gives the following example of a decoy pricing model from the Economist:
Action Step: Determine whether decoy pricing would be good for your offer.
Good, Better, Best Pricing
Another pricing model you should be aware of is "Good, Better, Best" pricing. An example of this pricing model is shown above.
There are many recent studies about the buying habits of consumer show that the majority of customers will choose the middle-priced option.
Always offer three choices. Studies, according to Bryant, show that when two choices were offered, 50% of customers chose the lower-priced option. When three choices were offered, 57% chose the middle option. Customers always look for the choices.
0 comments:
Post a Comment