Are you pondering how to attract customers to your website? I came across a blog from Hubspot that compares customer attraction to dating. The suitor (your business) is super keen to start a relationship. The customer is also looking for a productive relationship but can afford to be more choosy about who is in their dating pool. Before they commit to a relationship (by becoming a customer) they want to be wooed and impressed first before considering going on a date and building a relationship.
Think about the classic dating pathway. It usually happens in stages with the first being actually finding/meeting each other. The next stage is to get to know each other a bit to see if you get on, like each other, and have things in common. If that goes well you start seeing each other regularly and make a commitment.
Exactly the same applies to attracting customers to your website – you need to help your customers to find your website in the first place. Once found, they may not be ready to buy straight away – especially if they have other suitors to choose from. They’ll browse around to see if they like the look of your business and how it compares to other suitors. They’ll also be judging how you treat them and the experience they have on your website:
- Can they easily find the information they were looking for?
- Does your business potentially solve their problems and/or cater to their needs?
- Are they offered a gift such as a freebie or a price discount?
- Can they give their contact details so that your business can stay in touch?
I love this analogy! If we imagine our website as a suitor trying to attract some love, then it makes sense that some kind of effort is required. It’s not like the adverts where a fella can spray on some body spray, then all the ladies come swooning! However, the customer is still actively searching for what they want and need and are ready to swoon if they find it! Businesses can tap into this need and use it to their advantage. In marketing speak, this is known as an inbound marketing strategy.
What is Inbound Marketing?
“Inbound marketing is a business methodology that attracts customers by creating valuable content and experiences tailored to them. While outbound marketing interrupts your audience with content they don’t always want, inbound marketing forms connections they are looking for and solves problems they already have.” (Quote from Hubspot )
Basically, inbound marketing can happen on any channel that your business has control over like social media profiles, YouTube channel and your website/blog. Creating content such as blogs and videos, that ‘speaks’ to customers, helps your website to rank well for targeted searches, plus encourages clickthrough as it’s exactly what the visitor was looking for. This type of content is called evergreen – it sits on your website and picks up regular and consistent visits and clicks over months and years.
Not only that but the content your business provides helps to build the relationship. Customers may not buy immediately but are prepared to be wooed when they sign up for one of your lovely freebies. Not only do they learn more about your business but they’ve given you their phone number (well probably an email address in this case, but you catch my drift) so that you can contact them again.
This differs from outbound marketing (sometimes called interruption marketing), which is the traditional way of promoting a business. Advertising, cold calling or email marketing all rely on broadcasting a message out into the world and hoping that people stop and notice it. The message pushes out to everyone indiscriminately whether they’re interested or not. The ad, call or email interrupts what the recipients are doing and targets them when they’re not actively looking for products like yours. They may recall your brand when it’s time to buy but it’s a gamble.
Whereas with inbound marketing, potential new customers are actively looking for an attractive suitor. They want a partner that:
- Supplies exactly what they are looking to purchase
- Helps to answer questions and solve problems
- Understands them – knows what makes them tick and how to make them feel good.
As you can see, inbound marketing strategies talk to people that are ready to be engaged. They want to meet you, get to know you and see what you have to offer!
Seduce Customers with Targeted Content!
This is why SEO consultants and digital marketers recommend creating lots of lovely blog content and giving away useful freebies. SEO-friendly blog content helps visitors to find your website in the first place and then it tempts them to click through. Content attracts customers and also gives them a way to get to know your business before committing. We rarely buy from a business we’ve just found, so content helps to provide introductions and start the ‘getting to know you’ process underway.
If the customer isn’t ready to commit immediately, they may sign up for your freebie or follow one of your social media channels. So, if you are not using any inbound marketing techniques consider doing so. It could be exactly what’s needed to woo and attract customers to your small business website.
How Ranking Organically Attracts Customers
There are many different marketing strategies to promote your website but one of the most effective ways to increase website traffic is for it to be ranked on page 1 of the Google SERPS (search engine results pages). Getting found on Google is a tried and tested way to attract customers to your website and get them to take action once there. Why?
- More views, more clicks: The top 3 search results get 54.4% of clicks, with the number 1 result getting 27.6% of clicks. Only 0.63% of searcher click through to a result on the 2nd page. (Stats from Baclinko study). Practically, it’s a numbers game, and ranking well can massively boost views and clickthroughs to your website.
- Attracts potential new customers with an active interest: Customers that find your small business website via search are already interested in what you are selling. They are actively searching for products and services like yours so are interested in what they’re going to find. They are often ready to buy, or if researching a potential service they may contact you to find out more so that you can get them into your sales funnel by signing them up for a freebie or newsletter.
SEO – An Effective Inbound Marketing Technique
Did you know that search engine optimisation is an inbound marketing technique? By optimising your small business website, you are making it so much easier to find on Google and by your potential customers.
Most small business websites aren’t optimised at all or are done in a fashion, but not properly. If your small business website is getting very low organic visits, then this could be the problem. It’s super hard for those inbound customers to find you as you’ve hidden your website down a backstreet! Read Stop Hiding Your Website Down a Backstreet! to learn more.
FURTHER READING
if you’re new to SEO and want to learn more about it – follow the links below:
- What is SEO and How Do You Do It?
- What’s Stopping Your Small Business From Getting Started with SEO?
- SEO Doesn’t Have to Be Scary!
- What is an SEO Audit?
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