Beginning at the beginning, every website page, every blog post or article, every Facebook page or Slideshare is an opportunity to engage your prospects and customers in a positive way. Every one of these is a launching pad to the next step in the process that converts a browser into a lead into a sale. Getting to the point where your whole Internet platform is humming as a lead generator starts with your content plan and the relationships among your pages and posts.
Every Page Has a Job to Do
We need to understand the buying process in our market and design our online campaigns around that. Too often, we see websites or pages that are reflections of what a company thinks of itself or what it wants visitors to do to help the company. In reality, campaigns like this underperform, usually with wasted pages that do not help the visitor get what SHE wants out of the relationship.
Your website and supporting online tools should be designed and organized so the visitor finds the information and opportunities she wants at each step of the buying process, leading her naturally to the next stage. This means that every page has to answer the questions posed at that stage, and offer clear exit points to the next steps when the visitor is ready.
Page Functions in the Buying Cycle
True, there is no one “buying cycle”. We understand that your industry differs in important ways from others. That’s why you need to analyze your markets carefully and take those lessons into the layout and content design sequence. But for our purposes, we can illustrate the importance of making each page a launching pad with a generalized buying cycle.
Awareness. The first requirement is to make your company an authority in its market niche. It may seem blatantly obvious to you that your world class service has a compelling offer (a benefit set), but you have to say it clearly to your visitor. This stage goes to your basic messaging about the benefits you offer and why your company is distinctive. Your home page especially, but also every other page or post you publish, have to reinforce this basic message to some degree.
Information. Visitors who understand what you offer and are seeking that kind of solution will need to know why your company stands out above the clutter. They will be evaluating you based on how well you describe the way your product or service provides the benefits they seek in comparison to other vendors. These information pages are often interior pages, articles, or online slideshows or videos, and they can be very specific to the issues in your market. They are where your comparative advantage has to be crystal clear.
Interest. Once you have survived the culling process, the visitor needs to see your offer pared down to its most important elements: cost, promotions, quality, timing, delivery, and guarantee. This crucial page will convert your visitor to a solid lead (or sale), or not. “Landing pages” are often included in this stage with their pared down, focused content and limited options for exit. But this kind of page should also be part of your basic web design to continue the visitor’s path through your website.
Purchase. If your offer can be purchased online, the shopping cart is a specialized page whose complex functions can not only make it easy for the visitor to complete the purchase, but also to expand your relationship with her. Cross-selling is a common response to this opportunity, but it’s often about the company as much as it is about the customer. What else would the customer want to know at this point? Is there a loyalty program? Is there a sale on those other items in your cross-selling offer? Is there a newsletter or Facebook page where she might find future specials?
Acquisition. Even after your visitor submits a form or completes a sale, they are still on your website (a thank you page, perhaps) and you still have an opportunity to solidify a relationship. Again, make sure this page offers engagement with your social network invitations or newsletter.
Every Page is a Lead Generator
It’s not too much of a stretch to say effective lead generation is the only topic there is in Internet marketing, but that’s why we have to break it down into parts we can execute. In this post, we started with the basics of page and post purpose, and in future posts we’ll cover more detailed topics like calls to action, landing page layout, relationship building, and publication strategies.
In the meantime, what kind of content strategies do you use to help your customers get what they need?
We create content that launches our clients businesses forward. Check out our web content development services. And when you’re ready to create a comprehensive inbound marketing plan, let’s talk. Request a meeting >
