One of the most frequently asked questions that we receive is, “How do we convert clicks to sales?”. It’s an age-old problem. A potential customer lands on your page and then clicks away without engaging or buying. They may come back, but you’ll never know. And, as we all know, in business, knowledge is power. As consumers, sometimes we all need a little push. Have you ever gone shopping online and left a website with something still in your shopping basket? Have you ever had a follow-up email reminding you that it’s sitting waiting there? It’s the online equivalent of a shop assistant meeting you in the car park of a shopping centre and saying, “Now, about this jumper, you really loved it, and it looked great on you, but you put it back. Did you still want it and what didn’t you like about it?”. Clothing shops would learn so much if they discovered that the jumper felt a little bit itchy, wouldn’t they?
But obviously, you don’t have a physical shop assistant who will jump out from behind a car. You have a website competing with lots of other websites in a potentially crowded marketplace, so you need to start thinking about using sales funnels and lead magnets. We just heard the groan; yes, we said sales funnels. Used intelligently and well, they can boost your online business.
Let’s talk about lead magnets.
Why does a person land on your website? Usually (if your SEO is right), it’s because they asked a question in a search engine, and they think that your website has the answer. They may have also found a solution on a social media post.
A lead magnet is a free item or service (call it an answer) that is given in exchange for contact details. Some of the best lead magnets are used on landing pages designed explicitly around the answer they’re offering, which will provide something of value. So, if we go back to the shopping centre, imagine walking in and being met by a shop assistant who tells you that they can help you find exactly what you need and give you a 10% discount in exchange for your email address. If it saved you time, sore feet, and disappointment, you might go for that.
What about a sales funnel?
Let’s stick with the sales assistant helping at the door. They’ve directed you to what you want in exchange for an email address. How about if you got a message a couple of days later saying, “How did you find our service, and would you like to learn more about some other things you might find interesting?”. A “yes” reply takes you to the sales team; a “no” ends the conversation. You’ve experienced an impressive service already; your interest might be piqued to learn more. If they hadn’t contacted you, you might never return. This is a basic example of a sales funnel, and it’s something that you can automate, removing the need to send the emails yourself.
Automation is becoming a big deal in email marketing. Software like Active Campaign makes it easier to set up a communication or sales funnel connected to your lead magnet.
So, your website answers a person’s question in exchange for an email. Maybe a day later, they receive an email asking if their lead magnet helped and if there is anything else they need. You can then set up other email responses based on replies the customer might give, collecting information before eventually passing them to your sales team.
Automation systems also provide fascinating analytics which can help with your marketing strategy. For example, they’ll give you a score every time a contact opens an email, enabling you to see what’s working and what isn’t and who your most engaged contacts are. They can also integrate with online shops (almost becoming that shop assistant behind the car).
Is it time you started using automation in your email marketing?
If used well together, a lead magnet and automated email system can grow sales and improve reputation. We think they’re essential when designing any content marketing strategy, which is where NAMA can help. There’s nothing we enjoy more than coming up with clever ideas to add extra value and improve sales. So, if you’re wondering how you can find out more about your website visitors and potential customers by using automation in your email marketing, get in touch.
