Use Your Website to Build Your Marketing List, Tips from Susan Greene, Website Copywriter

By Susan Greene, Website Copywriter

Did you know that it takes on average at least six visits to your website before most prospects decide to buy? Most visitors find your website through a search engine like Google or Yahoo and only visit once, briefly. Then they click off and they’re poof-gone. You’ve lost your opportunity to persuade them to buy from you. Or have you?

The way around this problem is to capture their e-mail address while they’re on your site so that you can reach out to them in the future. Should you use some sort of software to do this? No, you want them to volunteer their information. Ideally, you’d like them to want to hear from you again.

Try offering visitors something that they would enjoy like a free newsletter or a free report on a topic related to your business. If you can’t write, hire a professional copywriter to create these marketing pieces for you.

If your website is selling skateboards, for example, offer a monthly e-newsletter titled “Skateboard Tricks.” If your website is selling first-aid kits, offer a free report titled “First-aid Tips for the 10 Most Common Injuries.”

To get the free newsletter or report, the visitor has to provide his e-mail address. Of course, that begs the question, should you ask for more information than just their e-mail? Wouldn’t it be useful to know more demographic details about your prospect?

Yes, of course it would be helpful. It would be nice to know their full name, address, age, what they do for work, how much money they make, if they're married or single, how old they are, etc. But do you dare ask?

Unfortunately, it's not about what's useful to YOU. It's about what's useful to YOUR VISITOR. What purpose does it serve your visitor to provide this information to you? All that your visitor wants to know is: What's in it for me?

Think about your own behaviors when you go to a website that is asking you for information. Do you like taking the time to fill out a detailed form? Do you feel comfortable telling them where you live or how much you make? Do you give them your phone number?

I'm guessing the answer to those questions is no, as it is for most people, myself included. The less information you ask, the more sign-ups you will get on your website. It’s that simple.

Now that you have the prospect’s e-mail address, what should you do with it? Start marketing! Provide a steady flow of interesting information that will get the prospect to trust you, like you and eventually buy from you.

Establish a relationship with your prospects. They need to get to know you. Build rapport with them via your e-newsletter or e-mails. Impart good, useful, relevant information and at the same time tell them about your new products, services and upcoming programs.

As your mailing list grows, so will your profits. Recognize that your website is not the end-all. Rather it’s only the beginning, your chance to introduce yourself to a prospective customer. It’s in those targeted follow-up e-mails that you will eventually convert a prospect into a customer.

Need help writing a report or e-newsletter related to your business? Want persuasive website text that will encourage visitors to sign-up for your e-mails? Good copywriting = more sales.

Contact Susan Greene today for a quote on your copywriting project. Susan@SusanGreeneCopywriter.com, 407-578-5528.