Is Your Web Site Marketing Killing Sales?

by Charlie Cook

Everyone wants their web site to make a fortune but most never will. Why?
Most sites kill potential sales before they have a chance.

Marilyn is a psychologist who called to find out how to increase the sale'
from her web site. She's determined to use her web site to build a
tele-consulting business so she can give up the commute from New Jersey to
her Manhattan office.

She had a professional-looking web site that was getting a good number of
visitors, but very few of them were calling her, much less signing up for
her services.

Why not? Why weren't prospects visiting her web site and then immediately
picking up the phone? And what could she do about it?

Website marketing is about attracting attention; moving people to become
prospects, to try your products and services and to sign up for your top end
services or buy everything you sell. For many it can seem complex and
overwhelming but it's simply a matter of helping people move from point A to
point B to point C.

Every web site and business owner wants their prospects to become high
paying clients, but most web sites don't provide prospects with pathways to
follow from point A to B and to C, to become mid-level or super clients. 

Let me explain...

Imagine that you're opening a new restaurant in a three-story building. The
first floor is the lobby or waiting area. Moving up to the second floor,
customers can order individual items from your menu a la carte; the prices
range from $5 to $19. Customers who move up to the third floor can enjoy a
spectacular view and a 4 course, fixed price dinner served with wine for
$70.

You're ready to open the doors and start making money. There's just one
problem. The architect for your building didn't include any staircases or
elevators. People can't move from one floor to the next.

Of course, no one would build a restaurant like that but in fact, that is
how many online and consulting business are structured. One of the biggest
marketing mistakes people make is not providing prospects with options for
moving from point A to B to C. In many cases the pathways don't exist or the
doors to the stairs aren't obvious.

Ready for your web site marketing to generate more paying customers and or
super clients?

Want to make it easy for prospects to become super clients? Marketing
pundits will tell you that to get prospects to buy your top end services,
you first need to get them to buy your $29 product, then your $200 product,
and then these customers will be ready to spend thousands. 

It's true you need to create simple and obvious pathways for prospects to
follow to become clients, but don't take this linear pathway idea too
literally. While some customers will follow it, others won't. Give your
prospects multiple ways to try out your products and services. 

Structure your web site marketing pathways with the following in mind:

1. Your first marketing goal is to get people in the door so they can get to
know you. The best way to do that is to give something away for free. Offer
prospects something they want. If you are opening a restaurant, free beer or
wine would be a start. Online, free reports, online courses, or audio and
video files can be successful offers. Or if you sell products, contests, and
special offers work.

2. Once you've got a prospect interested, the temptation is to try to make a
sale right away. Don't. Take a deep breath and count to three. Rushing the
sale can kill it. Your prospects will become paying clients when they know
you, trust you and are sure you can help them.

You've gotten their attention with your free offer. Now educate them about
the core areas where you can provide assistance. Give prospects a sample of
your best goods. Finally, explain the solutions you offer in terms of their
problems and how you solve them.

3. Your freebies will attract three basic types of prospects: people who
like freebies and aren't buyers; people who have limited budgets but will
buy your entry and mid-level products; and people who have unlimited funds
and may buy one of your entry-level products or may jump right to your top
end services.

4. You'll make the most money from people who buy everything you sell or who
spend tens of thousands of dollars on our services, so how can you get more
people to become these super clients?

Every web site and business owner wants their prospects to become high
paying clients. The more you give away, the more prospects will move from
testing your free stuff to immediately becoming your best clients.

Imagine if instead of just offering free peanuts in the lobby of your
restaurant, you offered a sampling of the best appetizers served on the top
floor along with wine to match. More people would be likely to become
high-end spenders on their first visit, assuming your building has stairs or
a high-speed elevator. Yes, your freebie will cost you more but you'll make
a lot more if you can motivate prospects to spend two to three times more.

Providing Pathways for Super Clients

Does your web site marketing provide paths for prospects to become super
clients? Take a minute to answer these questions:

1. What do you do to attract prospects, e.g. to get them in the door?

2. If you sell pricey products or services, do you have a low-cost way for
people to get hooked on buying from you?

3. What pathways do you provide to move first-time customers to become
second time customers and spend more?

4. Do you provide enough for free to entice some prospects to immediately
become super clients?

Ready to make your web site marketing sell and get all the super clients you
can handle? Use these 4 simple steps to market your web site and get your
prospects in the door so they can become loyal clients.

2007(c) In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.

Want to uncover the secrets to using your website to grow your existing
business or sell your info products? The author Charlie Cook, helps authors,
coaches, consultants and info marketers be successful online with their web
site marketing. Sign up for the Free Marketing Guide, '7 Steps to Get More
Clients and Grow Your Business', full of marketing ideas and tips you can
use. http://www.marketingforsuccess.com

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