Having a pretty website just isn’t enough anymore. Attention spans are shorter than ever you have only a few quick seconds to grab your prospect’s attention and get them to engage with you. After all, the purpose of your website is to start a conversation with your prospects – it’s not a sales tool or a brochure for your business. We often hear this referred to as “stickiness.” How “sticky” is your website?
Here are my top 3 tips to a client-attracting and “sticky” website:
1. Add an Opt-in Box: I cannot tell you how sad it makes me to see a fabulous looking website with no ability for prospects to opt-in. The opt-in box is a simple way for you to collect the names of visitors to your site. A robust email list of prospects is one of the most valuable marketing tools in your business.
As I mentioned earlier, a website is nothing more than a conversation starter. But if you don’t have a way of capturing who is visiting your site, then you have no way to continue the conversation with a potential new client. I’d be willing to bet you are loosing a lot of business this way.
How do you get people to give you their web address willingly? Good question…that leads into tip #2.
2. Add an irresistible free offer “ethical bribe.” In order to get folks to give you their email address, you must provide something of high-perceived value in return. What I mean by that is you must have an offer (usually a free offer) so compelling that your prospects are jumping out of their chairs to give you their email address. Best of all, it doesn’t have to cost you anything. Some examples of irresistible offers include: a free audio download of an interview with you, a special report, a research or white paper on a topic related to your industry or a free CD that ships right to their door (this may cost you a few dollars, but I’ve heard the results are incredible).
3. Add Video. For all you camera shy people out there (including myself, until recently!) it’s time to step away from behind your computer and get on video. My good friend Lou Bortone, the Online Video Guy, says that video converts website visitors better than any other technique. Any more, people EXPECT to see video on your website and it makes your website extra “sticky” because they stay on your site longer than if you only had text. I just put up my first video on my home page last week, and I can see the benefits already. Video is here to stay, so it’s time to embrace it and use it as a powerful promotional tool for your business. After all, you are your brand.
Putting these 3 simple tips into action will improve the stickiness of your website in no time!