Gone Fishing: for Website Sales

Posted on March 6, 2009 by Dave Westfall

One of my blog readers asked: 
"The 3 blogs on converting website traffic in to sales were great; but tell me how to do it?"

Okay, let's use some "gone fishing" metaphors: it appears that many of you have a fishing pole, reel and some fishing line (that's your website and your external blog).. So, you have some traffic coming to your website, however, with an external blog you may be using a leaky bucket (because most of the blog traffic never comes directly to your main website). 

It appears that many of you don't have a hook on the line (much less a sharp one) and there is no "bait" on the hook...  I hope that you'll agree that you won't catch many fish without a hook and some bait ..   So, let's review those 5 stages of the sale again and see if we can tie a hook on the end of your fishing line and then put some bait on the hook to reel in those website sales?

Here are some ideas on what you could do at each of the 5 sale stages to put bait (coupons, free offers) on your hook (Calls to Action, Autoresponders, Drip email campaigns) :

1. Make contact with the Prospect
   a. Offer an integrated Blog
   b. Offer different Calls to Action at every stage
   c. Use Autoresponder emails to create a drip marketing campaign
   d. Send regular newsletters (to targeted groups)
   e. Use walk-on video, multi-media, or audio to pre-sell and explain your products or services
   f.  Offer an online store or catalog with color pictures to showcase and explain your products and services
2. Engage the Prospect in dialogue
   a. You'll need a flexible eCommerce Content Management System (CMS) to do this
   b. Offer RSS feed on your blog
   c. Offer opt-in newsletter subscription lists (e.g. email address only)
   d. Offer Free White Papers in exchange for contact info or other free offers
   e. Offer anonymous Live Help Instant Messaging (IM)
   f.  Offer FAQ's, Glossary of Terms and User Forums (e.g. make your website "sticky"
   g. Offer Contact Us or Prospect forms (ask for the least info possible)
   h. Use Autoresponders to automatically react to Prospect inquiries
   i.  Set-up Email Drip marketing campaigns to "follow-up" with Prospects
3. Send Prospect a proposal
   a. Allow Visitor to complete an RFP/RFI Prospect form (like Marriott's online Event Planner RFP)
   b. Use Autoresponders to acknowledge receipt of RFP
   c. Respond to RFP within 24 hours to significantly improve close rate
   d. Follow-up with phone call and RFP drip email campaign
4. Receive notice of selection
   a. Set-up a separate group email reply account for expediting Proposal responses
   b. Use Autoresponders to acknowledge receipt of Acceptance
   c. Follow-up with phone call within 24 hours
5. Negotiate and sign the contract
   a. Offer a secure easy to use integrated shopping cart with payment options
   b. Use a seamless CRM that tracks Prospect, dialogues, tasks and orders through to the sale
6. Bait to use during the 5 closes:
   a. Direct close
        1. Offer Products online with Cross-Sells and Up-Sells (e.g. Webinar recordings, eBooks, CDs, tapes)
        2. Online Event registrations
        3. Integrated Shopping Cart with multiple payment options
   b. Concession close
        1. Offer discount coupons- 10, 20, 30% off
        2. Membership and Quantity discounts
   c. Time-driven
        1. Offer discount coupons with short expiration dates
        2. Offer coupons that expire upon check-out
   d. Trial offers
        1. Offer installment payment plans with FREE trial periods
        2. Offer memberships with different prices and service levels
   e. Continuation (Near Close)
        1. Offer Free Initial Consultation or Free Needs Analysis
        2. Offer an online RFP Proposal form
        3. Set-up Email Drip marketing campaigns to "follow-up" with Prospects

I hope that this gives you some ideas on the different kinds of bait that you can put on your hooks?

"What? ", you say..  Your website system can't do all of that?  Then you need to take a look at a fully integrated eCommerce Content Management System (CMS) with website and blog like the ones offered by Full Partner.

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Dave Westfall is a Business Coach, Internet Marketing Consultant, Speaker and Trainer with DewPointe Ventures LLC. You can reach him by email at: davewestfall@dewpointe.com.  Please check out Dave's profile on www.linkedin.com/in/davewestfall  or you can follow Dave's updates on www.twitter.com/davewestfall.

All the best,

Dave Westfall, MBA

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