It’s no longer all about selling. Getting new customers now starts with getting their attention, being accessible and your website usable.
The amount of new content posted on the Internet daily is staggering. From DOMO’s ‘Data Never Sleeps 2.0’ - every minute of the day Facebook users share 2,460,000 pieces of content, Twitter users tweet 277,000 times and email users sent 204.000,000 messages. Every 60 seconds! Amazing. Trying to cut through the clutter and grab an individual’s attention is becoming increasingly difficult. Therefore, knowing what your customers want ahead of time helps you to create thoughtful and engaging content. In addition, you need to make the experience of accessing and perusing the content and additional information on your website as seamless and effortless as possible.
Start by capturing their attention. According to Internet Live Stats, in one second there are 50,178 searches on Google. Make it easy for visitors to find you. While standard keywords terms are associated with higher search volume, a long-tail keyword helps users searching get results that reflect a narrower search, and helps you with a higher rank.
Definition:
Long tail keywords are those three and four keyword phrases which are very, very specific to whatever you are selling. Whenever a customer uses a highly specific search phrase, they tend to be looking for exactly what they are actually going to buy.
For example, a search for ‘yoga pants’ will bring up over 23,100,000 results. Kind of overwhelming. However, adding ‘women’s’ or your brand name to the long-tail keyword – Acme Women’s Yoga Pants - will narrow the results presented. In addition, you will rank higher in the search results that then enables user’s to find you easier. Just like magic.
“Exceed your customer’s expectations. If you do, they’ll come back over and over. Give them what they want – and a little more.” – Sam Walton
When promoting new content on social, such as a new blog or campaign offer, make it easy for those interested to get access to your site. When interested visitors click through to your site, where they land and what is presented should be what is expected. Don’t require them to click through a number of pages as if on a treasure hunt. Nor should they land on your homepage. Visitors need to see a landing page specifically designed for the subject you are promoting. In addition to providing the offer or a blog on that landing page, include another item of interest, such as a new offer or blog about the subject they would most likely be interested next assisting in their continuing research. If they are shopping for ‘Acme Women’s Yoga Pants’ display other products to go along with the pants such as a yoga top, further engaging and increasing interest, leading to more sales.
If your website contains a large number of products or a great deal of information, including a search box often proves to be very helpful for anyone looking for a specific item that likely resides within your site.
"The main goal is not to complicate the already difficult life of the consumer.” – Raymond Loewy
And finally, with 4 out of 5 consumers using smartphones to shop, it is imperative that your website is responsive, making it usable for anyone whether they use a desktop, tablet or smartphone for shopping. Retailers who understand the importance of usability via a smartphone are taking advantage by offering discounts and coupons targeted specifically to mobile users.
Getting new customers is no longer about selling. To get to the point of sales requires you to grab their attention with content worthy of their time, make your website and content easy to access, and finally, usable, no matter what platform they use to research.