3 Website Optimization Tips that Sell

3 Website Optimization Tips that Sell

As you know, selling with social media involves driving traffic to your primary website and subscriber list so you can convert that interest into profitable outcomes. So, let’s talk about how to better optimize your website content.

#1 ­ Answer the Most Important Questions

In my social selling program at Social Media Marketing World 2015 we discussed the importance of removing buying obstacles to increase sales. Buyers are looking for solutions to their problems; so your website has to answer the most relevant questions before buyers will hire a company like yours.

This weekend I updated the About and Speaking pages of my primary site. These may give you some ideas. I still have to add some new video, but just about everything else is fresh.

Other than the home page, what are the pages where visitors are making decisions about whether to hire your business? Determine those top converting pages and freshen them up.

#2 – Search Your Outbox for Solutions that Sell

If you are wondering what the most relevant buying questions are, look no further than your outbox. In addition to helping customers individually, take your solutions and optimize them for your website and blog, starting with the headline.

The headline is the most important SEO quality of your online content. Optimize it by thinking like a buyer that has a problem in need of a solution. As an example, the headline for this post addresses a relevant small business concern: How do I optimize my website?  It also answers why you want to optimize at all, which is to sell.

#3 – Replace Dead Ends with Calls to Action

You as the seller have to guide your buyer on their journey. In terms of website optimization this means having a call to action on every single page. This is usually a link to more and better information and resources. Whatever you do, don’t leave them hanging or they will move on to another website.

If your business offers a high value subscription resource such as a newsletter or podcast, then encourage visitors to sign­up so you can help them further.

It’s also possible your visitors are ready to buy now. So, don’t be shy about sharing how your business can be contacted. My preference is a contact form, but a phone number is vital for buyers that prefer that communication channel.

When we think of website optimization, the first thing that comes to mind is probably keywords. That’s optimization for search engines. These three tips are about optimizing for real people that buy what your business sells.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on website optimization? Meet me over on Twitter to take the conversation further.

About the Author:  Jeff Korhan, MBA, is the author of Built-In Social: Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business and host of This Old New Business podcast.

He helps mainstream businesses adapt their traditional growth practices to a digital world. Connect with Jeff on LinkedInTwitterFacebook, and Google+

Content Warfare: Writing a Marketing Anthem

Content Warfare: Writing a Marketing Anthem

This is Episode 30 of This Old New Business weekly business podcast with Jeff Korhan.

In this episode we welcome Ryan Hanley back as our first repeat guest.

If you have considered writing a book, you’ll be interested in learning the unique approach Ryan used to self-publish Content Warfare, his first book.

There’s more.

You’ll learn Ryan’s storytelling process and how to use it to change how you talk about your business, thereby more effectively differentiating it. That’s just one of the many content marketing takeways you can expect.

Our Featured Guest: Ryan Hanley

Content Warfare: Writing a Marketing AnthemRyan Hanley is the Vice President of Digital Marketing for TrustedChoice.com, a national lead generation platform delivering over 7,000 leads a month to insurance agents across the country. Ryan also produces the Content Warfare Podcast — and recently published his first book, Content Warfare: How to find your audience, tell your story, and win the battle for attention online.

Your Brand Story is a Marketing Anthem

One of the challenges for content marketers today, and presumably for the foreseeable future, is content marketing is a practice that is largely misunderstood. This is why Ryan wrote Content Warfare as a content marketing anthem.

The battle for attention online is why every business needs a marketing anthem that takes a stand for what you believe. If you are reading this you know that creating “me to” content, while prevalent, is pointless.

Getting noticed online is getting increasingly difficult. This is why you need epic content that people want to consume and share. This calls for new methods that focus on building your essential content marketing assets, namely, your website, blog, enewsletter, and one or two social media channels.

Content WarfareLearn How To Tell Your Story

Effective marketing these days is a media first process in which marketers typically lead with a story. According to Ryan, if you have business experience you have a story to tell. He says your story lies at the intersection of three elements.

  • Company – Who you are and why you are here doing the work you do.
  • Client – Businesses need to know what gets their customers out of bed in the morning.
  • Community – This is your audience. Show them you are one of them.

How is your business winning the battle  for the attention of its customers?

Lighting Round Tips and Advice

Ryan’s Top Sales or Marketing Advice – Be transparent. If you admit your faults, people will trust you on your strengths.

His Favorite Productivity Tip – Check out ToDoist.com for personal productivity task and project management.

A Quote that has Inspired Ryan’s Success – “Never half-ass two things; whole-ass one thing.” Ron Swanson

Key Take-Aways

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About the Author:  Jeff Korhan, MBA, is the author of Built-In Social: Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business and host of This Old New Business podcast.

He helps mainstream businesses adapt their traditional growth practices to a digital world. Connect with Jeff on LinkedInTwitterFacebook, and Google+

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