I believe websites have two audiences: People who’ve already heard of you (let’s call them friends), and people who haven’t (strangers). Each group requires a different marketing approach. And each group wants something different from your website.
Attracting friends
If you’re an expert, you are likely to get most business from the first group. It’s better business too, as they are less likely to be shopping around, and less likely to be basing their decision on price.
This group will find you through typing the web address from a business card or email link, or searching your name or business name. What they want to see is your public face to the world and your contact details.
For them, the website needs to act as a credibility piece, and you need to build a word-of-mouth marketing strategy. Maybe email campaigns, for example. (Obviously, my team and I can help with that.)
Attracting strangers
It’s harder to win business from the second group. Tactics to get traffic from them include SEO, ads, and social media. What they want to see on your site is why they should choose you and not someone else, and next steps.
For them, the website needs to nudge them to get in touch, or, at the very least, give you their contact details so you can stay in touch via a newsletter – but I suggest you don’t call it that (I call mine a ‘tipsheet’). You have to give them something of value in return for them giving up their precious email address.
SEO basics
I’m not an SEO copywriter. I’m a conversion copywriter. I’m more interested in writing for human beings than machines.
I’d recommend you pay a professional to do keyword research to discover what people actually search. This will generate a ‘traffic light’ report showing:
- Red: Key phrases that are highly searched but highly competitive. There’s not much point investing time, money and effort trying to get your site ranked for those
- Green: Key phrases (probably “long tail” i.e. more niche) that are less highly searched but where there’s more chance of your site being found. You’d want to build landing pages for these – maybe blog posts. (If you don’t have time to write your own, my team can suggest blog titles to inspire you or even write posts and articles for you.) You would then drive traffic by optimising those pages/posts and/or paying for ads
- Amber: Key phrases in the middle. Go for these after doing all the greens
What this means to you
- Is your site ranking for phrases that people actually search?
If you’re not sure, you need a keyword research report. Olivia is one of my team, and is SEO-certified. Let me know if you’d like her to do keyword research for you and I’ll connect you. - Are people finding your site but not clicking through?
If that’s the case, you need to do some work on your meta-descriptions / calls to action. Obviously, we can do that for you. - Are people clicking through but then not taking the next step e.g. getting in touch?
If your site visitors are not converting, you need to do some work on your web design, structure and / or copy. We’ve written hundreds of websites – we can help and advise you too.
Remember, the key is ensuring your website generates maximum conversions of visitors to leads before you start driving traffic to it.
For help with any of this, please get in touch.
