Let me tell a story of a friend of mine.
Sam is a superb marketer. He’s an expert in a wide range of marketing disciplines, including copywriting, social media, front-end development, and content generation. This pal can practically help you with every part of building a successful web presence.
He’s got a large network as well. He’s extremely outgoing and will engage in conversation with anyone. He attends many networking events and even offers to take photos (did I mention he’s a good photographer?). He plans get-togethers and workshops. He’s a lively bright light with the strong, outgoing personality I wish I had. He’s well-connected in our local business community.
This friend is also unemployed
Sam might be charging premium prices for full-service web packages for businesses with all of these skills and an outgoing attitude. He’s like a one-stop-shop for branding, marketing, and sales! His freelance business should be booming – or so I thought.
And there’s a good reason as to why that is…
He doesn’t provide clear options
Seriously. This person’s website is a jumble of information. There are pages upon pages of what he knows, but no explanation of how he might be able to help his potential clients.
He doesn’t have any pricing, packages, or services to offer.
On several occasions, I’ve wished to work with him on client projects that I thought he would benefit from. But it never materialized since he won’t tell me how much he charges or even what he does.
This is utterly destroying his ability to grow a successful business. He’s making it impossible for anyone to hire him. He’s not the only one. The same issue plagues many freelancers, coaches, and service-based business entrepreneurs.
5 ways to get clients with your website
This isn’t a story about me, but it could have been when I first started freelancing. My online presence was non-existent, and no one would hire me even if they wanted to.
If your website isn’t helping you get clients, you’re not the only one. This is an example of “non-performance syndrome” Here are 5 quick ways to help you get clients with your website.
#1 Be visible
The first thing to look at is your SEO ranking for all key phrases. Consider using the Google Adwords program to run ads on Google. Pay-per-click marketing could be the perfect solution for you right now.
#2 Define your web strategy
What do you believe your website’s most significant function is? Trying to promote your business and products? Giving out information? Creating leads? It’s good to pursue two or three strategies, as long as you don’t try to do everything at once. If you don’t know what you want your clients to do, they won’t know either.
#3 Create a landing page
Bring visitors to your website from Google Adwords to a special page – other than your home page. The landing page functions similarly to a sales letter, with the goal of closing the deal and converting the website visitor.
#4 Increase your website’s “stickiness”
To get clients with your website, you’ve got to ensure that your visitors don’t leave too soon after arriving. Assure your visitors that they’ve arrived at the proper location and that you can solve their problem. Catchy headlines go a long way. Also, make sure you write copy that focuses on benefits.
#5 Provide a compelling call to action
This should go without saying, but make sure you ask your website visitors to phone or email right away, or to proceed with placing an order online.
Bonus: Test, test, test!
You won’t be able to get an accurate picture of how your website is performing unless you keep track of what’s working and what isn’t. Make sure to experiment with different landing pages. To help you decide which landing page performs best, use A/B test tools like www.performable.com/calculator.
The trick is to determine what your goals are and then track your progress toward them. Think in terms of bite-size steps. Instead of an order, the initial targeted outcome could be a simple inquiry via a contact form. Determine how many visits, leads, and new customers you wish to receive each month. The idea is to set realistic targets and approach online marketing as an ongoing project with shifting priorities over time. Remember to use online tools like the Clikz online ROI calculator and the cost per acquisition (CPA) calculator to plan and track your success.
