Prospect To Customer

I recently was forwarded this great report by silverPOP talking about conversion rates for e-mail marketing. After reading it, I thought that I should come on here and share just how much this applies to websites as well as emails.

“…up to 50% of visitors to landing pages will bail in the first 8 seconds.”

The only difference between e-mail conversion rates and website conversion rates is that with an e-mail, it is targeted at a specific person, and you know that person will get it. Websites are not as direct, people who surf the net are likely to stumble upon websites that don’t even have a market for them and within 8 seconds they will leave your site and move onto another one just like with e-mails.

You’re probably thinking, “So what, the person left the website, we’re not marketing to them anyways.” That is your first mistake, and I’ll tell you why. Even if your product isn’t for that particular person, it doesn’t rule them out as somebody that doesn’t care about your website. If your website is related to a service or product that could be useful to someone that person knows, then what is to stop them from telling their friend about your product or service? You’re goal when creating a website is not only to market to your target audience, but to catch everybody’s attention. You never know when somebody that visits your site will become your best sales rep by telling all of his/her friends about your amazing product/service.

Suggestions for grabbing everybody:

* Make an attractive, well organized home page.
* Make it easy to figure out what your site/product is all about.
* Develop an 8 second sales pitch for the home page.
* Update the home page regularly
* Place your specials on your home page.
* Give something away, the word “FREE” is very eye-catching.
* Don’t attempt to cram your home page full of ads.

These are just some basic suggestions that can really improve your chances of getting the attention of others, even if you’re not marketing to them.