Getting your first sale or customer through the door of your website and converting them to a credible lead can be difficult for brand new businesses, although here are a few tips to bear in mind.
Promote Your Site Across All Channels
You may need to hold fire on ordering some business cards until your site is effectively launched – otherwise anyone going on your website after speaking to you may not be impressed with a holding page.
Ask For Opinions Early & Often
Ask friends and family you can trust to give you an objective and useful opinion on your website and get them to give you advice on your website concepts. Just be aware that waiting until the website is build and “finished” and then going back and changing everything with your web designer is a recipe for bruised egos and burning any goodwill you have accumulated in forming a working relationship. They may even charge you for their time so you have been warned!
Be sure to ask your business coach or partner as their input may shed some light on why your site is under performing. It may be a glaring omission or as subtle as changing a few colours.
Write Content Often
Even if you are not getting traffic, it is important to continue plugging away at your website to not only boost the value of their website to potential visitors but to offer anyone who does visit your website something of value.
This also signals to search engines that your website is still live and fresh.
Avoid Lowering Your Rates/Prices
If you are clamoring for work, avoid the temptation of lowering your rates or prices just to get a sale – this will have a couple of unforeseen consequences which may not manifest later on.
For example, if that clients that refers your work to another, they may expect the same rates – therefore you may be undercutting your own business.
However, you can always over deliver – promise your client additional free extras, then your customer will no doubt discuss your service with others.
Check The Competition
Keep an eye on the competition – and see what they are up to? Have they cut back on advertising spend during certain months of the year? This may be an indication that they are knowingly reducing their overheads as they are experiencing a low period themselves.
All business have to adapt and you have to do so as well to survive. Have they started blogging recently? Are they promoting a new line of products? Keeping abreast of developments with your competition can help you know what your competing against and this will help you define your own niche and refine your unique selling point.
For example, if your rivals are offering rock bottom prices – then you can probably place your prices a little higher and pitch to the higher end clients as you offer premium customer service.
Of course there are many more tips out there so why not share your own ideas in the comments?
