How The Heck Do I Get Leads From My Website?
If you’re not getting any leads from your website, you’re not alone. The question you need to ask is why?
No one has ever needed my help for a website that works so I am forced to solve this problem. Everyone has the same issues. Usually it’s the same solution.
In fact, it’s why I built my business. My first website never got any leads. I hired a big company to build my site. I thought they knew what they were doing. I was wrong.
So let me tell you about a recent meeting. I won’t name any names to protect the innocent. You might be able to relate.
Scenario
Client has an ecommerce site selling supplements. He could have purchased a new Porsche for the money he spent.
The problem he has is the same that I had and likely the same problem you have. He jumped in the deep end without learning how to swim first.
What I mean is this. Before diving in, develop your internet plan first. Don’t get a web site first, don’t start a Facebook page,a Twitter Account or Your YouTube Channel.
Start with doing keyword research first, then figure out how you will use those keywords as part of an ongoing strategy. Just because you have a website,a Facebook account, a LinkedIn profile, does not mean people will call you.
There Are 5 Steps to Getting Started in the Right Direction
- Keywords – I can’t emphasize this enough. Keywords are everything. And don’t for 1 second use the line “I know all about keywords”. 10 years into this and I’m still finding new keywords that I never thought about.
- Strategy – How are you going to use those keywords? You can’t live on just 1 or 2 prime rankings. Broad online exposure is the key to online success.
- Content – Content are the pages you need. Each page targets a specific keyword page. Very simple with the right strategy
- Website – I highly recommend websites built on WordPress. WordPress already has the code built in you need to rank. It’s very easy to update. If you can send an email, you can publish new web pages and blogs, just like you can on Facebook, Twitter or Linked In.
- Blog – The blog is your driver of keywords that rank and produce customers. You blog is a simple way of adding new pages to your website.
The 5 steps in order above are your key to creating a firm foundation for attracting new clients. Pretty simple and always overlooked.
The Number 1 biggest mistake I see my clients make is developing a website and social media pages, then trying to figure out to get business. Always start with keywords, strategy, content, then your website followed by blog updates.
The Local Model
Let’s get back to the supplement business and I’ll explain his game plan.
Lets call him Mr X.
Mr X wanted to talk about his web site but stopped him cold in his tracks. I told him the key to success is a strategy that can be replicated over and over, then expanded. His strategy starts with keywords and where his target market is located.
Mr X has a retail store and a trade area of approximately 300,000 within about 15 minute drive.
So, why try and go nationwide when he hasn’t dominated his local market. Nationwide marketing is hard, it’s huge. Why not focus on dominating his local area and make sure he ranks for every possible keyword phrase In his market.
It’s very simple. I like to use the analogy of cooking chicken with a spice cabinet of 50 herbs and spices. There are unlimited ways to cook chicken with 50 spices. Blogs and keywords are the same. For example. Mr X has many supplements for athletes. Supplements for muscle, supplements for cadio, supplements for gaining weight, supplements for losing weight. Supplements are like our chicken. For weight loss, for weight gain, for muscle, for cardio – these are the spices.
Now, he has 3 towns with 300,000 people. The question is, what percentage will buy supplements? Lets say it’s 1% or 3,000 people. How much is each customer worth? If each customer purchases $100.00 per year, that’s $300,000.00 in sales.
A first look, Mr X may say that’s not enough. But let’s say the blog strategy produces $300,000 in new sales. Lets say it only takes 1 blog per day. Then what about posting each blog on Facebook, Twitter and Linked In. Maybe even Pinterest. You see, the blog is the driver. Everything online starts with the blog. The blog starts with keywords and strategy.
Then we need to look at other uses for supplements. Headaches, arthritis, energy, I’m sure there are many niche markets and lots of local buyers.
The 5 Step System Starts with Keywords
You see how it all starts with keywords?
Need a few keyword ideas for your market? Go over to Amazon. Look at books in your niche.. Look at the table of contents and look at how well the books rank on Amazon. The information is right there on Amazon. All the research has been done for you. Amazon is my first place to search for keywords and ideas. You can also look at the reviews to see what kinds of words people use in their comments.
You can also go to Magazines.com. Here you can look at magazines by niche and industry type. Again, all the research has been done.
These sources will get you started. From here you can start to formulate a strategy.
For Mr X in the supplement business this is an outstanding low risk, low expense strategy. He can start by dominating his market with a solid plan.
He can position his business and retail store as the go to source for supplements in the area. Once he sees what is working, he’ll know how to expand. But without a starting point and a feasible plan, all the videos, Facebook updates, paid ads will not produce.
When it does work, he’ll have a long term plan that can be replicated over and over.
The Strategy
No matter what business you are in, this is the basic strategy.
- Start small
- minimize expenses,
- develop good habits
- Do Keyword Research and develop your plan
- 5 Steps – Keep thinking in terms of 5 steps. Break everything down to a 5 step system. It works.
Looking for leads for your website? Let me know if this helps.