A Few Lesser Know Online Marketing Strategies
If your business is one that generates most of it lead and sales online, then this article is for you. In it, I will go over a few of my favorite less "mainstream" strategies to attract new customers to your site, which should, in turn, should increase your sales and grow your business. Referral Marketing
Some of the most profitable traffic a business can get (online or otherwise) is referral traffic. These are potential customers that are taking a look at your products because they have been told about them by friends, family or colleagues. Because friends and relatives are usually very trusted sources, referral traffic tends to convert highly. This kind of traffic is quick to make decisions about purchasing, negotiates less, and picks up larger quantities. Referral traffic is also much more likely to generate further referral traffic, in a pay it forward kind of way. This result in a nice snowballing effect, which can give your bottom line a significant bump. Referred traffic is usually free, generated out of the goodness of satisfied customers' heart. To generate more of it, you can entice people to send others your way by creating an affiliate program. For every referral that makes a purchase, the referring customer could get between 5% and 10% of the product's cost. That may seem like a lot, but it is a sound long-term investment that will ensure your business continues to grow, Using Website Analytics Not using analytics on your site is like throwing gum at a wall in the dark and hoping something sticks, but when something does, not knowing what did. Tools like Google Analytics tell you exactly where your website traffic is coming from (search engines, social media, etc...), and how it engages with your site. Do people leave after viewing a single page? Do they check out other products you may be selling, or take a look at your contact information? Identifying the best source of traffic to your site will let you know exactly where you should focus your marketing efforts, and where you can cut costs. If Facebook generates ten times as many visitors as Twitter, where you should put your dollars becomes evident. Analytics can also shed light on what kind of traffic converts best, allowing you to further fine tune your marketing strategy.
Free Stuff People love free stuff. And no, you don't need to give your product away for free. Instead, think about offering things like a guide on how to get the most out of your product, or a few tutorial videos. Depending on what your offer is, you can also provide audio files, web-based tools (like calculators) or a discussion forum. The latter two are a little more involved, but may be well worth the time and money you spend implementing them. Regardless of what you decide to offer for free, visitors will appreciate your efforts and take note of the kind of support you put behind your products. They will become more engaged. And someone who is engaged with your brand and your offer becomes much more likely to make a purchase or pick up the phone. While far from groundbreaking, the above three online marketing strategies are ones that businesses often overlook. Why not give yourself a bit of an extra advantage and implement them on top of your existing marketing efforts. They will help, and may push your business to the next level.
