Traffic,
Conversion and Retention
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Breaking
Down Your Sales Process
Whenever
I speak to someone about their website or their internet
marketing, it
helps me to know which part of the marketing we're talking about,
so I
can instantly think of suitable strategies and techniques.
Just a like a decent golfer knows exactly which club to use for a
certain
shot, I have certain 'tools' which I know can be used in certain
situations.
The reason I say this is because most people don't really
understand it
all and so it all seems a bit of a blur and consequently
confusing.
So, I
apologise
in advance if this next bit sounds bit silly and simplistic but I
think
there will be a few people that have an "Aha"
moment.
Let's imagine that your job for the week is to catch butterflies
and put
them in a big jar. At the end of the week, the amount of
butterflies you'll
have collected will be related to how many you caught in your net,
how
many escaped from your net and how many stayed put in the keep
jar.
If you're hunting butterflies in a field where few butter files
are to
be found, you'll struggle. Conversely, if you're in a field with
lots
of flowers and things that they like - in the summer, you should
have
plenty of them. This is the metaphor for visitor
traffic.
You can run around all day swiping at butter files but if the
holes in
the net are too big, most will slip through. This is the same as
your
conversion rate. (Most people spend a fortune
swiping
butter files only to let them slip through the net)
Lastly, you need to have a look at the butterflies in your jar. If
you
have left the lid off, a number will escape, making the whole
process
futile. This is equivalent to your retention
process.
Like
I said,
baby talk it may be but it does at least illustrate the three
areas that
every business needs to address to be successful, although most
don't
simply because they only focus on one or at best two areas and
then waste
their time and money because it's not a combined
effort.
Increasing
traffic - this can be done by SEO, PPC, Affiliation,
Article
writing, banners, microsites, advertising, viral marketing, social
media
- you name it.
Increasing conversion. This can be done with web
analytics,
trial & error, usability testing & focus groups & good
old
fashioned good design.
Increasing retention : Upselling, cross selling,
regular
communication, loyalty initiatives, customer feedback and so
on.
So
you see,
when you break your marketing down into these three areas and put
together
a plan for working on each, and measuring the results over a
period of
time, you'll catch more butterflies (customers). And you'll sell
more
to them and retain them for longer.
Like I keep saying, it's not complicated. You simply need to learn
it
and apply it consistently.
If
you'd
like more information about anything, simply call 01454 852414 or
try
our internet marketing training system here at http://www.mklink.com/freetrial
'till
next
time,
Mike Knight. MKLINK Internet
Marketing
Tips
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