In last month’s issue, we discussed how creating content can increase traffic, the psychology of how users interact with your website, and how to grab their attention, leading them to take a specific action.

In this issue, we’re going to discuss how you convert this newly acquired traffic into leads and ultimately new revenue for your business.

Targeting the Right Traffic Will Increase Your Conversion Rates

Quality is more important than quantity in website traffic. It won’t help you to make money if you increase your website traffic, but all the new traffic comes from Europe or is made up of teenagers looking for pictures of imports. It’s more important to get the right people coming to your website, than getting a few more people coming.  We want traffic from potential buyers.

So how do we target the right users? First, we research terms pertaining to your business. If you specialize in late model imports, then you want to do keyword research focusing on terms like used Honda parts or used Mercedes engines.  Next, you create a list of the phrases you think visitors would type into a search engine to find the products that your business sells and import that list into Google’s keyword tool (https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal).

Ask it to return results that are similar to your terms, and you’ll get a report with not only your terms, but also new terms that Google suggests. This report uses real data from Google and will show you which terms get high search volume, which get low volume, and which are most relevant to your business. This expanded list will now serve as the basis for your content creation campaign (blog posts, articles, and so on).

Creating content around these terms will increase your chances of showing up in search results for those terms. We know that those terms get search volume, we know they’re highly relevant to your business, and we know that once you begin to get traffic for those terms, that traffic will be more likely to convert into a lead.

Grabbing Attention and Converting Web Traffic into Money

After doing your research and creating good content that brings in targeted traffic, your next goal should be converting visitors leads and sales. Converting a visitor can mean many things, but ultimately it’s getting the visitor’s  information – either by his signing up for a newsletter, subscribing to your blog, following you on Facebook, filling out a contact form, making a phone call or buying a part online. Whatever the conversion that take place, you should recognize that getting his information is valuable, whether he is buying today or may need a part in the future.

How do we convert that user? In the previous article in this series, we talked about how a user looks at and navigates your website. It’s important to direct the user’s eye where you want it to go. You’ll want to make sure you have a bold call to action as the primary focus of your page. If you’re trying to sell a part, use a button or graphic that says “Buy Now” and make sure the user can get to it in as few clicks as possible. If you are trying to get the visitor to subscribe to your blog, make sure you make it easy. Direct him to right place to sign up, and make it happen in as few steps or clicks as possible.

Nurturing Your Leads

Some of your visitors may give your their information – an e-mail, phone number, etc. but may not purchase a part. Don’t forget these people. Your site converted them, and you want to make sure they eventually buy from you. Market to them and make sure you stay fresh in their minds. If they liked your page on Facebook, make sure you are making posts, posting pictures of new inventory to Facebook, and so on. If you have their e-mail address, you should be sending out monthly newsletters or updates with new inventory and parts.  Free or low cost CRM tools like Constant Contact, MailChimp, and others can help you create great e-newsletters and integrate them into your website.

Over time, you will add hundreds or maybe even thousands of people to your marketing lists, people who without your efforts to get them to opt in to your newsletter or to like you on Facebook may have left your website and never returned to buy from you. Make sure you profit from marketing to your lists.

Let me help you get started by giving you an SEO scorecard on your existing website and some free advice about how to improve your results. E-mail me your website address with “SEO scorecard” in the e-mail’s subject line, and I will be glad to show you some ways you can do better.

Remember only you can make business great!

Ron Sturgeon, founder of Mr. Mission Possible small business consulting, combines over 35 years of entrepreneurship with an extensive resume in consulting, speaking, and business writing, with 6 books published. My associate, Josh Davis, collaborated for this article. Josh helps budding entrepreneurs and those wanting to build a business using the web; you can find more about him at www.madeinfortworth.com.

A business owner since age 17, Ron sold his chain of salvage yards to Ford Motor Company in 1999, and his innovations in database-driven direct marketing have been profiled in Inc. Magazine. After the repurchase of Greenleaf Auto Recyclers from Ford and sale to Schnitzer Industries, Ron is now owner of the DFW Elite Auto suite of businesses and a successful real estate investor.

As a consultant and peer benchmarking leader, Ron shares his expertise in strategic planning, capitalization, compensation, growing market share, and more in his signature plain-spoken style, providing field-proven, high-profit best practices well ahead of the business news curve.

Ron is a web expert, but he is also an expert in helping all types of small businesses become more successful and more profitable. He has helped owners in industries from restaurants to law firms with a wide variety of business issues, including sales, promotion, production, financial measures, business strategy, and planning for startups. Whatever your unique challenges, Ron can help you.

To inquire about peer benchmarking, consultations, or keynote speaking, contact Ron by calling 817-834-3625, by emailing rons@MrMissionPossible.com, by mailing 5940 Eden, Haltom City, TX 76117, or online at Mr. Mission Possible.