Opt-Ins is the second stage in our 7 step framework
So what is an opt-in?
It is the first level of engagement between you and your prospect. They have shown some interest in something you offer and have a need for more information.
It can be a simple request for a quote or more information via your contact form or downloading a brochure.
The prospect has not yet reached the level where they are comfortable enough with what you have on offer to pull out their credit card, or show any other sort of commitment to become your customer.
So how can you improve your opt-ins?
1. First Impressions are a big one
So how does it look? As humans we will look at something and form an opinion very quickly. Usually in just a few seconds.
We’ve all done it… met someone or seen something and form an impression straight away.
Clean and simple is good. The site should be laid out well with the critical elements instantly identifiable on the page
Take time to work on a USP (unique selling proposition) and state this on the home page. This goes a long way to establishing that firstly, a visitor is in the right place and secondly, why they should spend more time here going over your offerings. Why are you different from all your competitors and why should I purchase from you? These are the two key areas that the USP should address
Select just 3 of your products or services that are very popular and definitely the ones you want to promote that are more profitable. These can be placed on the home page taking prime real estate with links to more detail about each on their own page.
Remember keep it clean. The less clutter the better. Any navigation should be either across the top or down the left side but is worth testing to see where the best are is to reduce bounce rate and help with conversions
2. Building Trust
- Show them you are part of an official organisation by displaying the logo if it is well known.
- Have your guarantees on display especially if they are outstanding well above the industry standard.
- If you accept credit cards then have your street address there for all to see and even a small image of staff members
- Give away a guide or some tips to display that you know what you are talking about (this can later lead into an automated sequence of follow up emails to build the trust factor)
3. Social Proof
Customer testimonials certainly help make your prospects more comfortable if they see information provided by how you helped solve other customers problems. The best forms of customer testimonials are those with the full name photo and a statement of the problem they faced and how it was resolved. Even better are video testimonials. They don’t need to be long but they are very powerful as they are straight from another customers mouth.
For longer or more technical sales often a detailed case study is the way to go. It gives you much more space to better explain in detail the problems and more extensive statement around how you implemented a solution
4. Ask For It
If you would like your website visitors to do something then you should ask. Many times I see that a website just leaves it up to the visitor to work out what to do. Tell them to “click here for a quote” “fill out your details to have someone call you”.
Simply ask for it. Ask for what outcome you would like. Generally more than once on the page . Make it clear where the visitor needs to go to fill out the form. It shouldn’t be like trying to find buried treasure. Having a form that is clearly visible without any surrounding clutter is a big plus to make it easy to identify on the page.
We’ll get into more in the next stage, “conversions”
5. Call Me
Have your phone number clearly displayed if you want people to contact you by this method. I recommend that it is placed in the top right corner in the header area. Generally the header is consistent on every page across your site. Large type size so it is easy to see for all ages. If you chose a 1300 number (or free call type number) it is valuable in determining your conversions as you can track the number of calls directly attributed to the website.
If you have any further questions please contact me
About Peter
Digital marketing strategist for small to medium business.
I help business owners with their marketing to target and nurture more high value clients, to deliver more profit and grow their business by implementing proven tactics and strategies.
I show you successful lead generation and marketing systems that will bring in an unlimited stream of quality clients to work with.
A critical part of our system is to provide regular checks to ensure you reach your desired success as well as tap into our knowledge and support
I use statistics and data to make smarter decisions in business. Rather than the “spray and pray” marketing of old, I have been able to leverage time and resources to deliver a far better outcome and profits.