Is Your Web Site Asleep At The Stick?
 
This is the 2nd in my 2005 series, Great Marketing Results. It is the “end of the story” but we’ll go back and cover other key aspects, as well, in the next few Debunkers. These observations are based on my experience with clients, prospects, and my own web site over the past 4 years.
 
And you may want to take a look at the latest NoSpin Marketing web site, Romans Limousine. Imagine that you are looking for a luxury limo in TN, KY, or AL. Type any set of “limo" or "limousine" type keywords into your favorite search engine. See if Romans does not appear in the sponsored rankings on Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, Earthlink, Ask Jeeves, etc. And if you remain a doubter of the potential of Web Site Marketing read my “Web Site Doubting Thomas” white paper.
 
First a couple of BIG assumptions 
 
Let’s assume that 1) you are doing a good job of driving the right audiences to your web site using search engine marketing (read the next Debunker for an SEM update) and 2) you have some compelling content on your site—interesting and valuable enough for visitors—to get some percentage of them to trade their contact information by offering them one or more of the following via your web site:
 
  • Request for a demonstration (e.g. software)
  • Request to schedule an appointment
  • Request for a quote
  • Request for a sample
  • Request for an answer to a question
  • Request to be on a newsletter list
  • Request for a valuable free piece of valuable, unique information
  • Request for a free thing (with no strings attached)
  • Request to be part of an interactive group
  • Request to buy via e-commerce (if you’re vending products online)
  • Other requests
 

Following Up as a Way to Differentiate Your Online Marketing

 
The good news is that you are in a small minority of companies if you do both #1 & #2. The other good news is that you can optimize your investment in your site and search engine marketing and differentiate your site even further IF you do a great job of follow-up. On the flip side, if you’re not doing a great job of follow-up, then you are tossing away dollars and losing potential business.
 
All NoSpin Marketing web site clients do #1 and #2 and all get some level of positive results and positive ROI ranging from “pretty good” to “outstanding.”  Yes, the magnitude of results also depend to some extent on what you are selling, etc, but the main variable in producing a great results versus so-so level of results (in transitioning prospect contacts into sales) primarily depends upon your own follow-up.
 
A lot of companies—big and small—are simply asleep at the stick online. Even though they may have invested a lot of time and money in their site and do some of the right search engine marketing things, they falter, miserably, when it comes to follow-up. That is, they just don’t pay attention to the contacts that are coming in via their site: who fill out a request form or send an email--or call the published phone number(s) on their respective site—or don’t handle them very well. Here’s how you can win and beat lots of other lazy online companies—
 
1) Be faster
2) Be more professional
3) Use phone and email response
4) Be persistent
 
1) Speed wins--I’m not talking about auto-responders (automatically generated emails that indicate that an information request or order has been received). Those are fine, but what I’m talking about is a quick “custom” response to get the actual information needed ASAP (or indicate when it will arrive). Your visitors are likely not just visiting your site, and they want what they want--now. And your ability to respond quickly is the first indicator of the competence of your business. Get them the information they want today. Schedule that demo today. Get that quote out today—not a few days down the line after five competitors have beaten you to the punch.
 
2) Professionalism wins. Here, I am talking about the quality of the response itself and how it is delivered--without any tricks or deception. How well you respond is actually more important than the act of responding itself. Do you provide what you promised? Are you polite? Do you offer help if it’s evident your product or service is not up their alley? Would you, as a person inquiring, be impressed with how your company handles an inquiry? Has this function been delegated way down the line to inexperienced staff who have little idea how to communicate with the inquirer?
 
3) Phone & email response wins—whatever works best & what visitors prefer. You need to offer multiple options on your web site for people to respond via phone, contact form, email—or even immediate chat. Who cares how the responses come in—just so they do! In turn, you should use typically use both email and phone (unless one or the other is indicated as unwanted) to follow-up—and over time see what what mix works best for your business.
 
4) Persistence wins. One follow-up is not usually not enough. At least a couple follow-ups—and a few over time are merited—without being onerous. Contact information is pure gold, and you should not assume that a single initial contact or lack of response on their part indicates no interest. It may be simply the person is currently too busy, it’s not the right time, the budget money is not yet available, etc. 
 
And also remember:
  • You may need to change your own business infrastructure to handle your web site marketing investment—or don’t at your own risk.
  • If your audiences tend to call (vs respond online) and are located outside your immediate geography, do you have a toll free number posted on your site?
  • Do you have (enough) well trained phone operators (e.g. incented to make a sale) enough hours of the business day?
  • If you rely on an answering service, is the message friendly and accurate? Is it checked frequently?
  • When you respond by email, are you using a professional business email address (or an obvious personal address)?
  • Do you have an ability to track and collect email and contact information so that you know when and how to follow-up again?
  • Do you collect key contact information by phone (as well as email)?
  • Do you have a back up system or only a single thread (e.g. one person) who is responsible for handling these inquiries? What happens if someone is sick, on vacation, at lunch, etc?
  • Do you have a blast email tool (and quality content) to use and follow-up with potentially interested audiences e.g. monthly?
Wake UP with your Online Follow-up!
 
It’s still absolutely stunning to me the number of companies that drop the ball and do not follow-up quickly, professionally, and more than once with leads they generate online. I preach it to my clients, and some do a lot better job than others. Unsurprisingly the ones that do have great follow-up also have great results in terms of new prospects and sales. 
 
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