How to Convert Casual Browsers to Customers at a Moment’s Notice
We all want to believe our platforms are special. That we have that extra something special that hooks every visitor the moment they arrive. And while we’re all unique in our own ways, in the world of business, there’s always another choice available for your audience.
How will you ensure that casual browsers convert on your platform instead of moving on to someone else’s?
Be Ready for Action
In 2006, Pixar released their movie “Cars,” and in the process gave us some excellent advice for our platforms. Early in the story, a cocky race car, Lightning McQueen, gets lost in the dark while traveling through the American West and finds himself in a sleepy former boom town forgotten by the busy world. The town is seemingly deserted, yet immaculate. The residents keep everything in top shape because they never know when a tourist might arrive.
When a visitor arrives, all the cars spring into gear, quickly checking their storefronts to make sure everything is perfect. The visitor’s lost, looking for the interstate. In fact, the locals are coming on a little strong and inadvertently drive the visitor away. Not this time, they all think. But they did their best. They were ready. And they will be ready when the right person comes along.
While the sleepy old town, rendered irrelevant by the busy interstate world is designed to pull at our heartstrings, we experience something similar almost every single day. When you need gas, you’ll often find several options close together. Exxon, Shell, Mapco, etc. If you need to run into the grocery for some milk, you’ve got Publix, Kroger, or Whole Foods all within a reasonable area. But if you stop for milk, and the closest store is consistently out of it, will you keep stopping there? Of course not. You’ll move on.
This is true for your website. Not every visitor to your website will sign up for your email list or convert into a loyal customer, but you must be ready to convert every visitor.
Ask Yourself “What’s Next?”
Take a moment and put yourself in the shoes of a first-time visitor to your website. Some people will land on your site, realize it’s not what they want, and move on. Some will be curious and browse around a little bit, maybe read a few posts. Some will arrive with purpose, knowing exactly what they want. The first group you can’t help—not your tribe. The third group is a shoo-in—your people. But that middle group could go either way. It’s up to you to give them a reason to stay.
These are the three things you need to do on your website to be ready for every visitor:
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Want to give Platform University (your one-stop shop for building an online audience) a spin? Get your first week of Platform University for just $1. Cancel anytime. Try Platform University for Just $1- Have a Clear Call to Action. Call to Action (CTA) is marketing speak for telling people what you want them to do on your site. A clear and compelling email magnet is a tried and true approach that we love.
- Get Sticky. While you can play your CTA in various locations on your site (homepage, in the middle of articles, and the bottom of each article), we also recommend you utilize a “sticky” CTA in the header of your site. This sticky CTA follows visitors to every page and continually reminds them of your great offer. Our Platform Theme and ConvertKit both make this simple.
- See What Others See. Take a moment and put yourself in the shoes of a first-time visitor to your website. Open an article. What do you see in the header? Scroll halfway down the page and look again. Continue to the bottom. In each space, what do you see? Is “what’s next?” immediately clear? If not, you’re losing subscribers.
People are coming. Are you ready to show them what’s next?
