Do you yearn to refer to your website as the "salesperson that makes you money in your sleep?”
While it isn't easy to accomplish, it’s certainly possible. I’m going to get you started.
The first step in making your website work for you is getting to know who your ideal audience really is in order to connect with them. For the purposes of this post, though, let's assume you have a good, detailed picture of your ideal client.
Because here’s what I’m going to share: I have three ways you can connect with the ideal audience that’s behind the screen.
Making your website your round-the-clock salesperson
Let me introduce you to a certain situation all solopreneurs encounter. In this situation, you’re a hypothetical business coach, and Sabrina just happens to be your ideal client.
Sabrina wants to improve her teaching presence, but she lacks confidence. So she does a quick search on Google with the query “how to gain confidence” and one of your blog posts pop up. She clicks it and reads. You have a few great tips she takes note of, but now she wants more. She starts to click around your website.
At this point, you have approximately 30 seconds to connect with Sabrina, answering her questions and enticing her to stick around. She doesn't necessarily know what she needs. It’s up to you, in that brief encounter, to introduce the option of hiring a business coach, and communicate the benefits of working with you rather than figuring it out on her own.
Together, let's explore three ways you can connect with Sabrina in those 30 seconds and how you can deliver the answers to her questions without actually having to be there:
1. Communicate via video/audio:
Providing quality video and audio content is one of the best and quickest ways you can connect, gain trust, and build credibility with a potential client. Here are a few ways in which you can use video and/or audio effectively:
Create an introduction video for your homepage. When Sabrina visits your website, she has concerns and questions that she needs you to answer for her. Develop an engaging, 30-second video that welcomes visitors to your site, and answers any or all of the following:
- How can you solve my problem?
- What makes you an expert?
- Why should I trust you to hire you?
- What would it be like to work with you?
- How much does it cost to work with you?
Create a free video or video series for your email opt in. List building is a serious tool for increasing audience engagement. Use a free video or video series as your giveaway to entice sign ups. Be sure to make these videos educational and remember, someone like Sabrina doesn't know they need to hire you. Speak to what your ideal clients want and need.
Develop an educational webinar. Webinars are another fantastic tool for educating your audience, building your credibility, and allowing you to inspire a connection. And it doesn’t just have to be done in real time. Record a webinar and make it available via your site. Sharing or selling the recording will allow your visitors who didn't attend live, like Sabrina, a chance to obtain value and see you in action. Alexis Grant has a great example of this with her SEO for Bloggers webinar that can be accessed anytime, for free.
Host or guest appear on a podcast. I am not suggesting you start a podcast unless that is what you want to do -- it’s a big undertaking! However, being interviewed by someone who has a popular podcast allows you to share your expertise with someone else’s audience, and it can be linked to over and over again without any additional work by you.
2. Grant easy access to your calendar:
Perhaps video and audio aren’t for you. You still want to make that initial connection with Sabrina before she exits your site. What I’ve seen work: allow visitors to schedule a free consultation with you and get on your calendar instantly. This way Sabrina has access to you to ask any questions she might have and you are able to connect with Sabrina one-on-one to see if she's a good fit. The best part? all of the logistics can be taken care of while you sleep.
Easy scheduling tools you can use:
3. Talk directly to your ideal client in your written content:
Your written content on your website should be working for you all the time. When you write your content with your audience in mind, Sabrina will feel as if you are talking directly to her and not to the masses when she reads. Use more "you" and less "I." Make your visitors feel important, unique, and like they’ve found the right place.
Imagining connecting with one individual at a time makes all the difference in your writing. Consider their needs that you are fulfilling. Live conversations with new prospects mean sparking interest by framing your services in terms of how you can help them solve their problem -- and your written content on your website should do the same.
Each of these three strategies requires some upfront work, but once set up, they’ll begin the transformation of your website from passive tool to 24-hour salesperson. Because we all need some time off, right?
Which of these three strategies will you focus on and use for your business? Share with us below.
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- 3 Ways to Connect With Your Audience in Your Sleep - October 30, 2014
Great article! I’m working on my welcome video right now, I love the tips you gave on what to include 😀
Thanks Cozetta! I am looking forward to seeing your video. 🙂
Awesome tips, Siedah. I’m only realizing now that I’m living in Europe how difficult it is to man my online presence at all times. Working on a welcome video now. We’ll see how it goes…
Hi Andrew. I totally understand what you mean as we both circle around some of the same circles. However, have you also thought of migrating in specific niche circles in addition? I look forward to seeing your beautiful smile on your welcome video. 🙂
Wonderful article. I am in the process of setting up something new and this has certainly got me thinking about what I need to include on my site.
Hi Caroline.
I am absolutely thrilled to hear that. Thank you!