When you look at a treasure map, there is a dotted line that when followed will take you to the treasure. However, there are also going to be a few detours or even unavoidable redirects along the way as you journey toward that destination. You may go left, you may go right, and you may get lost along the way, but the end goal doesn’t change which is to get the treasure. A treasure map is kind of like a map of your customer’s buying journey but, the end goal is to get or buy the solution to the problem they have which is kind of like treasure when you think about it.
We love a good analogy or metaphor because marketing really is like an adventure to embark upon. Not only do you get the gold, but your customer also gets the treasure that they seek. And, using storytelling instead of a pile of marketing jargon is more fun to read.
So, where do we get started in terms of creating a treasure map to purchase for your customer to follow so that you can increase your sales?
With a goal of course. What will the “gold” or “treasure” be?
Good copywriting, branding, being an expert in your field, and attention-grabbing advertising will help you gain your customers’ trust. But, first, we have to plan the actual journey so that the X matters. If you don’t know what the treasure is, you’re not likely to care about the treasure map and follow it. But, if you know the value of the treasure you might find, you will have your customers’ full attention.
As consumers, we all have different needs and wants. Because of that, you need to understand that you will need a treasure map for each thing or service you want to sell.
So, our first step here is to list those “things” which will be the treasures you will that your customers are searching for.
Let’s say for example that you are a family lawyer. And, as a family lawyer you offer the following services and each of these services is the solutions or treasure that your clients are hunting for.
- Divorce
- Legal Separation
- Cohabitation Agreements
- Child Support
- Spousal Support
- Parenting Agreements (Child Custody Agreements)
Now that we have a list of the things our customers or clients want to find where X marks the spot. The next thing we have to do is to map out their journey toward the X on your map.
So what does this mean exactly? Well, think about your user’s experience. If your website is hard to find, hard to see or has distracting visuals, your customer is likely to be confused as to the path they should take and might get lost in the land of no sales. As we don’t want our clients to get lost, we want to make sure we give them a good map to follow. And, a good map to follow starts with creating clear landing pages for each of your services.
In previous articles, we’ve talked about your customer’s buying journey, and how to optimize your website depending on your customer’s buying journey. If you haven’t yet read them you might take a moment to flip through them.
You see, to successfully increase your sales there is more to it than just what you are selling and how your copy is worded. Creating a specific structure in your website is like digging a trough that helps water easily flow to the place you want it to end up. Of course, you could just let water flow without guiding it but, if you could control the flow more effectively wouldn’t you want to?
Why do you need a specific landing page for each service or product?
Because the buyer you are guiding toward one service or product is likely very different than someone that is seeking a different one. Let’s go back to our family law practice example.
Imagine I am a 35-year-old female who has decided, “I want to divorce my husband”. I got married quite young, our lives went separate ways, and enough is enough. The terms that I search and the questions that I have are going to be very different than those of a 45-year-old male looking to get a divorce and obtain a full-time parenting agreement as I feel their mother is unfit to parent. She needs to work through some toxic issues in her life before she can have a healthy relationship with her children.
Both clients are good potential leads for a law firm. But let’s look at the customer journey, shall we? Let’s say the potential client punches into Google “divorce lawyer near me” and pulls up two websites to compare before deciding which lawyer to hire. The first website has a single services page that lists all the services they offer and only describes what they do with a sentence or two. On the other hand, on the second website when they go to the services section there is a full page of content devoted just to divorce. It explains how the lawyer can help, and what the divorce process entails, has an FAQ section that has answers to the questions that are running through their minds already. Plus, it has support articles as to how to divide all of the physical and financial assets, and how to tell their kids that they are going through a divorce. Imagine you were in their shoes, which lawyer would you call based on that small overview alone? Likely the ones that provided so much value upfront because it speaks to experience showcases their helpfulness and guides them through this difficult life change they are making.
Everything up until this point is a good start but, there is still work to be done to increase your sales along the way. Having an amazing website is all well and fine but, if no one ever finds it, therein lies a problem. You have to give the map to the treasure seeker or make sure it falls into their hands before they can begin their journey.
So, how do you make sure those that you want as customers or clients find your website to begin with? Make sure you’ve noted the 7 seas of optimization below!
- Make sure your website is mobile-friendly:
It’s very likely that about 60% – 70% of your customers find you on their mobile phones. This is why it’s essential to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly. Your website should be optimized for different screen sizes and be easy to navigate on mobile devices. A website that shrinks down to fit a phone is not mobile-friendly, nor is a site that you have to update in two places in order to show a mobile-friendly version and a desktop version. So, if either of these is the case for your current website it’s time to invest in an update.
- Have a clear call to action:
Your website should have a clear call-to-action (CTA) on every page. A CTA is a prompt that encourages visitors to take a specific action, such as signing up for a consultation, purchasing a ticket to an event, or purchasing a product. Whichever the case may be make sure your CTA is easy to find and stands out on the page.
- Ensure fast loading speed:
Having a slow loading speed can significantly impact your user’s experience and result in a high bounce rate (meaning your customers exit your website before it even loads). A slow load speed is like a digital sea monster that is capsizing all the ships that come your way. If you’re spending on advertising either traditionally or digitally to lead people to your website and your website takes forever to load it’s possible you are wasting 50% of more of your advertising budget. Investing in the time it takes to have an expert optimize your website’s loading speed alone and you will see your sales increase.
- Use high-quality images and videos:
High-quality images and videos can help improve engagement while increasing sales and leads from your website. Use images and videos that are relevant and helpful to your customer in terms of supporting the messages you are communicating. Doing so will also create a professional look and feel which is like the window dressing of your online presence. It’s also important to make sure that if you are using stock photos the images you choose for your customers can relate to and suit your brand image. For example, if you’re a real estate agent selling homes in the Toronto or Barrie area, you won’t be posting photos of people living clearly in New York City.
- Keep your website design simple:
You’ve likely heard the phrase “keep it simple” and when it comes to your website it rings true. Your website design should be simple and easy to navigate. Avoid cluttered pages, jamming too much into one page, and confusing layouts. Make sure your layout design is consistent across all pages and matches your brand’s style in terms of the colour schemes or brand elements you work into it.
- Implement tracking and analytics:
Use tracking and analytics tools such as Google Analytics to track your website’s performance. This will help you understand your website visitors’ behaviour and identify areas that need improvement. If you’re not sure how to implement a tracking code give us a call or book a free no-obligation consultation with us. We’re happy to help you get it set up and it only takes a few moments to do.
- Optimize for SEO:
Optimizing your website for search engines can help improve your website’s visibility and drive more traffic to your site. Use relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and alt tags to optimize your website for search engines.
In addition remember that landing pages are designed to provide a targeted and focused experience for visitors seeking a specific solution, service, or product. The more personalized the experience is for them, the faster you will see your sales increase.
Focusing in on the what, the why, and the how is key to your success. The more you analyze, the more specific you can get, and the more sales you will attract because you took the time to push through the grunt work first.
If you’re looking for help mapping out the website structure you need to increase your sales while creating an advertising plan that will attract your key customer — You know the ones that actually buy for the right reasons — give us a call or book a consultation and let’s talk about your specific needs in detail. The sky’s the limit when it comes to the world wide web and our talented team is always here to help you get the increases in sales you are looking for.
Source: Blue Corona
