Internet Marketing: Selling Strategy is as Important as SEO
When I initially began optimising my main web site to improve the performance in SERPS I treated the exercise a bit like software engineering. I researched some keywords, mainly by looking at competitor sites, then wrote my web copy to include the main keywords plus a few long-tail variations. However, by no stretch of the imagination am I a salesman. I guess I wrote the web copy to include the keywords in various orders BUT I didn’t write copy that sells. I ran the text past a few people, including my wife, but these people weren’t marketing/ sales oriented either. Recently it’s been brought to my attention that my websites need rewriting to make them better selling tools. Here are the main tips I’ve been given:
Emphasise the Benefits
In order to get lots of keywords into a page, I tended to talk about features. Features are OK, but showing the benefits is really important. OK, so you can save a document to PDF but what really matters is that you can email your invoice, saving paper and postage and getting paid more quickly.
Build a Trustworthy Image
As my customer base grew I collected testimonials every now and again. I’d post the testimonials onto a page on my site but I could have made more use of them. For example, I could have placed testimonials directly onto the homepage so that new visitors would know they wouldn’t be alone in buying my products. The other thing I could have done is put the logos of larger, more well-known customers onto my homepage. These would be a quick visual cue to visitors that other big companies trusted me.
Have a Range of Products
The last major tip I was given was to increase the number of products on offer. With one, small product I could look like a bit of a hobbyist. With two, three or a complete range of products, I’d look more substantial and better able to give things like support and ongoing development.
Conclusion
When performing SEO, it needs to be part of an overall sales strategy. Not only do you need to get people to find your site, when they land there you need to be able to make a sale. You need to write Web copy that isn’t purely optimised for SEO. Your web copy needs to be clearly written, simple to follow and, most importantly, your copy needs to sell benefits to your customers.