In marketing an online business, there are only two methods for getting more customers to your website, and they’re quite simple:
You find them, or
They find you.
The truth about online business is that it’s all a numbers game. Once you have a successful platform built, you can scale it however you like. If you make 1 sale, that’s a clear sign you can easily make 100 sales. If you make 100 sales, you can confidently project 1,000 in the coming future!
But if you’re not making sales or you’re unsure how to scale your business, you first need to know how to reliably and consistently find new customers, and then you need a system in place that helps new customers continue to find you.
Now, when you think about all of the businesses online — the good, the bad, and the ugly – notice that they all fall into one of two categories:
Type 1: People that constantly struggle to get traffic, make sales, and profit online. If they do find a customer, it’s almost always the worst situation imaginable. The customer wants to barter, trade, get a discount, request a custom order (and never come back to actually pay for it), get a refund, and oh yeah, their package got lost in the mail.
– or –
Type 2: People whose products or services are flying off the virtual shelves. These people seem to have a raving crowd of fans at the ready and eager to buy! They mention a product on Instagram, and within minutes, it’s sold out! Customers are raving and showing off their purchases (thereby creating even more insatiable desire for the product).
Next, let’s imagine how each of these business owners feels about their clients/customers, and let’s be really honest with this exercise. I’m going to have YOU play the role for both parts.
Type 1: The Business that Constantly Struggles
You put your product online for sale, but you don’t trust your customer will find it, understand it, or be able to afford it. You’ve tried marketing, but nobody’s listening, so what’s the use?
You add more options and customizations, just in case it will add that “something special” your visitor hasn’t been able to find anywhere else.
If a customer inquires about a purchase, or actually makes one, you talk a lot. You send a lot of messages and extra confirmations and notices. You’re secretly afraid they’ll change their minds or they won’t like the purchase. You don’t want a negative review, and you definitely can’t afford to send a refund. Your business needs every sale it can get!
(By the way, I have a successful business, and I can relate to almost every line I wrote above. I’ve felt all of it, at one time or another over the years. I don’t know an online entrepreneur who hasn’t experienced these fears and doubts.)
Type 2: The Business that Continuously Thrives
You put your product online for sale, and you just know it’s going to be a huge hit. You set a (too big to admit out loud) sales goal … and you exceed that insanely glorious figure! When you share or post online, your message is received with warmth and excitement.
You trust your instincts, and that allows you to keep your operation simple.
You know your ideal customer so well that it has allowed you to create a system that surprises and delights them time and time again. You tested the system; you can trust it to eliminate customer confusion and unnecessary conversations.
Customers are raving, referrals are pouring in; people are proud to do business with you!
What Makes the Difference?
Sue Bryce is a photographer that teaches a mix of photography and business for CreativeLive. I love her. In a recent class, she discussed the attitude we bring to sales, value, and pricing.
To paraphrase her beautiful talk, she told a story about what it’s like to walk into a boutique where the sales clerk looks at you like you can’t afford the product versus what it’s like to walk into a boutique where the sales clerk treats you like you’re important.
Think about how differently those two situations make you feel. One boutique scenario leaves you feeling utterly dejected, while the other leaves you feeling absolutely rich.
Next, let’s look back on our two types of business owners. THIS IS SO IMPORTANT: Which person trusts their customer? The one that sells, of course!
Which is unknowingly rejecting their customer? The one that struggles, obviously! Therefore,never secretly worry that your customer can’t afford your product! Don’t do that!
Treat them like they’re rich. People are drawn to and want to purchase from business owners that trust them. Your customers are important and their time is valuable. Respect them as such to attract more of them to your business.
Attract, Connect, Convert
Attract, connect, convert! I’m chanting over here! Look at all the questions you constantly face in online business:
How do I get people to my website?
How do I convert views into sales?
How do I get fans to see my posts on Facebook?
How do I get social media fans onto my email list?
What am I supposed to say in email broadcasts?
How do I find new customers?
How do I make more sales?
All of these questions mean that you have the gears of an online business in place, but they’re not moving. They’re static, stalled or stuck. They’re failing to work together.
The real question is: How do I get these gears to move and work together?
Enter copywriting. I know what you think copywriting is – you probably know the textbook definition, which is to write in a persuasive way that markets, advertises and raises brand awareness. And yes, it’s all true, but it’s so much more than that.
Copywriting is the language that builds relationships online.
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not about getting cute or clever with words. It doesn’t matter whether or not you consider yourself a “good writer”; anyone can do it well. And it’s definitely not a pushy or spammy trick to sell.
Good copywriting adds movement. It honors the customer’s desires. It’s what encourages them through the sales funnel, guiding them from new visitor to loyal friend. The language you use online is what gets these gears moving.
And here’s my favorite part: It’s simply a language to be learned, and once you know it, everything you do online becomes more successful. You begin to say what your customers have been dying to hear, you easily attract more interested buyers, you connect in a way you never thought possible, and converting sales becomes the easiest part of the job.
Complete Copywriting: The Course to More Sales
My signature program is specifically designed for online entrepreneurs (both product- and service-based). It will help you market your business and attract, connect with, and convert more customers.
Complete Copywriting: The Course to More Sales is now open for enrollment, but only for a limited time.
The real question is: How do I get these gears to move and work together?
