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You've started your business. Launched your website and set everything up as you wanted. How do you get quality traffic that will convert into sales?
It was the year 2009. I had just launched my website, and within days, I got my first order.
Wow! I was on cloud nine….. I was overjoyed. It was such a PROUD MOMENT for me. And then, in a couple of days, I got the second order, and then the third and rest is history.
Fact check 2009:
The first order story, was just good old word of mouth reference from one of my customers to someone from her hometown.
With no payment gateway on the website, our first customer deposited a cheque in our bank account, and I waited a couple of days to get it cleared and then got her material dispatched.
This happened 12 years back. Such things don’t work anymore.
So, how do you get your first customer on your website?
Every e-commerce website starts from scratch, and somewhere down the line, earns the first customer.
If so many businesses have done it before, you can surely do it.
The answer lies in driving quality traffic to your website, retaining some percentage of it, and further converting some into your customers.
But the most difficult task is to drive traffic to a new website.
A lot depends on the product or service you are selling, but you can try some of the below mentioned ways to generate traffic to your website:
Social media platforms
Identify your target audience. Answer a couple of questions related to your ultimate buyer. Like what is their age, income, gender, occupation, marital status, location, level of education? etc.
Next step is to identify, where are they hanging out online? Which social media platforms do they use the most? And then create all your content around their pain points offering them solutions to their problems.
Offline contacts
You should announce your new business launch amongst your friends, family, relatives and neighbours, and also offer inaugural discounts.
These are the people who know you since many years and trust you. They are your well-wishers and will be happy to see you grow. Chances are high that you may get your first customer from this lot.
Once the purchase is complete, don’t forget to take their testimonials and display them on your website.
FB or Google Ads
Ads can help in driving that early stage traffic to your website. Because organic traffic takes time to bear results, ads can help you in giving that much needed push.
Try experimenting with a small amount first, if you get results slowly increase your daily budget.
Quora organic marketing
If your products/services are suitable for Quora Marketing, you should surely explore this option.
Answering questions on Quora also adds credibility to your profile, and your followers start looking at you as an expert in your field.
And don’t forget the traffic it sends to your site.
Facebook/LinkedIn Groups
These groups are great places to promote your products and services, but don’t be a spammer.
Every group has its rules, follow them or run the risk of being blocked. Genuinely engage in group conversations and contribute. Network with group members, and subtly promote your products.
Guest posts
There are a lot of mixed views regarding guest posts, but they still work.
When you choose to do guest posting, just ask a few questions first:
Are you writing for the right audience? What is the Domain Authority of the website you are writing for? What is the monthly traffic of the website? What is the Spam Score of the website?
FB Live/Insta Live
The live sessions on various social media platforms help in increasing viewership and engagement from your audience. Most of the times it results in growing your followers list also.
WhatsApp marketing
WhatsApp has emerged as a powerful medium to market your products and services. You can create your own groups and also post in other relevant ones. And don’t forget to explore the latest addition ‘WhatsApp for Business’.
Apart from the above, think of strategies that are exclusive to your business. Devise some marketing techniques that will work well for your product and your customer base.
These can make you stand out from the crowd. But it’s not easy. You need to think outside the box and be creative in your approach.
Closely observe the patterns in your industry. Brainstorm with your team and try to arrive at a unique marketing strategy for your business.
Lastly, don’t forget that consistency is the key. Most early stage entrepreneurs expect quick results and are easily disappointed if unable to reach their goals. But for a business to bear results, it takes a couple of years. So, have patience and keep doing it.
Good Luck!
First published here.
Image source: RAEng_Publications on Pixabay
Anu Handa is the co-founder at Startup Bindaas. She's a Website Coach and helps Small Businesses launch Rockstar Websites. Her expertise lies in Launching Website based Online Business, Driving Organic traffic & Ranking on read more...
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