How To Convert Website Traffic Into Subscribers
I recently did a consultation with a client about their website. They have a pretty good setup with a website and social media. However, they weren't converting traffic into leads, and leads into sales.
"Why aren't people signing up for my services?" She asked me. This is a problem that many new business owners encounter.
If you are reading this, and you can relate to their frustration, then i've got you covered. In this blog I am going to explain exactly what the pitfalls are and show you how to grow consistently.
Keeping it Fresh
My client's website traffic was quite high. "Thousands of people are visiting my website. Why has no one signed up yet?" This was one of her biggest frustrations and she didn't know how to get around it.
I did an assessment and found that her website was indeed getting many views, so what was the problem? Well, even though she had many people visiting her site, they would only scroll for a few minutes and then leave, quickly forgetting about the experience and moving on to the next thing.
There was nothing on the website to keep them engaged or encourage them to come back. This is what's known as a bounce rate — websites with high bounce rates typically don't get any recurring visits.
When people visit your website they should always be greeted with something fresh and new.
You should ask yourself "how am I providing value to my visitors?" There are many ways to do this, but the aim should be to convert first time visitors into long term subscribers.
Keep an Active Blog
I noticed that although she had a blog, she didn't post new articles consistently. A blog is a great way to keep visitors coming back to your website. If your content is helpful people will keep coming back for more.
However the key is to post consistently. I equate it to a TV show, episodes should air at the same time slots consistently, so that your audience knows what to expect. Your content should also be relevant to your audience's interests.
Here are some creative ideas for your blog:
- Tutorials
- Tips
- Client success stories
- Responses to comments or questions
If you follow this blueprint you will never run out of content to write about.
What to avoid
Know your Audience
Don't write content with the aim of conforming to SEO. The Google algorithm might eat it up, but your readers won't. Your content should be written for humans, not robots.
It doesn't help if your content ranks first on Google search, but there is only one person reading, and it is a soulless AI. Human subscribers are what we are after. You want to build a legitimate fanbase among your readers.
Be Authentic
Don't use AI or AI tools to write your content. Using an AI will just undermine trust and push away subscribers. The only way to establish a connection with readers is through being genuine.
Don't copy others. If you plagiarise or spin articles you are no better than an AI. There is no value in repackaged content that's already being parroted by thousands of websites.
Forget about keywords
Just write an article that focuses on providing value and solving the reader's problem. When people see the value in your work and you actually solve someone's problem they are more likely to come back.
Who knows? Maybe they will even share your article with someone else that has the same problem. Maybe that person will see the value in it and share it again. If enough people share it, maybe it will even go viral.
Be active on Social Media
Another problem that I noticed with her setup is that she had less than 10 followers on her Social media accounts. She was posting consistent updates, but it doesn't help if nobody is reading it. So how do you get more followers on social media?
Social media is about being Social. Just get out there and start talking to people who have interests that align with your niche. It's a slow process, but there are no shortcuts to success.
Start by leaving a comment on their post (maybe ask a question). They will leave a response. Then reply to them...
Before you know it, you've got a conversation going and there's a message thread. At some point they will want to know more about you, visit your profile, and follow you.
Rinse and repeat, before you know it your followers will increase. The best thing about this is that you will have real followers who are loyal to your brand.
These are just two of the many ways to get people to sign up for your services. Other ways of getting people to engage with your site is through a newsletter, vlogs, support forums, online chat etc. I will definitely cover these topics in a future article.
If you've made it this far, I respect you. I hope that I was able to provide you with some valuable insights. Feel free to drop a message with any of your questions, concerns or criticisms.