You have generated a database of prospective clients, but how do you convert them into customers? Digital agencies can be impressively successful at lead generation. They go out there and collect details of would-be customers. More importantly, they can filter these leads and persuade the most qualified to buy from you.
However, you need to work more closely with your digital agency for better conversions. While they can give recommendations and advice, you have the ultimate last word as you understand your industry and business best. What works for one of their clients might not necessarily work for you.
Importance of a digital agency for your business
The digital marketing ecosystem has been evolving rapidly. This evolution is expected to continue as we transition into 2021. Hire a digital agency that is well updated with new trends and approaches that appeal to your business. Otherwise, you may lose track and end up on the wrong side of the competition. Here is what you can expect in 2021’s conversion game.
Have you already hired the services of a digital agency? If not, now is the time. COVID-19 has led the digital transformation for a lot of companies. With the offline stores closing down, a lot of the businesses see opportunity in the e-commerce industry. The job description of all digital account managers includes implementing the latest tips and tricks in the industry. Leading digital agencies are therefore very well informed, updated, and equipped. After all, you are too busy running your business to do prospecting and conversion.
Improved video marketing
Video marketing has been well received over the years. The conclusion by many digital experts is that the number of internet users watching videos is more than triple the number of people reading text. In fact, if video trends are anything to go by, people may stop reading altogether, unless the content is absolutely engaging.
Moving forward, you can expect your digital agency to refine the approach further. For example, videos have to be so captivating that people would want to stop everything else just to watch it. The making, packaging, and treatment of the video must therefore be highly professional.
Similarly, digital experts should reduce the length of every single video. People easily lose interest in long videos and those that do not communicate the message in the first few seconds. To attract their eyes and maintain their attention, ensure each video has a great first impression. Video thumbnails in 2021 must look and feel interesting so that people can click and watch.
The use of parallax websites
Is it easier to click or to scroll? This question has been frequently asked in many digital forums in the recent years. The usual answer is scrolling is far easier than clicking. It requires less effort. Even if the targeted prospects are interested in your products, the bounce rate on the website will remain high if the website interface is not user friendly.
This is especially true given that more than 85% of all internet users visit websites on mobile. You see, mobile users usually scroll web pages from top to bottom. In 2021, shift to a website design that not only loads quickly but also displays content in a straight forward manner.
Also called parallax websites, these are more visually impressive and can actually motivate a passive visitor to spend more time on pages. Have the call to action button visible the moment a person visits. In terms of converting prospects, have the checkout procedure ready. Read more tips about your website checkout process below.
Have more keen data analytics
There is no one single customer whose attributes match another’s. You have to analyze each separately to establish their needs so you can learn how to meet them. For example, a hotel’s customers range from single, double, family, and group room bookings. What worked for the previous family of four might not work for a different next family of four.
For these reasons, ask more specific questions to your prospects. Get more information on their needs, challenges, and expectations. With this, you are better armed to provide logical solutions that make sense not just for them but also for your business. A fine dining restaurant in the heart of Nairobi should have diverse menus to cater to the diverse visitors from all over the world.
Learn who your website visitors are and where they are coming from. Does lead generation from Facebook work better than Twitter’s? Basic website analytics tools such as Google Analytics can measure your customers’ gender, age, geographical location, and type of device they are using. Capitalize on these in 2021 to convert prospects as per their personalized metrics.
Categorized targeting approaches
Before you even arrive at prospective customers, you need to package the targeting posts, ads, and messages wisely. Let us use the above example of a fine dining restaurant in Nairobi that serves diverse dishes to various customers. Categorized targeting for the restaurant means prospecting for customers as per the diverse menus.
Let us assume that the restaurant’s menus are Chinese, American, Brazilian, and African. Its digital agency needs to focus on the personal attributes of each customer when recommending a specific menu. If it is determined that Chinese customers prefer the Chinese menu to any other, it makes sense to target them with that preference.
Having said that, it is important to note that Chinese customers could still be interested in trying out other menus besides what they traditionally prefer. This is why you must always gather feedback from clients. You can do this with both physical and online engagement across various points of interaction.
When you categorize your clients into clusters, you can save a lot of time, money, and other resources. There is no point in pushing a product to otherwise uninterested or unqualified prospects. You should no longer have the excuse that marketing is shooting in the dark. As online tools such as Facebook Ads evolves, so should your approach.
Refine your ‘Contact us’ and ‘Check out’ forms on the website
Chances are that you are sending prospects from social media pages to specific web pages. How long do they take to fill the forms? If it is a pain, the chances of bouncing away are high. The fact that they could bounce away to your competitors is a source of worry. Choose to be ahead of the pack in the new year.
Do prospects feel intimidated by the number of fields that they must fill? There is only one way to know. A very large difference in the number of people who visit the forms page and those that actually fill and submit it indicates a problem. Those who do not feel are perhaps afraid of giving too much of their personal information.
For this reason, have as few fields as possible. The name and contact number are primary details for lead generation. On the other hand, include essential fields such as email address and physical location on the checkout form. Simply put, people need faster, quicker and straightforward solutions to their problems.
Conclusion
There is no one single magic trick that will miraculously transform your prospecting and conversion. Note that the practicality of the above tips varies from one industry to another and from one business to another. Be very accurate and proactive.
You have to be flexible with your digital marketing approaches. Some conversion tips may take longer to execute and bear any tangible result but refine these regularly until you figure out what works best for you. Happy prospecting and conversion in 2021.
