The #1 Website Mistake That Could Cost You Millions!
(PLUS – the simple solution that turns your website
into a 24/7 sales machine)
From:
Mike Low
michaellowcopywriting.com
Thursday, 8:37 a.m.
Dear Reader,
I’m sure you’re eager to know the number 1 website mistake that could cost you millions …
So let’s dive right in ….
In a nutshell… the mistake is simply this:
You treat your website like its primary purpose is to convert new visitors into customers on the very first visit.
And it’s costing you money. Possibly lots of it.
You see, this is NOT the best (or most effective) use of a website.
In fact, a recent study by Episerver showed only a tiny fraction – about 17% – of people who visit your website visit with the intention of buying something.
That means the great majority – the remaining…
…83% of People Who Visit Your
Website For The First Time
Are Not There to Buy!
That doesn’t mean they won’t buy eventually. In fact …
According to Brian Carroll, author of Lead Generation For The Complex Sale, “Up to 95% of qualified prospects on your website are there to research … and are not yet ready to buy or talk with a sales rep, but as many as 70% of them will eventually buy a product from you — or your competitors.”
And get this:
The Episerver study showed of those 17% who have a “buying intention,” the average customer will make 9.5 visits to a brand (your website or social media accounts) before finalising a purchase.
What does this mean for you?
It means, if you want to build the necessary credibility and trust to turn website visitors into paying clients, you’ve got to have multiple interactions with them.
Now, sadly, a quick look at your website statistics will show that roughly 75% of your website visitors show up once, and never return.
And that means 75% or more of your website visitors are…
Unlikely
To EVER Become
Paying Clients!
This raises two questions:
- How do you fix this gaping hole in your marketing process? And …
- How do you recapture the attention of your website visitors who leave without buying … so you get the necessary 9.5 touch points … and turn your website into a 24/7 customer generating machine?
Thankfully there’s a short and simple answer …
Realise this truth:
The primary purpose of your website is not to make a sale. That comes later. The primary purpose of your website is to …
Capture Leads
Or Email Subscribers…
So you can communicate with
them over and over again!
But if you look at most websites – and possibly yours – you’ll quickly see email capture is NOT the number #1 priority.
Or it is a priority, but they don’t go about it the right way.
Now listen to me closely:
Email marketing gives you the ability to follow up with website visitors who have no intention to buy on the first visit.
That’s because when you capture a website visitor’s email address (and other contact info in the case of B2B lead generation) you suddenly have control over the flow of information you send to the visitor.
Once you have their email address you can proactively communicate with them rather than hoping they’ll remember you and come back to your site to buy.
So that’s the number 1 mistake you’re making with your website.
And it leads neatly into the number 2 mistake you’re making with your email marketing.
Namely:
You don’t have an effective automatic “welcome email” and/or “nurture series” set up to convert a high volume of subscribers into customers.
Here’s the thing:
Industry averages for email open rates (and yes, I know averages can vary widely from business to business, but they’re still useful as a guide) is around 16% to 18% per email blast to a responsive list.
But get this:
Your welcome email has, on average …
Four Times
The Open Rate Of
Every Other Email You Send!
Which means, when you send a welcome email …. you’re virtually GUARANTEED the attention of almost every subscriber on your email list.
And that means you get one more precious touch point that will put you one step closer to a sale.
Which begs the question, if “welcome” emails are so powerful, why aren’t you using an effective “welcome email” to prime subscribers to read future emails … and … to influence them to buy from you instead of your competitors?
If you have a high converting “welcome” email … good on you.
If not, you truly are missing out on a bunch of sales (annually and over the lifetime of your business).
Not only that … but … remember how I said earlier that the average person will make 9.5 visits to a brand before making a purchase? Well, when your “welcome email” is followed up with a “nurture sequence” of 5 or more emails ….
Your Chances of Making A Sale
To New Subscribers
Skyrockets Like Crazy!
That’s because you start getting closer to that magic number of 9.5 visits to your brand that leads to a sale.
And of course, 9.5 is an average. Some will buy after receiving your “welcome email”. Others after reading or watching your lead magnet (you DO have a lead magnet, right?). Still others will buy after one or two emails in your “nurture series.”
Basically what you’re doing here is …
Giving Yourself
Every Possible Opportunity
To Make A Sale!
But we’re not done yet because…
Bonus tip:
One study by Omnisend (why these companies have such strange names I may never know) showed when you add a series of three “abandoned cart” emails to your online marketing approach you generate an additional …
69% Increase
In Sales!
What would an additional 69% increase in sales add up to for your business?
Annually that could run into the hundreds of thousands – for some businesses it means millions!
Now, I don’t know how they arrived at these figures … but … what if you only got a 20% increase? Could THAT make an instant difference?
What’s that you say?
It would?
Interesting because… most businesses have only one (and many have zero) “cart abandonment” emails. Which is a shame. Because you can easily automate these emails to go to every person who leaves your shopping cart part way through the sales process.
Anyway, let’s rap this up.
Conclusion:
So… now you know the biggest website … AND … email marketing mistakes that are potentially costing you a fortune.
In case you missed it, or have a memory like a tennis racket (don’t worry, you’re not alone) … here are those mistakes again, in summary form:
- Your website doesn’t have lead generation or email subscriber capture as its primary focus
- Your email marketing (“welcome email” and “nurture series”) is non-existent or doesn’t properly nurture new leads and subscribers to the point of buying your products or services
- Bonus tip: You don’t have an effective “abandoned cart” series with at least 3 automated emails to invite people back to the shopping cart (or point of sale) to complete the transaction
Are these the only website and email marketing mistakes costing you potentially millions?
No.
But they’re the top mistakes made by tens of thousands of businesses worldwide. And the easiest to fix. And the most profitable when done right.
Question is, what are you going to do about it?
Sincerely,
Mike Low
P.S. — If you think you’d like to work with me on your email marketing projects on a no-risk basis (and you’d be crazy not to) drop me a quick note by email now >> Email here