Keeping Prospects Engaged over the Long Haul

According to Justcreative.com, Chilton Research shows that many consumers take quite a while to make a large purchase---as much as 60% take seven months or longer to punch that buy button. Staying ahead of the competition by engaging and keeping with your prospect is even more important. An innovative internet marketing plan can position your company to do just that.

• Start with a website that provides information on the product that the prospective customer can add to a wishlist, watch videos, find specs, and see all the great things your product can do. This provides something that can be shared with other decision makers in the family. At the same time, though, you need to link to something even more dynamic and that would be:
• Engaging and active social media that not only offers tips, samples, sales information, but legitimate praises from your Facebook fans. This is a sure way of keeping connected to your prospect. Since your potential customer has already identified a need for your product, at this point you're staying ahead of the competition with your online community. This is a great way to celebrate what your business does best and proves just how responsive and inclusive your business community is.
• Ask your potential customer for an email address and permission to sign up for your newsletter at the time of first contact. Fill the newsletter with reasons that the purchase shouldn't be put off. Share tips, personal stories, events, and links on your business---push information out to your customer and stay ahead. 

 With an online strategy connecting with a prospect over the long term yields the results. And the online strategy keeps that customer with your business community even after the sale is completed.        

Newsletters and Value

As part of my web consulting job, I purchased a copy of CorelDraw. The program is great, easy to use, and equally as useful but much cheaper than Adobe's $1000+ program. But this post isn't about trying to persuade you to purchase a program. It's about adding value to newsletters.

When I registered my version of Corel I was offered a newsletter. I signed up thinking I would not only get news on updates but also tips and ideas about how to use my product.

I couldn't have been more disappointed. What I initially received was an email per day advertising the product that I already owned. The emails were poorly designed with outdated graphics; hardly inspiring from a company that was trying to sell graphic design software. Later the graphics got somewhat better. But when the new version came out there was no explanation of why I should upgrade; no demonstration of what the new product could do. In fact the announcement itself was plastered on the old graphics.

These emails continued to come until, after a couple years of deleting them everyday without any value added tips, hints, or information, I signed off of the mailing list.

Corel lost the opportunity because they didn't add value or give customers a reason to stay signed on.

We've Added New Services

If you haven't visited our website at blueheronmoonwebco.com point your browser and head right over, we've added some new services.

Many times when I'm out canvassing the area for new business I see business owners being pulled in all different directions. The market place is changing. How customers find you is changing. If you are a small business relying on the hard copy yellow pages you are missing out on business opportunities---and that's alright if you are happy with the amount of business you currently have and you're confident that you can hang on to your current customers.

But more than likely you are looking for ways to weather these tough economic times and looking for ways to economically compete.

When I need a service or product, I look on the internet. I couldn't tell you where my most recent copy of the phone book is---I probably don't have it any longer. It is much simpler and less time consuming to hit the search button and find the information I need. Most websites give more info on what services a local business offers, I get to learn a little more about just who I might be doing business with and a bit of the history behind that person.

Being on top of the search engines is important but even more important is that connection you have with your customers and having your own customers letting others know how great you are and why they chose you over your competition.

So we've added Social Media Management and Newsletter/Email Campaigns to our mix of offerings. For a small amount each day we will help you drum up interest and connect with your customers in ways to get you in front of potential customers. We'll help you with those newsletter designs and campaigns and subscription management.

So, if you and your staff just don't have the time to engage your customers online, and uncover all those potential customers, we're here to help.