Getting traffic to your site is vital. But, it's not enough to sustain a business and bring in the revenue that you need to thrive. To get sales, you need a way to convert your website visitors into quality leads. You need to know who is visiting your site and how you can get back in touch.

A few ways to get your website visitors to make the jump to prospects:

Put an Email Sign-up on the Front Page of your Site

Sometimes the simplest way to get an email address is to just ask for it. In return, you can provide notifications about sales and new products and discount codes especially for subscribers.

Put a Premium Piece of Content Behind a Form Gate.

Create or commission a valuable piece of content. This can be an ebook, report, white paper, infographic or a pre-recorded webinar. Ask for a few pieces of information in exchange for access to the content. Make the form quick and easy and keep the questions from being too invasive. If prospects think that the amount that they need to share is worth it, they're more likely to fill out the whole form to get to the content behind it.

Show Some Content Only to Signed-in Users.

Women Typing on the Computer

There are many philosophies in this area. Some eCommerce sites will not let visitors view any products without signing in. Others will show most products, but will hide a few bargain prices from surfers who are not logged in. Some businesses who use a content marketing strategy will allow un-logged in visitors to see a portion of an article but require a sign-in to see the whole thing. The trick is to balance what you show with what you demand. If someone does not feel that it is worth the trouble of logging in, you may wind up losing the prospect before you begin. Make sure that your offerings are enticing enough to earn a login from a visitor.

Use Social Logins

Give customers the ability to sign into your site using their Facebook or other social accounts. Many people appreciate the convenience of using their established accounts online and may be more likely to sign up to get access to your site if you offer the option. Plus, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social logins give you access to great demographic information that you can use to better target prospects and improve your products for your audience.

Create an Email Series

An email series allows you to gather contact information from prospects. Plus, it keeps your brand at the top of the recipients' minds for the length of the email series. Think about the in-depth topics that interest your audience. A fitness company might create the series "10 Weeks to Stronger Abs" that includes weekly exercise and diet suggestions. Brainstorm to think of topics that your audience is curious about and where you can provide ongoing information. The best part is that, after you have created the series and set up the email schedule, this method is largely passive.

Use Website Chat

A chat window can allow users to ask questions about products and can prompt them to provide information about themselves. Some companies have chat windows that pop up as soon as a visitor arrives. Others have chat pop up after a few minutes on the site or have windows that are prompted by actions such as visiting a product page.

There are many ways to collect visitor information and use it to keep in touch and build a relationship. By providing value early on and giving visitors a reason to give their information, you can open opportunities to keep in contact and convert a visitor to a prospect and eventually a sale.


Getting Started With Content Marketing

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Sources: Facebook Developers
Best Practices