Back when dot coms ruled the world (or seemed to before the bubble burst, anyway), there was an awful lot of money poured into advertising trying to lure visitors to websites; most of this advertising was done offline, no less. These ad campaigns would typically bring in a quick rush of traffic, but very little repeat traffic or sales. Websites were operating on the assumption that if you kept your content fresh, there would be no trouble getting repeat traffic.
While for certain types of websites this is absolutely true (e.g. a news portal), many people still think that fresh content is essential for ongoing website success. That ain't necessarily so
Many of the websites we build for clients are designed for bringing in more business. Now, once you've convinced a prospect to become a customer, the website has done its job and fresh content becomes far less of a concern.
I'm sure you've heard it said that it takes something like 7 visits to your website before a prospect will enquire. And that's sometimes true. As a general rule, the more complex or expensive your service, the more visits are required before an enquiry is made.
The best way to drive these initial "pre-conversion" repeat visits is to incorporate a "lead capture" mechanism into your site. This might be as simple as a newsletter signup form, or it could be an invitation to download more comprehensive materials (e.g. a free report or eGuide).
These offerings allow you to capture leads and stay in touch while educating them on what you can offer them. By following up with these prospects, you'll entice many to come back to your site for repeat visits.
We use this technique very often - on our own website as well as client websites. However, whether a lead capture mechanism is necessary or not in your case all depends on how hard it is for you to convert first time visitors into paying customers.
Just to add another layer of confusion, I'm not saying that you shouldn't add new content to your site or perform updates. Just that it isn't a necessary condition of a successful website.
New content can in fact be a great thing for your site, especially if your site is niche focused. In this case, frequently updated content can establish you as an authority; having a section of your site devoted to articles can be a good way to bring prospective clients in for a visit.
This is a good thing, but it will take some effort, as you'll have to write this content (or have it written for you) and keep your site updated - and it's no guarantee of success, either.
Many business owners we talk to are eager to include a "latest news" section on their sites in order to bring in repeat traffic. There are two reasons why I don't generally recommend this.
1. Unless you are a genuine authority in your field, these sections tend not to be all that informative or interesting to prospective customers.
2. This section will involve posting regular updates; something which is often neglected. I'm guessing you run across "latest news" pages all the time which haven't been updated in years.
What I'm trying to tell you here is that it pays to plan ahead. If your website is going to need frequent updates, make sure that you have the resources to make this happen. If this is going to be problematic, then you may want to go with a more low maintenance kind of site.
While for certain types of websites this is absolutely true (e.g. a news portal), many people still think that fresh content is essential for ongoing website success. That ain't necessarily so
Many of the websites we build for clients are designed for bringing in more business. Now, once you've convinced a prospect to become a customer, the website has done its job and fresh content becomes far less of a concern.
I'm sure you've heard it said that it takes something like 7 visits to your website before a prospect will enquire. And that's sometimes true. As a general rule, the more complex or expensive your service, the more visits are required before an enquiry is made.
The best way to drive these initial "pre-conversion" repeat visits is to incorporate a "lead capture" mechanism into your site. This might be as simple as a newsletter signup form, or it could be an invitation to download more comprehensive materials (e.g. a free report or eGuide).
These offerings allow you to capture leads and stay in touch while educating them on what you can offer them. By following up with these prospects, you'll entice many to come back to your site for repeat visits.
We use this technique very often - on our own website as well as client websites. However, whether a lead capture mechanism is necessary or not in your case all depends on how hard it is for you to convert first time visitors into paying customers.
Just to add another layer of confusion, I'm not saying that you shouldn't add new content to your site or perform updates. Just that it isn't a necessary condition of a successful website.
New content can in fact be a great thing for your site, especially if your site is niche focused. In this case, frequently updated content can establish you as an authority; having a section of your site devoted to articles can be a good way to bring prospective clients in for a visit.
This is a good thing, but it will take some effort, as you'll have to write this content (or have it written for you) and keep your site updated - and it's no guarantee of success, either.
Many business owners we talk to are eager to include a "latest news" section on their sites in order to bring in repeat traffic. There are two reasons why I don't generally recommend this.
1. Unless you are a genuine authority in your field, these sections tend not to be all that informative or interesting to prospective customers.
2. This section will involve posting regular updates; something which is often neglected. I'm guessing you run across "latest news" pages all the time which haven't been updated in years.
What I'm trying to tell you here is that it pays to plan ahead. If your website is going to need frequent updates, make sure that you have the resources to make this happen. If this is going to be problematic, then you may want to go with a more low maintenance kind of site.
About the Author:
About the author: David B. Ascot's knowledge is in improving sales lead generation rewards and your company can benefit from his winning strategies of online lead generation.
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