by Daniel Wesley
Contrary to what your mother told you, sometimes you do have to give away the milk for free if you want people to buy the cow. These days, consumers are inundated with companies trying to sell them something, and they are right to be wary of businesses that promise them the moon and then under-deliver.
Users want to know that your products are worth their hard-earned money, so you need to foster their trust and work to build long-term relationships that go beyond a one-time purchase. Providing free content, tools, and advice on your website is a great value proposition that builds credibility and keeps customers returning to your site. This means more qualified leads, more sales, and a huge ROI for your company.
4 Ideas to Create Value on Your Website
Here are four ways you can add value to current and prospective customers’ lives through your site:
1. Blogging
Update your blog regularly with sharp, relevant content that keeps readers coming back for more. For example, U.S. Bank offers current and prospective customers interactive demos on opening an account, useful investment tools, and helpful content for business owners on its U.S. Bank Connect blog.
Bolster your written content with vibrant infographics, photos, and videos to increase engagement and make your content stand out on social media.
2. Free or trial-based content
Let readers take your goods for a spin before asking them to buy something. One company that does this well is HubSpot, an inbound marketing software platform that offers demos and a free 30-day trial to prospective customers.
If you don’t have a free trial to offer, a well-written e-book packed with useful information, a downloadable tutorial, or a sneak peek at members-only articles can entice users to pony up for your paid product once they’re confident it will be money well spent.
3. Comprehensive explanations
Tell people what you do. Leave the vague terms and marketing jargon on the cutting room floor, and get to the heart of what your company does and why. People respond when they understand your vision and know it’s one they can get behind. There’s no need to go writing a lengthy manifesto; short, sweet, and to the point works best.
4. Social integration and presence
Take your social media presence seriously. Don’t just use your Facebook and Twitter accounts as vehicles to promote your products. Curate content, engage with your followers, and give them a reason to press that “like” button. One great way to incentivize people to “like” your company on Facebook is to offer a free download, access to a different part of your site, or even a discount on an order as your way of saying thanks.
Devising Your Strategy
What you choose to offer and how you market it will depend on the type of business you’re in, the customers you want to attract, and your company’s unique personality. Choose to offer free products that give users a well-rounded sample of the quality work you produce, and follow up with them afterward. Use your social media networks to stay on their radar and hook them as clients.
Converting from Free
You’re probably wondering how to get visitors who are accustomed to freebies to start shelling out real money for your products. For starters, make sure your giveaways are of great quality. These products should be part of a long-term strategy to convert users, so don’t phone it in when writing that free e-book or prepping for a webinar you’re offering to boost sign-ups. People may not be paying for these resources, but they will be paying for your products and services if you can convince them you offer real value.
Users respond best when they feel invested in a site, whether that’s because they come to you first for valuable content or because you’ve targeted your marketing to their interests. The more valued they feel, the more they will value your company, and the more likely they’ll be to opt in the next time you launch a new product.
However you choose to do it, creating value on your website is important for attracting new users and converting them to recurring customers. People are more loyal to companies they believe value their business. Providing free content is a way of thanking them for their patronage and laying the groundwork for a prosperous, ongoing relationship.
Dan Wesley, the founder and president of CreditLoan, strives to provide the most helpful and informative content for those looking to learn more about their finances. From credit to debt to loans, CreditLoan’s website has it covered. For more information, visit www.creditloan.com.
Photo Credits
Believe Creative | Courtesy of Author
