3 Online Marketing Strategies to Kick-Start Stagnant Sales What irresistible exit offer do you have? And, have you considered putting an emoji in your subject line?
By Jonathan Long •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
"Our sales are stagnant and we need SEO -- please help!" This is something that I hear often. While search-engine optimization (SEO) can provide amazing results, they don't happen overnight. And, oftentimes, a business can't wait; it needs sales, and fast. Here are three simple online marketing strategies you can start on today that can help you kick-start your stagnant online sales.
Related: 7 Online Marketing Tools That Are Totally Worth the Investment
1. Hit social media hard with paid ads.
Your website is always going to be your most important online marketing asset, but there's an entire audience that lives exclusively on social media that's waiting to engage with your brand.
I highly suggest that every brand get acquainted with Instagram and Snapchat. Those two social networks are where the majority of the engagement can be found. Facebook remains solid, especially if you are targeting an older demographic, as more parents and grandparents are becoming comfortable with social media, and this is their network of choice. Twitter is currently hit or miss, but I still feel it's an important social media presence to maintain. Twitter just passed the 10-year mark and needs to make some significant changes to spark growth very soon -- it has no choice; it still isn't making money.
Organic social media engagement is great, but like SEO, it takes time. If your sales are slow, use paid social ads to create instant brand awareness and drive wallet-out buyers to your website. Facebook's targeting options are excellent, and Instagram lets you to take advantage of those same options, allowing you to place your offer directly in front of consumers who are likely to be interested in whatever you are offering.
2. Implement an irresistible exit-offer on your website.
Not all pop-ups are created equal. Some are triggered after visitors have been on a website page for a specific period of time, and yes, this can be intrusive and really irritate them. But, an exit-offer pop-up can greatly improve your conversion rates and sales.
Set it to trigger only when your visitor is about to leave your website. That way, you won't risk interrupting a potential conversion. Actually, just the opposite will occur, as you will have a 50 percent chance of turning that visitor into a lead or sale. Also, don't be afraid of upsetting a visitor leaving your website -- it's estimated that 70 to 90 percent of website visitors never return.
Split-test multiple exit offers -- exclusive discounts that require an email opt-in and instant coupon codes that offer a discount or additional value like free shipping -- perform very well. Even the slightest increase in conversion rates can equal increased revenue for your business.
Related: 7 Online Marketing Ingredients You Can't Ignore in 2016
3. Aggressively grow your email list and reward your subscribers with special offers.
Growing your email list provides your business with several benefits. You are building a marketing asset that allows you to constantly engage with consumers whot have expressed an interest in whatever it is that your business offers. Once you capture an email, there is no additional cost to market to that prospect, aside from your email and CRM software.
If you're running a pay-per-click campaign, for example, you are paying for every single visitor that clicks through and lands on your website. You could build a highly engaged email list of 10,000 subscribers, and even at a 3 percent click-through rate, a single email would send 300 visitors back to your website.
Related: 3 Essential Stories You Need on Your Website to Attract Customers
In order to maintain a responsive list, make sure you are sending out offers that can't be refused. Exclusive offers, big discounts and giveaway promotions are all click magnets. Split-test multiple delivery times, different templates and layouts -- and experiment a lot with your subject lines. I've seen open rates shoot through the roof for some campaigns simply when an emoji is included in the subject line. Don't be afraid to test!
