Smart Business Magazine, September 2013

22 Smart Business Detroit September October 2013 This happens entirely too often But basic prep work on the front end can help you avoid becoming one of those organizations whose well planned marketing strategy is wasted Conversion means different things to different people In retail it may mean going to find a product either online or in person But in a different industry it may mean that someone just wants to talk to you about helping to solve a specific problem Regardless of your conversion definition the singular commonality is your ability to immediately follow up and act on the potential conversion This is because when someone reaches out to buy a product or for help with a service it is an emotional decision He or she is claiming that they either need something a product or help with an area they do not have the expertise in The importance of this step in the marketing funnel is critical Like it or not we live in a world of instant gratification both personally and professionally and you must tailor your marketing efforts to accommodate it When someone winds their way through that funnel by becoming aware of your services having interest and then being willing to engage and dig deeper to learn who you are nothing kills those Missed opportunities Dont waste your marketing efforts by failing to be prepared for a timely prospect follow upmarketing efforts faster than failure to respond to that person Too often we see conversion points that consist of a basic email us link on a website It sends a note to a general email address that nobody regularly checks Or the company lists a phone number that reaches a general voice mail account that is rarely checked In both scenarios all the work required to lead a prospect to conversion is rendered moot Take steps to ensure conversion So what can you do to reverse the trend and build systems that allow for more immediate conversion Among the easiest to implement are A phone number that connects with somebody who is dedicated to following up Online chat capabilities in real time Marketing through a website or other sales materials that guarantee a 15 minute response time A well designed form on your website that asks for four components name email phone number and reason for the inquiry any more information than that may cause prospects not to convert Keep it simple and swift Many organizations simply fail to take the direct route and as a result they swing and miss Initiatives such as putting a map that points to your location as your prominent website contact us looks great but how many people will actually get in their vehicle and drive over to see you Also dont underestimate the importance of offering multiple ways for people to reach you for a swift response When it comes to todays marketing funnel there is no effective one size fits all approach For example lets say youre looking to refinance your house or buy a new one This is an emotional decision You do your research and find a company that you believe will offer the best possible rates You reach out to them And then you dont hear back for days What happens You lose interest But now consider the result when you reach out to a company and get a return response within 10 to 15 minutes First you get the information you need to make a decision More importantly though that company has forged an emotional connection with you because they were responsive to your needs It is this emotional connection that can be highly effective in closing the final piece of the marketing funnel conversion And if your organizations marketing strategy includes optimizing your marketing spend why would you ever overtly waste money by failing to have an effective and immediate follow up process in place Nothing is more frustrating than missed opportunities except when those missed opportunities were completely avoidable For example you and your organization put in the time and effort to drive prospects through the marketing funnel toward conversion And then when the prospect is engaged and reaches out to you youre not equipped to provide a timely follow up response David Fazekas is vice president of digital marketing for Smart Business Network Reach him at dfazekas@ sbninteractive com or 440 250 7056 MARKETING STRATEGY DAVID FAZEKAS HAVE AN IDEA TO SHARE Engage with us on Twitter @ SmartBiz_ DET