So my lovely cat was out in the yard. And, after many hours of very hard work, he brought me a “gift”…the fruits of his labour. A mouse.
The poor little guy (the mouse) was “gently” trapped inside my cat’s mouth. (And very much alive.) My cat then proceeded to bring the mouse to my doorstep, and – oh so carefully – placed him into my sandal which happened to be just outside the door.
Well. The mouse saw his opportunity to escape and ran towards the sliding door. Fortunately it was closed at the time. And I refused to open it. So he chose the next best thing and scurried up the screen door.
My cat was very disappointed in me. He felt this was a joint effort. He had worked very hard collecting this mouse for me and didn’t understand why I would not welcome it into my house so “we” could play some more. Perhaps celebrate his hunting conquest.
It was difficult to communicate to him exactly why I didn’t think this was such a good idea…..
What Does That Have to Do With My Website?
It does remind me a lot about bringing visitors to a website... do they really want to be there? Is it something they would like? Is there a "catch"? Is this a game? Are you going to bombard them with pop-up ads and click-bait? Or do you have something genuine to offer?
My cat spent hours and hours "acquiring" that mouse. But as soon as the mouse got near the house - he ran away. And he ain't coming back (I hope, anyway). If you're spending time and/or money on traffic to your website, this is exactly the type of visitor you do NOT want. (lol)
What kind of traffic DO we want?
Who Is Your Ideal Website Visitor? And How Do We Attract Them To Our Website?
5 Great Insights Into Not Only Attracting, But Retaining "Just The Right" Website Visitor
- Pick a small subset of your potential market to market to
- Focus specifically on a solution you can provide for THEM
- Aim to build a relationship, not to just "capture" leads/clients
- Offer something relevant that visitors can sample. Something that can lead to an appreciation of your product/service.
- Create a value-added scenario with your products/services. Aim for a win-win, not a win-lose.
1. Pick a Subset
You probably have a solution or a product/service that will work for many, many people. In fact, the market for your solution is probably huge. So why not just market to everyone?
Because you'll grow broke.
Even Walmart started small. They did not enter the big cities initially. They specifically went into the suburbs where prices to the consumers were higher because there wasn't as many choices. They went after what is fondly called the "low hanging fruit".
"Low hanging fruit" is exactly like what the phrase expresses. Fruit that you can reach without any ladders. You just walk up and pick it and it's ready to eat. When you are small, it doesn't take much "fruit" to satisfy you, so it is not always that difficult to find it in enough quantity to make you very happy. It may take you some time to look around and find the right tree, - one that still has plenty of fruit left on it, but once you find it... you are set for the day!
This is actually one of the huge advantages small businesses have. They can seek out and tap into much smaller markets, and find enough business to meet all of their needs. Bigger business, as they grow, must branch out into more and more areas, - many are not as easy to locate, and take much more work getting access. Celebrate the one of the many advantages of being small.
Choose a smaller subset of people to cater to. Zero in on how they talk about their issues. What their particular pain points are, and let them know that you truly understand what it is they are going through. The more you connect with your audience, the more they feel understood, the more likely they are to bookmark your website and visit again and again.
2. Focus Specifically on the Solution You Can Provide For them
When you narrow down who it is you are talking to, it is much easier to hone in on what their challenges in life are, or what their dreams and desires are. When you understand where you ideal visitor is coming from, it is much easier to develop language and presentation to speak directly to them.
It is really not all that difficult to "tweak" a product or service to make it a bit more personal to the audience you are targeting. And it will go a long way to building that longer term relationship with them. This is yet again one of the advantages to being small and nimble. It is far easier to adapt to the market you are serving. In the long run this personalization can lead to raving fans and great reviews.
3. Treat Your Visitor in a Manner That Gets The Best Long Term Results as Opposed to Short Term Results - Aim To Build a Relationship
So sitting and waiting for the Mouse (visitor) to surface, and then pouncing on it at "just the right time", does not produce loyal customers?
As we all know, chasing your "clients" around, or STALKING them where they hang out, rarely pays off in the long run. Oddly, not everyone has figured this out. There are still plenty of examples of "click bait" and popups out there trying to trap you into clicking things and ending up where you don't want to be. This is a game that amuses many, but is this the type of business you, yourself want to be running?
The predator/prey thing is just not a cost effective strategy to attracting and retaining good customers or clients. Collaboration is a better way of looking at the picture. Who do you resonate with? And who resonates with you? When you can connect with the right people life gets a lot easier.
There is no sense trying to market to an audience that you do not understand, or cannot find a common connection with. They do not have to be exactly like YOU, but there has to be something you can find in common that will create that "glue". We, as humans, are very sensitive to energy, and we can feel when things are "right", when we are "understood". These are the people we will keep going back to over and over.
This also does not make it "wrong" that some people do not resonate with you. That's the way life is. We are drawn to some people, and not to others. Don't waste yours or other people's time on relationships that aren't going to work in the long run. The world is full of people we just say "hi" to, and don't really get to know that well. There is nothing wrong with that. Not everyone is going to make it into your inner circle.
When you can find customers/visitors/clients that appreciate what you have to offer, your life gets a whole lot easier down the road. You will not have to work as hard in the long run. This may mean giving a fair amount of things away for free in the beginning. But in the long run you will be paid back in full and more.
4. It is Always a Good Idea to Offer Something That Visitors Can Sample
You can't serve your niche effectively if they don't know who you are or what you are providing. And when you're small, you don't have the advantage of being "known". You have to do something to get "known".
There are a couple of perspectives on this one. Are you offering something up to "lure" people in? Like a fishing lure? Or cheese with a mouse? Or are you offering something that genuinely reflects who you are and what you are offering as a product or service?
What is the purpose of the "cheese"?
Do you remember the analogy of using cheese to trap a mouse? What is the intention for the mouse after it is trapped? Do you think that the mouse can sense that this is a trap? Do you think it might communicate this to his relatives that perhaps this is not a good place to visit?
How about your website visitor? What do you think the response will be if you continually use false pretenses to get them to your website? Even though this may seem like an obvious statement... many people still use these tactics to lure people in. And, obviously it works... to an extent. You WILL catch a mouse or two throwing around free cheese. But it does not seem like a great long term strategy. Even mice get smart after awhile.
On the other hand, if you give out samples of cheese because you are,... well - selling cheese.... then this is a GOOD thing. Or perhaps you are selling wine. Wine goes well with cheese (or so I hear). Is your "free gift" genuine and authentic? And does it relate to the product you are selling? Is it a subset of the product you are selling? Or is it complimentary?
5. Does Your Product/Service Add Value? Does It Produce a "Win-Win"? Or Does It Merely TRANSFER Value. (Win-Lose)
What is the number one thing humanity is always striving for? Healthy, beneficial, win-win CONNECTION.
We are all connected. All of the time.
1. We can dim our lights. We can block and ignore certain people or energy that drain us or male us feel uneasy or bad, OR
2. We can seek out, and go towards the things that make us feel better. More uplifting. Rejuvenating. Refreshing. If you really want to succeed. If you really want to hit it out of the park - strive to be THAT connection.
A long term relationship must be a win-win for both sides. Not a win-lose. When you take from others, or they take from you (take everything for free) the relationship is simply not sustainable.
Initially, we may help someone out in a tough spot without asking questions about who they are and whether they really need the help, but after awhile, as we get to know someone, we learn who is simply looking for free handouts and who is there to learn and to grow and will actually benefit from what we have to give, and who values us so much that they are more than willing to pay for that service.
Think of the things in your life that YOU are WILLING to pay for. That you WANT to pay for. Which of those make you feel good? Is it a great concert from a band that you love? It is a vacation to a tropical paradise? Is it a course that furthers your career? What drives you? What drives your audience?