6 Tips to Capture Every Site Visitor
Editor's Note: After an extended hiatus, Retail Online Integration's original blogger, Jim Gilbert, is back to give his irreverent take on all things related to retail marketing. Welcome back, Jim!
Hi folks, I'm back. After a two-year hiatus, I'm re-energized and writing again. I've used my time wisely, doing a lot of consulting and, therefore, I have lots of insights that I'll impart to you over the next weeks and months.
One of the universal truths I see is a lack of understanding by many marketers, from newbie to experienced, of what their website is really for. I know, I know, marketers always say the right thing: It's about conversion. When I look at their website and ask them what their site conversion rate is, I hear them proudly state, "I convert 2 percent, look how good I'm doing!" (And of course some marketers don't even know what their site conversion rate is.)
Here's a better goal: The objective of building a website is to have everybody who visits it raise their virtual hand in the air and identify themselves. Once they identify themselves, you can build a relationship with them until they're ready to make a purchase. In essence, you want to leave no stone unturned when it comes to providing web visitors ways to identify themselves to you.
There are other conversion key performance indicators to track too. Do you track web to Facebook, Twitter and opt-in email conversion beyond sales conversion? Those statistics are just as valid, especially in a socially driven world.
With that goal in mind, the question I always ask marketers is, "well, what are you doing about the other 98 percent of your site visitors?"
Typical response: "We have email newsletter sign up and our social icons".
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Jim Gilbert has had a storied career in direct and digital marketing resulting in a burning desire to tell stories that educate, inform, and inspire marketers to new heights of success.
After years of marketing consulting, Jim decided it was time to “put his money where his mouth was" and build his own e-commerce company, Premo Natural Products, with its flagship product, Premo Guard Bed Bug & Mite Sprays. Premo in its second year is poised to eclipse 100 percent growth.
Jim has been writing for Target Marketing Group since 2006, first on the pages of Catalog Success Magazine, then as the first blogger for its online division. Jim continues to write for Total Retail.
Along the way, Jim has led the Florida Direct Marketing Association as their Marketing Chair and then three-term President, been an Adjunct Professor of Direct and Digital marketing for Miami International University, and created a lecture series, “The 9 Immutable Laws of Social Media Marketing,” which he has presented across the country at conferences and universities.
