Your Website’s Sales vs. Branding Bucket List

By Jim Gilbert

Last week, I started a new series on how to make sure you capture as many visitors as you can when they come to your website.

For the purpose of this discussion, let's forget about branding and think as if we're just creating a sales-dominated website. In other words, let's think about this without the constraints of image building.

Any time a visitor comes to your website, the one thing you want them to do is raise their hand and identify themselves. Them doing so enables you to continue communicating with them until they're ready to buy (or buy again).

Therefore, you want to have as many buckets on your website as possible for consumers to jump into.

I've talked previously about the value of having your customer support phone number prominently displayed on each page of your website, as well as the benefits that live chat offers. If you're resistant to having live people answer the phones and don’t think it’s a return on investment-driver, check out my series from last year titled "You Lost Me There." You may just change your mind after reading it.

Two More Must-Haves for Your Website
These days everybody has a e-newsletter sign-up page on their website. For the few of you who don’t, get out from under that rock and get an email newsletter created. Then entice visitors to opt in for news and specials with a link to it on all pages of your site.

Too often cross-channel retailers don't include a prominent “Contact us” form on their websites. A "Contact us" form is like an email address link on steroids. A well-designed form draws people into it, almost compeling them to come forward and ask their questions. Don’t just relegate your form to your “Contact us” page; add it to your homepage. Or, better yet, integrate a "Contact us" form on all pages of your site.

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Jim Gilbert Author's page Jim Gilbert has been creating direct marketing programs that drive superior ROI for almost 30 years. Fluent in consumer or B-to-B, creative, operations, and analytics, he marries the strategic and tactical sides of direct and social media marketing in a seamless fashion that gets results. He's CEO of a multidiscipline direct marketing agency, Gilbert Direct Marketing, Inc., which focuses on direct mail, catalogs, DRTV, telemarketing, print, alternative direct marketing media and social media marketing. Jim has been involved in start-ups, expansions and turnarounds, and is an expert in helping multichannel marketers get to the "next level." He's a former adjunct professor, teaching direct marketing at Miami International University, and is President of the Board of Directors of the Florida Direct Marketing Association. Jim loves to talk direct marketing, and has done many lectures on direct and social media marketing.