As a small or medium-sized business, it can be tempting to say yes to any clients that come your way. But working with the wrong type of client can be challenging and stressful. Ben Waters, Founder of SS1 Creative, shares his advice on how to attract the right type of client for your business.
Start with your website
'Most business owners I speak to don't really get a constant, steady stream of business from their website,' says Ben. Yet your website can be your greatest asset and one of the main tools for bringing people into your business. The problem is, they often have the wrong call-to-actions, Ben says. For example, a free consultation, call-back or brochure request. Most visitors are simply not ready to buy. They're just looking for information.
Creating a lead magnet
The solution is something Ben calls a 'lead magnet.' This is a four to six page guide that talks about the problems your visitors might be facing and the potential solutions. The purpose is to provide your website visitors with valuable information on how they can solve their problems. And one of these might be to come to you, says Ben.
'With this guide you are completely changing the game with marketing,' Ben says. 'By creating this guide and offering it for download, you take the number of visitors who ask you for information from maybe 1 in 200 to 10, 20 or more.' At the same time, you're capturing email addresses that you can use to build relationships with your leads in follow-up marketing.
As your list of leads grows, you can start relationship-building with personalised emails. The key here is to avoid newsletter-style emails. Instead, address the lead personally, start with a story about your product or service and include a strong call-to-action at the bottom. Over time you'll grow a list of people who are specifically interested in you and your company.
'You tend to attract more people who like you or are like you,' Ben says. This leads to higher conversions and a more consistent sales pipeline. 'You're building an asset - the money is in the list.'
Key Takeaways
- Most visitors to your website aren't ready to buy from you, so give them valuable information instead.
- By creating a guide that explores the problems and solutions your visitors might have, you can grow a mailing list.
- Growing a list of interested prospects is key for building relationships that might turn into valuable sales.
