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Online Sales Leads Using Traditional Methods
Vice President of Products & Services and Resident Website Conversion Expert Long before online sales and online sales leads became a reality, there were techniques and tactics used to sell just about anything. Successful businesses use these techniques to generate revenue and gain a competitive advantage. Unfortunately, whenever a new communication medium or technology becomes available, we tend to rely too heavily on the efficiencies and functionality of the tool and lose focus on the purpose it was created to serve. The internet, with all of its bells and whistles, often actually hurts the bottom line of businesses. Whenever this is the case there is usually a common cause- the company is not using the traditional sales techniques that made them successful in the offline world to generate online sales or online sales leads. To succeed on the internet, look at what's worked for your company in the past and extend these successes online. Here are just a few things that can easily and effectively be taken online to help in the online sales medium: Advertising If generating new customers through traditional advertising has proven effective in the past, make sure you're taking a serious look at online opportunities such as search engine optimization, pay-per-click ad buys and site sponsorships. Each of these can deliver targeted online sales leads and offers substantial ROI data. Product Demonstrations If your sales staff relies on product demonstrations to help close sales, look for ways to demonstrate your product online. You can provide live or archived demos on your website (and often realize substantial savings in reduced travel costs). Whether you're presenting to one or many, the advent of high-speed connectivity and affordable multimedia production companies make online demos a viable option for most companies. Public Relations If your company has realized value from PR efforts, look for ways to get similar publicity on the web to generate online sales leads. Regardless of your industry, there are sure to be related websites that rely on content to promote visitors and attract advertising dollars. Ask your trusted PR person about such opportunities. Direct Mail Whether you're communicating with your current customers or trying to obtain new ones, direct mail may be something your company has relied on as a way to get out your message. If you know your customers are online, an opt-in email marketing campaign is an alternative and sometimes-preferred method of turning them into inline sales leads. Again, like most online marketing campaigns, you can get valuable response data in nearly real-time. Another attractive benefit of email marketing is that you can make frequent and subtle adjustments to your campaign at virtually no cost. Try getting that from your printing company! Referral and Customer Appreciation Programs If you rely on customer referrals and repeat customers, you've probably tried or currently have some sort of referral program in place. The internet provides the perfect environment for facilitating and measuring the effectiveness of such programs. Look for ways to encourage online referrals and reward repeat customers. Let them know their opinion counts with easy to use feedback mechanisms. You can also conduct customer surveys, polls, and use other interactive ways to generate online sales leads. If you're not exactly sure how each of these can be applied online, don't hesitate to ask someone who has experience in internet marketing (we all love to talk). Of course, before embarking on any campaign to increase online sales leads, there should be clear goals and a way to measure the campaign's success. Good luck! © Medium Blue 2007 About the Author Erin Walker is the vice president of Products & Services and resident website conversion expert at Medium Blue, a search engine optimization company. Erin applies the art and science of website conversion to client websites, influencing visitors to take the next step. She has a degree in Professional Writing from Carnegie Mellon University and her articles have been published on numerous websites, including ISEDB, WebProNews, SearchGuild, and MarketingNewz. Medium Blue Search Engine Marketing was named the number one organic search engine optimization company in the world by PromotionWorld in 2006 and 2007. Medium Blue
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