Statistics show that less than one-third of all website traffic comes from direct visits, from those users who have a specific reason for typing in a URL and a specific goal once they reach the website. The majority of traffic coming to your website will actually be indirect traffic. This can be anything from referral traffic to organic traffic, social traffic to email traffic, and so on and so on.
The problem that we see with indirect traffic over direct traffic, however, is that it’s very possible that your specific website was never the intended aim of the visitor. But why let that bother you? Now that you’ve got them, you may as well show them what you’ve got. So how can you get them to stick around?
Here are six ways that you can pull casual website visitors into your marketing funnel:
1. Lead Magnets
Lead magnets are just that; they’re designed to attract casual visitors and pull them into the marketing funnel. Many businesses use lead magnets, although there are many different types of “magnets.” In fact, “lead magnet” is somewhat of an umbrella term, covering anything that is provided free of charge to a visitor in exchange for some form of action: supplying contact details, signing up for a newsletter, etc.
Lead magnets aren’t quite as simple as they look. Consider that 73% of visitors hate pop-up ads, especially those that request personal data. This means it’s essential to carefully consider the best way to use a lead magnet. Remember that a casual visitor may not yet be aware of the “problem,” so going in head first with a “solution” isn’t going to cut it. Think about the first stage of the funnel… awareness.
2. Landing Pages
Off-site marketing — guest posting, social media marketing, and so on — is very much a hot topic in the marketing world today. However, when a casual visitor finds themselves on your website, it’s easy to see the importance of on-site marketing, too. Potential customers can find you in many different places, so it’s essential to be prepared to promote your business not just on the outside but on the inside, too.
One of the first considerations for on-site marketing should be landing pages. In order to draw visitors into the “awareness” stage of the funnel, landing page content shouldn’t be massively specific. Rather than specifications for a blender, for example, it’s better to include evergreen content, perhaps about the benefits of blending. A wider topic such as this can appeal to different visitors with a range of interests.
3. Live Chat
By now, most of us will know the importance of live chat. Not only is live chat functionality actually expected by visitors (especially by mobile visitors), but it’s also quickly become one of the preferred methods of business-to-consumer (B2C) communications. However, what many don’t realize is that live chat is also a hugely advantageous tool when it comes to helping to draw casual website visitors into the marketing funnel.
Live chat offers a unique way to target the passive visitor. These casual visitors have found themselves on a website but don’t really have an ultimate goal or motive. At the right time, a connection is formed through customized messages that are targeted specifically to a visitor. Messages can be customized based on a wide range of “triggers”: referral source, language, location, or landing page, for example.
4. Visuals
Most of us are “visual learners.” This means that we not only pay more attention to information when it’s presented in visual form rather than textual form but also absorb this visual information more easily. We need to assume that our website visitors are visual learners, too, and tailor our approach to web design to meet these needs.
By providing influential and persuasive content in a visual form to casual form, rather than in textual form, we can increase the chance of this content catching the eye and encouraging these visitors to stick around, learn more, and perhaps hop into the top of the marketing funnel. Rethink the way you tell your brand’s story. Consider using infographics, videos, images, memes, case studies, charts, diagrams, and more. Putting some effort into creating your own visuals shows care and uniqueness and can go a long way.
5. Debate
Creating quality content is important for any business owner. However, in terms of pulling casual visitors into your marketing funnel, “quality,” in this instance, isn’t just about finding a relevant story or having impeccable grammar. It’s about doing something different, something eye-catching. There are many ways to engage with visitors through content, but one of the best is to introduce the idea of debate.
When creating content for your website, don’t be afraid to be controversial or discuss the notion of alternative ideas. Give your readers something new to consider, and force them to question what they already think they know (providing you’re not acting offensively and have a solid argument to back up what you’re saying). With the right quality content, visitors will pull themselves into the funnel.
6. PPC
What we’ve looked at so far is about pulling casual visitors into the top of the marketing funnel: awareness. However, as we all know, the real-life funnel isn’t quite as linear as we’d like it to be. Despite being a “casual” visitor, some still won’t be suited to the awareness stage; they’ll be ready to be pulled into a later stage of the funnel. This can be trickier to do, but pay-per-click marketing can be useful.
With pay-per-click (PPC) ads, your promotional content can be customized to match the customer buying cycle. A casual visitor, for example, may already be aware of the problem and may know of a suitable solution, but they’re still not ready to convert. In this instance, a targeted, visible PPC ad at the top of Google’s results can act as the tipping point. Think links to webinars, case studies, and demos.
It’s not just about traffic…
One of the biggest issues with digital marketing today is that there’s such a massive focus on traffic. After all, generating more traffic is the primary purpose of search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns, link-building campaigns, and many other types of marketing campaigns. However, traffic isn’t everything. In fact, traffic is largely pointless if these visitors are failing to take an action. Traffic and conversions together are the secret to success. So, if your business is spending time and money on boosting traffic, don’t let conversions be an afterthought. Now is the time to think about how you can turn that traffic into marketing-ready leads.
Josip Mlinarić is email marketing and outreach specialist at Point Visible, a marketing agency providing link building and digital marketing services. He likes to say he has a simple and calm mindset in his approach towards life in general and likes to relax with experimenting in the kitchen or just chilling listening to music.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
