SEO and Mobile Websites Not in Your Budget?

(And 8 other marketing mistakes that are hurting profits)

There’s a big myth floating around the business world that customers only care about cost. Wrong! The truth is, there are lots of reasons that your customers aren’t buying from you and in most cases, none of them has to do with what you charge for your product or service. Here are 10 reasons your customer might have stopped buying from you, or potential customers might be buying from your competition.

REASON No. 1: They aren’t finding you online. You say you’ve got a website? Really? Do I need a treasure map to find it?

SOLUTION: How about helping the search engines find you? You’ll need some keyword-optimized blogs and articles (especially longtail phrases), some photos and videos and lots of tags. Don’t forget those outbound links!

REASON #2: You don’t have a mobile website.

SOLUTION: Not all regular websites work on smartphones. You could be frustrating customers amid the buying processing due to slow to load times or the need for scrolling. Increase your marketing budget; you’ll need a mobile website, a significant social media presence, and excellent communication between team members.

REASON #3: You don’t know your target customer.

SOLUTION: Make a list of your typical (or target) customer’s attributes. Get specific! If you’re a real estate agent selling houses in the $400,000 to $500,000 range, would it be safe to say your target customer is married? Employed? Between 35 and 55? Perhaps dual income due to spouse’s career?

REASON #4: Your website needs to be updated.

SOLUTION: Your site should be easy to modify (yourself). It should include links to your social media accounts (like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn) and sharing capabilities for products, sales, promotions, etc. If your site is hard to navigate or if you have no way to measure where your customers are coming from, (Paid ads? Organic traffic?) or how many pages they’ve viewed on an average visit, you definitely need an upgrade.

REASON #5: Your shipping costs are too high.

SOLUTION: If you’re getting lots of dumped carts, follow the breadcrumbs. Are the carts getting dumped right after the page that shows shipping costs? Find ways to offer promotions (free shipping on Mondays!) and incentives (the more you buy the less you pay for shipping). Or roll the cost of shipping into your products.

REASON #6: No one sees you as an expert in anything.

SOLUTION: Stop writing sales pitches. Post timely, interesting and important blogs (and articles on your website) about your industry. Help your customers think of you when they need an expert in your field.

REASON #7: Your customers are confused about your product/service. Advertising that you use low VOC glues and bamboo flooring might not mean anything to the first-time home renovator.

SOLUTION: Explain the benefits of your products­­. Are they better for the environment? Do they dry faster? Easier to clean up? Do they use renewable materials? Are they durable enough to stand up to kids and pets?

REASON #8: All you do is sell. No one wants to make eye contact with you or connect with you on Facebook because you’re one-sided.

SOLUTION: Use your social media, PR opportunities and networking events to do something other than try to get people to buy your product or service. Position yourself as an expert in your industry; ask people questions about THEM; hold fun quizzes and polls; just work on getting people to know and like you.

REASON #9: Your customers don’t trust you. Whether it’s a slew of bad reviews online or some customers feeling like they got a “bait and switch” when you ran out of an advertised product, you need to face the trust issues head-on.

SOLUTION: Respond to every negative review as publicly as possible. “Dear Jane, I’m sorry to hear that we didn’t live up to your expectations this time. Please allow us to try again. We’d like to send you a gift card for a free entrée in hopes of winning you back as a loyal customer.”

REASON #10: You have no cross-platform integration.

SOLUTION: Your customers were excited to use the half off promo code you texted them this morning. Unfortunately, your cashier at the local store never got the memo. He doesn’t know anything about the coupon code; let alone how to enter it into the register. Make sure everyone is up to speed on promotions, sales and procedures, and that all your marketing platforms (print media, TV and radio ads, SMS, e-newsletter, social media, etc.) is integrated and seamless.

What’s been YOUR biggest marketing mistake and how did you fix it? Share your advice here.

If you’re contemplating a new approach to marketing, contact us for a complimentary consultation and quote. 303-883-4275 or 800-611-3316.

EasyChair Media is a full-service marketing firm and custom publisher with a comprehensive approach to marketing. We provide cost-effective, results-driven mobile marketing solutions for any size budget.