4 Things You Need For Your Website Business

The importance of your own website for your business is essential

Apart from the fact that having a website gives your business the credibility it deserves, it also allows you to effectively market your products or services to your target audience.

Before you decide on owning, building or designing a website for your business, here are some of the most important things that need to be in place:

1.    What is a Domain Name?

Simply put, a domain name is your website name.

This is the address internet users have to put in their web browsers before they can access your website.

Most domain names contain only letters, but a domain name can actually be a combination of letters and numbers. For example, 37Signals.com or bet365.com.

Before purchasing a domain name for your business, think of names that are short, easy to remember, and easy to spell.  Feel free to use any of the various domain name extensions available, such as .com, .ng, .com.ng, .net, .org, .biz, etc.

A domain name must be registered before it can be used. You also need to renew your domain name regularly.

Every domain name is unique i.e. no two websites can have the same domain name. If anyone types your domain into their browser, it should take them to your website and no one else’s.

2. What is Web Hosting?

Web hosting services work by storing your website files in high-powered computers (web servers) connected to a very fast network.

When internet users want to view your website, all they need to do is to type your domain name into their browsers. This will allow their computers connect to your server and your web pages will be delivered to them through their browser.

For example, when you register your business name with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) – this is likened to registering a domain name– you need to acquire an office or shop space where people can come to purchase your goods and services–this is likened to hosting.

That is exactly how domain name registration and hosting works; the web host is where you store the information you want people to see on your website.

3. What is a Logo?

A logo is a design used by organizations or individuals for identity. Your logo communicates ownership.

It tells the world and potential customers who you are and/or the type of products or services that you offer.

Why do I need a Logo?
It attracts new customers

People are drawn to interesting designs and colours. Your logo should be designed to draw attention and capture the curiosity of your potential customers.

It should at least prompt them to look, and hopefully, buy your products or services.

It separates you from the competition

A good logo should dare you to be different because it reflects who you are. It should also separate you from everybody else.

It aids brand loyalty

A recognizable and familiar logo goes a long way in fostering brand loyalty.

Developing a logo that represents your services, values, and business personality is crucial.

From business cards and storefront signage to email communications and display advertisements, your logo can speak for your business when you can’t, or when words aren’t enough.

It can be everywhere

Your logo can be used on your website and also as the display picture on your social media accounts. It is a way of advertising your brand and your message consistently.

If you develop your brand message and successfully tie it to your logo, everything you do and create will automatically become associated with your brand and logo.

4. Website content

These are basically the words, images, files, videos, etc. you want on your website. As simple as this seems, it is imperative to the outcome of your website design.

Most agencies follow the same process when it comes to content: the client (you) supplies the content, then the agency (or web designer) builds the website around the content provided.

In conclusion…

In this article, we have shown you the four (4) critical elements you need to have before starting a website design project.

 

 

Different Method To Use For Payment For Your Online Store.

It’s always a good idea to give people options. In e-Commerce, especially in Nigeria, it’s very important to have multiple payment options for your online business. In this post, we will be sharing with you 4 standard payment methods that you can use for your e-commerce website.

  • 1. Bank Transfer
  • 2. Online (Card) Payment
  • 3. E-wallet
  • 4. Cash on Delivery

    1. Bank Transfer

    This is the most popular payment option in Nigeria.

    This payment option allows your customers to pay directly into your bank account after placing their orders.

    This payment method is especially useful for customers that aren’t comfortable paying with their cards.

    Bank transfer has also been made easy by banks – customers can easily transfer the money via USSD code or internet banking.

     

    2. Online (Card) Payment

    Businesses love this option!

    Instead of having to follow-up on customers that chose the ‘Bank transfer’ option, here, customers just complete the entire transaction online.

    Of course, for this to work, you must have at least one online payment gateway integrated on your website. There’s nothing wrong with having more than one.

     

    3. E-wallet

    This one isn’t so popular, but is very useful for both customers and business owners.

    An e-wallet enables customers have some funds stored in their ‘account’ on your website. Whenever they place an order, the cost is then simply deducted from their ‘wallet’.

    This option is convenient for customers that make a lot of repeat purchases in that they don’t have to make payments each time.

    For businesses, this is particularly useful for handling returns; instead of sending the money back, you can simply credit the customer’s wallet, so they can use in when next they order.

     

    4. Cash on Delivery

    Businesses do not like this option, but customers do!

    Cash on Delivery, as the name implies, means your customer will pay in cash (or with POS) when their orders have been delivered to them.

    They won’t be required to make payment on your website but in person.

    A lot of people aren’t comfortable shopping online because of internet frauds and scammers, so “cash on delivery” payment option is safer and secure as they get to see the products they ordered for before making payments.

    The drawback for businesses, however, is that even customers that aren’t ready to purchase use this option, causing waste of time (and money) for the business owner.

     

    In conclusion…

    We’ve shared the 4 standard payment methods you can consider for your online store.

    You can use one or more of these payment methods. We recommend you have at least two options. Simply determine the payment methods your customers prefer, and what works best for you as a business.

    Are you interested in discussing how we can help you with e-commerce development or Digital Marketing? Contact us today.

5 Way To Convert Website Commentators To Potential Customers

However, a website visits is a good thing, it’s definitely not the ultimate goal. You want visitors to your website to perform an action that will convert them to leads. It’s the leads you will follow up with till they end up as paying customers.
Now how do you achieve this? Do you have a strategy that converts visitors to leads?

This is what we’ll will be discussing in this article. By the end, you’ll know the various strategies you can use to convert website visitors to leads. Let’s dive right in!

Contents:

  • 1. Lead Magnet
  • 2. Landing Page
    • What’s a Landing Page?
    • How Is It Different From A Home Page?
    • 7 Landing Page Tips for Higher Conversion Rate
  • 3. Opt-in Form
  • 4. Live Chat
  • 5. Call To Action (CTA)
    • Examples of Call To Action
    • Qualities of A Compelling Call To Action
  • In Conclusion

1. Lead Magnet

How many times have you dropped your information like name, email or phone number on a website in exchange for something valuable such as a free trial, an ebook, free product, checklist etc. All these are called lead magnets.

According to Investopedia,

A lead magnet is a marketing term for a free item or service that is given away for the purpose of gathering contact details; for example, lead magnets can be trial subscriptions, samples, white papers, e-newsletters, and free consultations.

Lead magnets are very effective in converting visitors to leads. However, for you to have a high visitor-lead conversion rate, you must ensure that your lead magnet is:

  • Specific: You have to create a lead magnet that will target a specific market. It’s better to have 1000 people who are ready to move further down your funnel than 10,000 people who couldn’t care less about your business.
  • Quickly Consumable: No one wants to read a 200-page ebook or a 20 days email course on digital marketing. They want something they can consume within a few minutes to hours. So when creating an ebook, make it short and straight to the point else, the purpose will be defeated.
  • Well Packaged: Even if the lead magnet is free, you still have to package it in a way that anybody who gets it will be grateful to get it for free.

Once the visitors enter their contact information in exchange for your lead magnet, it’s up to you to decide how you want to follow up with them.

 

2. Landing Page

Another effective way of converting website visitors to leads is through a landing page.

What’s a Landing Page?

Unbounce defines it as a standalone web page, created specifically for the purposes of a marketing or advertising campaign.

How Is It Different From A Home Page?

A landing page is different from a homepage in the sense that it contains a specific message, a form and a call to action button that directs visitors on the next step to take.

The main use of a landing page is to capture the details of visitors on your landing page.

A homepage contains different links that cater to the overall public and serves as a distraction which will definitely reduce your conversion rate.

A customer who is supposed to take an action on your homepage may click on a video or a link that redirects to another page. Chances are the visitor may never take that action again.

But with a landing page, the visitor has only one action to take which is usually clearly stated.

7 Landing Page Tips for Higher Conversion Rate

  • Your landing page should serve a single purpose and the message should be clearly stated.
  • Use videos. They improve conversion by 80%.
  • Make your call to action big, obvious and positioned in the center.
  • Ensure the content of the landing page matches the ad visitors clicked on.
  • Use arrows or photos of people pointing to your Call To Action button.
  • Add testimonials if you have any.
  • Lastly, A/B test, measure and optimize your landing page for better conversion rate.

 

3. Opt-in Form

When people visit your website, remember the goal is to get them to convert to leads. Whether it’s through a lead magnet or a landing page, the key to achieving this goal is with an opt-in form.

Bigcommerce defines opt-in form as

as a form of consent given by web users, acknowledging interest in a product or service and authorizing a third party to contact them with further information.

You need different elements that will draw the attention of visitors and increase conversions. You can A/B test to determine the one that has a higher conversion rate.

The length of the form will depend on your marketing objective. If you want to generate plenty of leads, then short forms work best. However, if you want a few but qualified leads, it’s better to use a longer form with specific fields.

Opt-in forms are basically for lead generation or newsletter subscriptions. But many brands use opt-in forms for various purposes such as discounts, coupon codes, webinar invites, exclusive contents, free trials, free shipping, free ebooks, etc.

As with lead magnets, when you offer visitors something of value in return for their contact information, they are more likely to fill a form. In other words, the best way to get them to convert is by offering valuable incentives no matter how little.

Exit intent opt-in forms are very good for generating leads. They increase conversions by 5-10% when used correctly.

They pop-up just when visitors are dragging their cursor toward the “close” button on their screens.

They are basically used to get newsletter signups, offer discounts or lead magnets.

As a beginner, there are a lot of things need to know about opt-in forms.

Read more here: Beginner’s Guide to Opt-in Forms

 

4. Live Chat

Another effective way of converting website visitors to leads is with live chats.

People will visit your website for various reasons. It makes so much sense to chat with them in real time and get them to take an action.

As a matter of fact, it can increase your website conversions by 45% because you are providing immediate assistance.

It allows you to build a personalized relationship with your website visitors.

5. Call To Action (CTA)

If you noticed, there are several mentions of CTA in this article. It’s so important it makes to our list.

Optimizely defines it as

A prompt on a website that tells the user to take some specified action. A call to action is typically written as a command, such as ‘Sign Up’ or ‘Buy Now’ and generally takes the form of a button or hyperlink.

When people visit your website, those who show a level of interest in your product or service wants to know the next step to take. If there is no clear CTA, they will leave your website never to return. A CTA makes it easy for visitors to move down the funnel by performing a particular action.

Examples of Call To Action

If you want people to sign up for your newsletter, the CTA will be

  • SIGN UP NOW
  • LEARN MORE
  • SUBSCRIBE NOW
  • GET FREE UPDATES

If you want them to download an ebook or checklist, the CTA will be

  • DOWNLOAD NOW
  • GET MY FREE EBOOK
  • SEND ME THE CHECKLIST

For an eCommerce store, the CTA will be

  • ADD TO CART
  • BUY NOW
  • ADD TO WISHLIST
  • CHECKOUT

The important thing is the user performs the desired action that will lead them further down the conversion funnel.

Qualities of A Compelling Call To Action

  • Visibility: It must be BIG, CLEAR and EASILY NOTICEABLE.
  • Design: It must have a separate colour from the rest of the content on your website or landing page.
  • Benefit: it must state what the user will get after clicking it.
  • Reasonable length: It mustn’t be too short or too long. For example, “Send My Checklist” is better than “Download”.

It’s best to A/B test your CTA to know which one generates more conversions. You can change the colour, text, number of words etc.

 

In Conclusion

We’ve shared 5 effective ways to convert website visitors to leads. We hope you’ll be able to them to increase your visitors-leads conversion.

Skills You Need To Become A More Valuable Digital Marketer

Everyday,the internet strives better  to be  and the need for valuable digital marketers continues to grow.That being said, companies still need professionals who are capable of achieving their goals efficiently. Besides having the required (technical) digital marketing skills such as