You’ve done it. Your website’s up and running, you’ve got something amazing to pitch. Now all you’re missing is the traffic. So how do you get an audience? Like a true audience? And we’re not talking a one-time audience, but a continuous stream of visitors who are actually excited to be on your site.
There’s a technique that on the surface may appear altruistic. (And, after all, isn’t that what you want people to think? That you’re out to help them and somehow make their lives easier or better?) And it’s an extremely effective technique if used properly and with care: give your audience Free. Think about it, people love freebies. And what better way to lure them to your site and allow them to browse through your offerings than to reward them with something free?
Here’s why it works.
Original source: malvastyle.com
No pushy salesmen
No one likes to be pressurized into a sale. More importantly, no wants to buy from a pushy salesman. And let’s face it, when you’ve got a great amount of faith in your product, you crave sales and sometimes, you’ll go to any lengths to make them happen. Affronting your audience through pressure, gimmicks and salesy pitches may be effective to an extent, but let’s face it: people are selfish. Which means you’ll be a lot more successful reeling them in if they see something in it for themselves.
Free equals sales
Sounds contradictory, right? How can something make money if it’s given at no cost? Well, yes, you’re right, but…not quite. Think about it. When you receive something for free, you develop a natural sense of gratitude, no matter how infinitesimal, toward the person who gave it to you. This gratitude chips away at wariness, making the individual more susceptible to a sale. Plus, when you’re under no obligation or pressure to buy, sometimes you end up doing just that!
For example, if you have something for free on your site and you market just that free item and no other product or services, you will naturally attract traffic—because, hey, who doesn’t love freebies—especially when there are no strings attached? But lucky for you, once visitors are on your site, they are likely to browse through, which means that your products get the exposure you craved, increasing your chances of a potential sale. And guess what? If your visitors like what they see, they may refer a friend. And word of mouth is the best and cheapest way to market.
It all sounds great and easy to implement, right? However, generating traffic is not just as simple as slapping any random freebie on your site. There are certain protocols to consider when you decide exactly what it is that you’ll be giving away gratis.
Make it relevant
It’s probably common sense, but let’s let it be known: you can’t give away a Barbie doll if you’re selling cars and trucks. The point being, make sure what your freebie makes sense and is appropriate for your line of business. If you’re a web designer, you might give away a free web design guide. If you’re an entrepreneur who wants to train other entrepreneurs, you might host a free 30 minute webinar on tips for entrepreneurs to get subscribers comfortable with paying for the larger, more in-depth training course.
Make it valuable
What would be considered something of value to someone who is visiting your site? What does your audience struggle with? Design your freebie around those needs. Offering something valuable and unique to your audience will help your chances of drawing them in. At the same time, don’t bankrupt yourself giving away items that would incur a severe cost to you. The freebie should be something that can be beneficial to your audience, yet won’t damage your pocket books.
Capitalize off of every visit
If your freebie is a success and people like what they see on your site, they’ll likely want to come back or at least keep tabs on you. This is a great way of maintaining a fan base. Make sure you allow visitors to subscribe to your site. If you have a social media presence, also allow them the option to connect with you easily through social media icons placed directly on your homepage.
Lastly, remember that nothing great comes easily. So keep trying and don’t give up on your marketing efforts. If you stay true to them and true to your audience, success is sure to lead the way.
