Attracting New Clients

There was a time in the late 1990's and early 2000 when just having a website would have brought you new business. Especially if you were in a niche market. If somebody was surfing the web for an Elk Antler chandelier and you had a website selling them, chances were pretty good you'd get an inquiry. I just ran a search on Google and got 77 pages of results - including 6 pages of sponsored ads.

Simply having a website is NOT going to get anyone more business these days.

The only way to attract new customers today is with good old-fashioned marketing, applied to the web. For half a century it was the yellow pages that reigned supreme for small businesses. Buy a quarter page ad and the phone rang off the hook. The basic listings just didn't have the same pull. If you have a website, you've got a basic listing. To get noticed, you'll have to do more.

The easiest approach is to buy search ads. Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask, etc., they all have them and they really do work. Pay for the right to have your ad appear on the search results page for any keyword you select. From as little as a penny per click you can get started. I find lots of clients who scoff at the idea of paying to get found on the web. "I have a web site" they say, "why do I need to pay to be found?". Quite simply, it's a numbers game.

There are billions of web pages and tens of thousands more added each day. If you think someone is going to take the time to look through 77 pages of results to find you, think again. The sites that appear at the top of the search results are those that historically command the most attention, that's just the way that search engines work. As my earlier example will attest, the top search results for Elk Antler Chandelier are the sites that historically have the most hits, the most links, and the most content about Elk Antler Chandeliers. If you are not already in the top 10, moving up is difficult.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will help, but unless everyone else is asleep at the wheel you are fighting a battle against an opponent with an advantage. Each search engine has it's own methodology for generating the best results for a search. Google is the gold standard. Everyone else is playing catch-up. But you don't need to ignore the other players. Yahoo has about 20% market share for search in the US, Google has over 60%. But don't ignore that 20%. It represents some interesting opportunities:

1. The other search providers results are not as good as Google. (Sorry, but it's true)
2. Most businesses are putting their ad money into Google.

I'd suggest tapping into all 4 of the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask) for your ads. My thinking is this: There is less competition for ads on the 3 other major search engines and the user is more likely to opt for the paid ads if the search results aren't as good.

My point in all of this is simple. By definition, you are only attracting new clients with your website if they find you on the web. If they already know your name and URL from a referral, business card, or other marketing program - then your website is welcoming them, not attracting them. It is a subtle difference that will get more analysis in my next blog.

So if you want your web site to attract new customers, it MUST appear on the first page of search results. If you do not already appear on the first page of search results, start investing in search ads. This will get you listed on the first page. Being on the first page will get you clicks. Clicks mean traffic. Traffic means potential customers AND better placement in future search results because of the higher traffic to your site. Do this in combination with SEO and you are positioning yourself for a successful web presence.