If you manage you make your customer aware and engaged, the next step is to convert the customer. To convert the customer lead you need to provide them proof that your product or solution actually works. You may have a great advertisement or social media marketing strategy. However, with no further proof, the customer lead gets cold since you have made them aware, engaged but have not gained their trust.
The lead-to-customer conversion usually becomes a top priority of every organization. HubSpot’s State of Inbound report claims, that about 74% of marketing and sales teams focus most of their marketing efforts on converting leads into customers.
Your value proposition has to be in the front and center. Whether you have a landing page or blog, the first thing your lead sees should be exactly what matches their needs. The need includes the above-mentioned proof of the product or solution’s previous success.
Be sure to ask any of your previous customers for a review or a testimonial that supports their experience with your product and present it directly on your landing page. Nothing will demonstrate the value of your product/service that the people who are already using it.
With that being said, you need to make sure to make leaving a review or testimonial as easy and seamless as possible. Depending on the kind of your product, you may also present some data and metrics that give readers a sense of scarcity and/or popularity, like social media engagement. It could be in the format of a quote however, the most powerful version of a testimonial is a video recording of your clients talking about their experience working with you and the result.
To achieve the most, you may also test your landing pages, make several versions and see which works the best.
Generally, this concept of testimonials is called Social Proof. Social proof puts you in place of authority and builds trust.
Besides client testimonials, it’s good to show some awards, certifications, mentions in newspapers etc.
A crucial part in building relationships and trust, especially in long sales cycles, plays content production. Not only writing about how your product is great, but for example commenting on current industry situation, news, creating industry reports, sharing your company insights based on your internal data, and finally events like panel discussions with well-known brands is a game-changer. If a major well-trusted brand goes and have a panel discussion or interview with you that means something.
By organizing online events and seminars you are also making the lead to take actions. You may also call this concept of making your lead to take a miro-commitment.
Therefore after you have managed to gain your customer’s trust, you should consider converting them by some sort of micro-commitment like some service for a symbolic price as you are providing them with prooves of your product success by stating reviews and testimonials.