Selling your service online
Once you understand your niche and audience, selling your services online becomes a process of leading prospects through a sales funnel. A small percentage of your audience will be ready to purchase immediately, but most will want to take additional time before making their decision. Therefore, it’s important to guide your leads through the process. Most sales processes involve these 5 steps.
Once you’re ready to sell, there are all sorts of ways to get your services in front of your target audience. Choose the methods that best suit your brand and target demographic. For each platform, your goal should be to drive people to your website and have them sign up for your email list, so you can nurture the relationship and, ultimately, drive sales.
Step #2: Capture attention with a landing page
Once a prospective customer arrives at your website, you have around 15 seconds to capture their attention, so it’s important to have an attention-grabbing website that’s full of relevant, useful content.
Consider driving new audiences to a landing page that prioritizes information and imagery that directly addresses the needs of your target audience. Provide a brief overview of your services and invite them to learn more. It’s also a great opportunity to invite folks to sign up for your email list.
Most prospects take a while to reach the buying stage, but you still have plenty of opportunities to connect with them and sell them on your service. Consider offering folks a free download or learning opportunity—like a whitepaper, template, or webinar—in exchange for their email address. Just make sure that it solves a problem for your target audience and demonstrates your expertise.
Once you’ve captured the lead, it’s up to you to stay in touch. Email marketing is still one of the most effective sales tools; the key is to offer value with each communication before asking for a sale.
Step #4: Onboard your new customers
When someone buys your service, the best thing you can do is make them feel good about the commitment. You want to set the stage for a long and prosperous relationship.
Onboarding is the period between a purchase and the customer’s first success using your service. When onboarding a new customer, be sure to:
- Create a personalized experience. Use what you’ve learned about each customer to make the interaction feel unique and human. Personalized marketing can lead to a more satisfying experience for your customers—and increase their sense of loyalty to your business, too.
- Set clear expectations. Reiterate the value that your service provides and prepare them for potential sticking points.
- Break everything down. Don’t assume that just because someone signed up for your service, they’ll know what to do next or be comfortable diving into the instructions on their own. Instead, lead them through each step slowly and selectively.
- Show up for your customers every step of the way. Make yourself (or your customer service team) easy to reach if people get stuck or have trouble. In addition to keeping your customers happy, it’ll allow you to see where you can improve.
- Celebrate the wins, small and large. Acknowledge every milestone along the way and remind customers that they’re on the path to success.
Step #5: Stay engaged and build customer relationships
Proactive relationship-building—through regular communication and quality customer service—will help keep people engaged with your business for the long term. Consider scheduling regular check-ins, sending loyalty gifts, or hosting online events. And if you decide to start offering any new services, you might even choose to give past clients an early look or a discount to thank them for their patronage over the years.
