Give a Little to Get a Little Back: 5 Ways to Please Consumers

By: Yona Williams

Sometimes, you have to give a little to get a little back in the business world. One of the best places to start is by taking advantage of your presence on the Web. Your website can become a selling machine or traffic magnet just by following a few simple suggestions that allow you to offer new items for extra profit, give away ‘gifts’ to loyal customers, provide valuable information, or supply helpful freebies. Five ways to boost traffic while sacrificing little includes:

1) Ebooks

Many consumers are turning towards digital means of receiving information, tossing physical materials to the wind. From “Low-Fat Dessert Recipes” to “Marketing Secrets Revealed,” e-books allow consumers to gain a bundle of information all in one place, usually for low, convenient prices. As a business owner or entrepreneur, you can tap into this growing interest by offering e-books that relate to your customer’s needs. Most individuals hire a ghostwriter to create their very own masterpiece to place on their website, which will attract potential customers and keep current ones entertained.

A handful of ways to approach using an e-book to your advantage, include:

• Sell for extra profit
• Attract new customers
• Offer as a freebie to boost traffic
• Give to customers as a complimentary gift with a purchase

2) Reports

Many consumers are interested in statistics and hard, cold facts before making a purchase. What better place to gain the information they seek than on your website? Create your own report based upon your experiences or hire someone to research and write a report concerning your business niche. Just like an e-book, reports can be sold, offered as a freebie, or given away to loyal customers. Don’t forget - you have to present interesting, helpful facts and stray from regurgitated information easily found on the Web.

3) Software & Downloads

Attract consumers by offering software that pertains to your niche. For example, if you are a master in graphic/web design and want more traffic to your blog, try offering free software that helps budding webmasters detect broken links, assess Google rankings, or check HTML code. Offering a color wheel download is also helpful for potential clients.

4) Tutorials

Do you know how to do something that you think your current and potential customers would find helpful? For example, if you own an online sewing shop that sells patterns, needles, sewing machines, and other tools - it would be in your best interest to provide weekly or monthly tutorials that show how to knit a sweater or recreate the latest Red Carpet fashions for a prom dress. This practice not only boosts traffic to your site for people looking how to accomplish such tasks, but may also encourage a few purchases you may not have otherwise enticed.

5) Auto Responder Information

Increase traffic to your site by investing a bit of time in an auto responder program that delivers valuable tips, the latest news, and secrets regarding your business niche. Autoresponders are common email-marketing tools that quickly provide information to prospective customers with pre-set follow-ups that will help keep your business in the minds of consumers. For example, if you own a dog grooming business, highlighting the latest health care products for pooches and sharing your secrets for a silky coat will prove quite beneficial. Don’t forget to include helpful links to your site within each email.