Calls to action go beyond a “book now” button on the home page. Consumers must be called to each step guiding them through the sales funnel. We also need to ensure that we are implementing great search engine optimization (SEO) to draw customers in and content to keep them interested.

Using keywords in anchor text will increase Web site SEO, and it’s also a great way to create call to actions leading from one step to another in the sales funnel. This will capture consumers as they are reading and ask them to move further into the funnel, ultimately leading to a purchase and becoming an advocate.

On the home page:

Instead of this: Get for more information about our LA Hotel dining.

Use this: Learn more about our LA Hotel dining.

This call to action actually calls the customer to commit an action. It is SEO friendly and just as important it’s user friendly. We are guiding users through the site and committing them to the next step in the sales funnel.

In the last two posts we discussed the sales funnel and how it affects consumers as they make purchases and become advocates of your products. This positioning statement will place call to actions for every step in the sales funnel, delivering all your information as a mini sales pitch.

Let’s first understand what a positioning statement is. Laura Lake from About.com explains that the positioning statement should “provide direction or focus to a business or organization. It is a no nonsense statement of how your company is perceived in the minds of your target market.”

We will be writing this statement with the sales process in mind. Below is a sample positioning statement with variables listed. Let’s look at this closer:

“In (category), we (brand value) that is different than (competition) because (brand consideration). If you (intent) then (purchase). Once a customer you can also (retention) which is why customers like (advocates) do business with us.”

Let’s write this for a “hotel in la” such as the Kyoto Grand:

“For hotels in LA, the Kyoto Grand, located in the heart of the city, offers more value than nearby hotels, because our rates average 15% lower. If you wish to enjoy a fantastic stay in LA then book today with our best rate guarantee. Once you arrive, you may enjoy access to our splendid rooftop garden and convenient local shuttle service which is loved by all our guests.”

Can you see how this example allows for a complete statement with regards to every aspect of the sales funnel?

Once you understand all the steps and the ways to implement these call-to-actions within the positioning statement, you can take it to the next level and implement positioning statements throughout your site aimed at different segments or landing pages. This builds commitment and takes the consumer to a purchase.

In our last post we covered the sales funnel. It’s time to learn how you can move visitors through the sales funnel with call-to-actions at each level. Let’s look at each step through the process and understand how the consumer moves from one phase to the next.

Category Awareness > Brand Awareness
This call-to-action is satisfied when a consumer notices your business listed in the search results.

Brand Awareness > Brand Consideration
When a searcher sees your listing and visits your site, he or she begins to consider your brands strengths and weaknesses. Using competitive differentiation, write great ads and meta content that matches the users’ search term and intentions.  For example, did they want a “pet friendly hotel in la” or a “downtown hotel in la”?

Brand Consideration > Brand Preference
Use your unique value proposition and ask them to learn more. Explain what makes you better than the competition and even list how the competition fails to meet your standards.

Brand Preference > Purchase Intent
The consumer prefers your hotel, has considered options, and knows enough to make a decision to book. At this point, you may ask them to buy now and book their stay. Make sure booking and specials are easy to navigate and inventory is available.

Purchase Intent > Purchase
Get them from learn more to buy now. Make sure product is available and the price is the same as advertised. Also, clearly disclose incentives, freebies and added values. A consumer can stay in this phase for one second or one year.

Purchase > Customer Retention
Get them from buy now to buy more. Is your site truthful and does it inform the consumer of all challenges in advance? Do you meet or exceed your purchaser’s expectations?

Customer Retention > Advocate
Repeat the process and exceed expectations over and over. These consumers will tell everyone they know how great their experience was and stick up for your company. Give consumers a reason to write a positive review. Let them expose you to the world.

How to Apply each Step in your Web Site Strategy

Below is a list of tools or variables used in Internet marketing and where they apply to the buying funnel.  Use this knowledge when mapping out a Web site sales strategy. It will help you understand how to influence a consumer with your Web site as they continue through the sales funnel.

In this 5 part series we will discuss the sales funnel and how it can be used to increase Web site conversion. First we look at the sales funnel itself.

All consumers go through a thought process when they buy anything whether walking into a store or shopping online. We must consider this with SEO, Web site design and content creation. To do this our site and its content is written to guide and direct a consumer to a sale. We direct traffic through the sales funnel by using keyword-rich marketing content that influences the conversion from search engines. Here are the steps to the sales funnel:

Category Awareness > Brand Awareness > Brand Consideration > Purchase Intent > Purchase > Customer Retention > Advocates

Now let’s explain how all these steps apply to Web site and search engine marketing.

• Category Awareness – Someone does a Google search for a keyword phrase such as “Hotel in LA”. This is the category that our consumer is looking for options within.
• Brand Awareness – Google will display a list of results that include organic listings and local listings with a map when available. Many different brands, or options, are displayed by Google. The searcher is now aware of them and reading them.
• Brand Consideration – The searcher is influenced by ads and meta descriptions, and he or she starts to consider and browse multiple sites.  Some of the local listings will contain reviews; these reviews are read and taken into consideration. The consumer also considers prices, discounts and packages, unique selling points and other strengths/weakness.
• Brand Preference – Consumer chooses the “hotel in la” he or she likes most, having been influenced to believe that one brand/option offers the most fitting solution.
• Purchase Intent – Consumer decides to purchase a weekend stay at the hotel. He or she searches for a weekend, it’s available and the price is true to the advertisement. The consumer intends to purchase at some point.
• Purchase – A sale is made.
• Customer Retention – The customer stayed at your hotel, enjoyed the experience and expectations were met. The customer decides to come back instead of considering another brand.
• Advocates – Customer repeat buys and tells everyone about the benefits of your hotel.

Above you will notice that the sales funnel has 5 steps to a purchase. Our job with SEM is to make sure that a searcher is easily guided from a search phrase to a sale and back to another sale. This is done with call-to-actions at every stage of the funnel, guiding the consumer from one phase to the next. We cannot go from a home page entrance straight to booking without a consumer considering all the steps in the buying funnel.

In our next post we will look at each step of the funnel and learn how to apply call to actions.