Top-of Funnel Tactics: How to Engage Early-Stage Website Visitors
Early-stage visitors can come to your website in droves. Some of them might have found you through a Google search, an eye-catching ad, a friend’s recommendation, or even a scroll through social media.
However, 96% of those early birds aren’t ready to commit to a conversion. They’ve just realized they have a problem and maybe you could help. Their fingers are hovering over the back button, ready to bounce, but there’s a chance to make them linger.
That’s because they’re in the discovery phase, unsure if your offers are the solution they seek, they’re far from becoming leads.
Your mission is to weave positive associations with your brand, planting seeds of interest and empathy. The goal is to get them to wander around your site, hit that follow button on social media, dive into your blog posts, and maybe glance at your product or service page.
Remember, this might be their first date with your site, but you’re aiming for a second, a third, and potentially a steady relationship. Before they become loyal customers, they’ll likely visit your website a few more times as they get to know you and decide if you’re a good fit.
Let’s make sure each of those visits counts. Stay tuned as we unwrap the secrets to engaging these early-stage visitors without scaring them off with a sales pitch. It’s all about the charm, the value, and, yes, a bit of wit.
1. Everything Starts with Understanding Buyer Personas
Before you can charm early-stage visitors into sticking around, you’ve got to know who they are, what ticks their boxes, and what keeps them up at night.
The best way to achieve this is through buyer personas. They’re the blueprints of your ideal customers, constructed from research, data, and a bit of educated guesswork.
Creating detailed buyer personas involves digging into demographics and understanding pain points, preferences, hobbies, and even daily routines. Surveys, interviews with current customers, and social media analytics are your best friends here, offering insights that can shape these personas into useful guides for your content and marketing strategies.
This is essential for engaging early-stage visitors. Knowing your audience inside out allows you to tailor your website’s experience to meet their specific needs and interests. From the language used in your blog posts to the images that splash across your homepage, every element can be optimized to resonate with these personas.
This personalized touch is what transforms a generic browsing session into a meaningful interaction, making visitors feel understood and valued right from the get-go.
2. Get the Basics Right
When you’re eager to charm early-stage visitors, nailing the basics is more than recommended. It’s a necessity. If your website is slow, glitchy, or as navigable as a labyrinth, you’re not just losing potential leads – you’re throwing them away.
Here’s why site speed, performance, UX best practices, and mobile responsiveness are your best friends in the early stages of the sales funnel.
Site Speed and Performance
The patience of the modern customer is as scarce as a unicorn. A delay of mere seconds in page loading can lead to a significant loss of potential customers.
Speed up your site by optimizing images, leveraging browser caching, and reducing server response time.
UI and UX
A site that’s a joy to explore is like a magnet. Its UX should be the invisible guide that gently leads visitors through your website, making every step enjoyable.
To grant them that experience, ensure your navigation is intuitive, the content is easily digestible, and CTAs are clear and compelling.
Mobile Responsiveness
With more people browsing on the go than ever, if your site fumbles on mobile, it’s game over.
Opt for a responsive design that adjusts seamlessly to any screen size, ensuring a pleasant browsing experience no matter the device.
A shining example of getting the basics right is Revolut. Their mobile site is the epitome of seamless responsiveness and stellar UX.
As a fintech company offering cutting-edge banking services, their digital presence reflects their commitment to user satisfaction. Visitors are greeted with a swift, intuitive, and hassle-free experience, setting the stage for a lasting relationship.
