Imagine that there’s a business, that does luxury custom renovations called LuxRenos that is just about to open its doors. The owner, Lex, chose a nice location on a beautiful residential street, then set to work doing renovations.

Lex redid the roof, upgraded the exterior, put fresh paint on the walls, and made the shop look fantastic. As it came together, Lex was ready to get the word out about his store. He hired a billboard on the corner of the street and sent out flyers announcing LuxRenos’ Grand Opening.

When opening day arrived, Lex eagerly awaited the flood of people who would surely come in to browse and buy… But hours passed before anyone showed up!

Eventually a few people trickled in, saying they were just driving by, saw the shop, and decided to stop in.

At about 5pm, when homeowners in the neighbourhood were coming home, a flood of people came in. It was too much for Lex’s sales staff to handle, so most of them left without making a purchase or even taking a business card!

Does this story sound familiar? At nyche marketing, we hear this story a lot. Business owners try traditional marketing tactics and they fail.

Even though LuxRenos looked nice, the business lacked a great marketing strategy. Flyers and billboards didn’t cut it. The business wasn’t supported and enhanced by complementary parts.

In the story, the advertising used didn’t reach its target audience (the homeowners in the neighbourhood). LuxRenos cast a very broad net and didn’t catch people who needed its products.

Once people came into the store, the business had an even bigger problem: There weren’t enough staff to answer their questions or engage with them! So of course, many potential customers left without leaving their contact info or getting theirs.

Make Your Business Successful by Appealing to Today’s Buyers

Today, the buying process people go through is much more involved than just seeing something and buying it. Today’s shoppers are savvy and fickle. They need to be enticed, educated, convinced of trustworthiness and value, they need to have their questions answered, and they need to be nurtured in order to become loyal customers. Read more in our What is Marketing Automation article.

So, your business has to cater to all of these prospects needs with your marketing and selling strategy.

Keep reading to find out about the five parts of a Living Website that work together to attract potential customers online and generate sales.

Our Living Website system is comprised of five crucial parts all working in tandem. We call it the LW5 Framework.

1. The first, most fundamental part of a Living Website is the business’s website. The platform – the frame that the 5 components build atop of. From there, the words on that website, the design, the layout, links to and from it, and more. The design and content of your website need to be “optimized” so that search engines will display it when people search for your products or services. This is called Search Engine Optimization (SEO).If a search engine, like Google, decides your business’s website isn’t high quality or if the keywords on your site don’t match what people are searching, your website won’t show up at all! Click here to learn more about SEO.
2. Once you have a strong, optimized website, you’ll want to start getting people to visit it. Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising is a way to quickly (and inexpensively) get traffic to your website.Simply put, PPC is a revolutionary way to advertise to exactly the people who are searching for your products and services right when they need it. With PPC, your ads will appear to the exact market you want. Intrigued? Find out more about PPC.
3. Once shoppers start coming to your website, which is the online representation of your store and brand, people want to have their questions answered.When people are researching what they want to buy, your website will stand out from your competitors if it has lots of free resources that will help them make an informed purchase.Things like blogs, whitepapers, checklists, guides, infographics, and videos are all examples of Content Marketing, which is another important part of your Living Website.You can also use content marketing to help boost your website’s SEO and to boost your credibility! Find out how you can use Content Marketing.
4. Sometimes shoppers try things on, but they don’t buy right away. They want to go home and think about it. Your business can use Marketing Automation to keep in touch with people who need a little more time or convincing.The idea is to nurture leads by offering sales/promotions, answering questions, or education via email or automated phone calls. You can also use Marketing Automation to follow up with clients after they’ve bought your products or services.Never heard of Marketing Automation before? Click here for more information.
5. And finally, Social Media is another part of a Living Website.Many businesses have social media accounts, but they don’t keep them lively and active. Unfortunately, it’s just not enough to have an account. Businesses need to keep in touch with and be in front of shoppers all of the time.For most people, social media it time consuming, but you can use social media automation to make sure your posts are timely, relevant, and engaging. Find out more about social media marketing here.

You need a Living Website because all of the parts mentioned above work together to grow your business. None of the parts by themselves will help you meet all your business growth goals by themselves.

The reason we have all these parts is because it’s the formula that works. Each part works in tandem with the others. PPC sends people to your landing pages, then they’ll want to explore your website, which is full of fresh, up-to-date, compelling content.

Your website will also have links to your social media accounts where people can connect and interact with you.

And after you’ve made the sale, you can use marketing automation to keep in touch with your customers and encourage referrals and repeat purchases.

A Living Website is the evolution of the static, traditional brochure style websites. It doesn’t just sit there and hope to be found, it advertises, it engages, entertains, enlightens, and makes people want to buy what you’re selling.

A website that contributes to your bottom line is one that converts leads into sales.

Having a living website is more than just having a website. It’s having a changeable website backed by great social media, great content like blogs and resources, great online advertising, and ways to nurture potential buyers.

Do you have a Living Website? Want to check your website?
Click here to find out if your website is a living website. Is it helping to grow your business?
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