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Home » The Famous Blog » Building A Profitable Customer Base – 5 Strategies to Drive Repeat Visits

Building A Profitable Customer Base – 5 Strategies to Drive Repeat Visits

June 16, 2011 - Last Modified: June 16, 2011 by James Martell 2,685

Building A Profitable Customer Base

I’ve been involved in online marketing for over a decade, and I am continually trying to improve my approach. In the beginning, all I cared about was driving traffic to my website – lots of traffic. Then, as search technology evolved, my next objective was to drive targeted traffic to my website – lots of targeted traffic. Seven or eight years ago, I adopted an approach that looked a lot like a brick-and-mortar store. Yes, I still wanted targeted traffic, but I also wanted to capture their e-mail address so I could then entice them to keep coming back.

Think about it for a moment.

You have your favorite grocery store, dry cleaners, pub, coffee shop and other stores that you spend your money at all the time. You do this because there’s something about them that you like or that attracts you to their shop despite the fact that there are dozens of like shops that you could choose from. Your loyalty to these merchants is what they count for their revenue. They still advertise to get new customers with accounting for your repeat business as a base.

You need to do the same thing with your website.

Target Customers

Why are repeat visitors so important?

A couple years ago, I interviewed Ryan Allis, the CEO of the popular e-mail list management service iContact.com. During that interview, Ryan tossed out a statistic that shocked me. Ryan’s company has determined that for every 10 people who visit your site, only three will ever come back again. That means that all your effort to drive new traffic is being enormously diluted unless you can become a master at capturing an e-mail address.

If you’re promoting a product or service that is complex or somewhat costly like mobility scooters, chain saws, doll houses, table saws or even online car insurance quotes, then you are as likely not selling any to first-time visitors. The more complex or more costly an item or service, the more times a person has to be exposed to it to finally come to a buying decision.

That means you need repeat visits, and I have laid out 5 great strategies to help you do just that.

1. Never miss a scheduled newsletter again.

If you’re like me try to send out a weekly newsletter to your list that encourages them to come back for a visit. But there are times when stuff happens and you simply don’t have the time or the energy to put that newsletter together. There is an automation tool that I use called “RSS to e-mail” that makes sure I never missed a scheduled newsletter.

RSS to e-mail is a nifty software feature (offered by the major email service providers) that I can schedule to crawl my site once a week and have it pick up all the new content. It then formats that content into an attractive newsletter format that provides links back to that content on the site. It sends me a sample of the newsletter for my approval and if I like it I just push the go button, and the bulletin is on the way to my list. This is a great way to build repeat visits.

2. Podcasts.

I’m huge fan of podcasting and I truly believe that they do a fantastic job when it comes to developing interest in my websites, which in turn drives traffic. It also creates a more personal experience than simply reading text. If you’re like mem you have your smiling face somewhere on your website, and now you have a voice to go with it. It turns the Internet into a much more human experience.

Advances in podcast technology have greatly simplified the process. It somehow takes less than an hour to do a half-hour professional podcast. These audio files can published on your site providing a strong incentive to drive repeat visits.

3. Maximize your blog activity.

To be successful, blogs have to be a source of valuable, informative content, but they also have to encourage a sense of community. People visiting your blog share something in common. One of your objectives should be to get them to comment on that common interest.

When you add a new post your blog, end it with a question. Ask your audience what they think about the posting and invite them to leave a comment. When they respond to that request, make sure you follow-up either thanking them were providing more information. That initial comment by a single visitor often will trigger multiple comments by other visitors who will not only leave their opinions but check back later to see what other people love their opinion. Sometimes this can turn into a repeat visit frenzy.

4. Give your visitors a voice.

Chat forums, formerly called bulletin boards, are another great way for a webmaster to interact with his or her audience and to encourage interaction between visitors. The more you develop that social cement that comes with interacting one-on-one, the greater your chances of increasing your repeat visits.

My wife Arlene has a very successful website that deals with moms who have kids with epilepsy called EpilepsyMoms.com. She uses a chat forum that allows her members to share their challenges and success stories with each other. This particular niche has a high emotional connect. Having a child with epilepsy is something you deal with everyday, and it’s always on your mind. Having a place where you can talk to other moms that are in the same situation as you are is extremely inviting and supportive. These moms make the chat forum a daily part of their lives.

5. Just be helpful.

It’s all about building relationships. The more strong the relationship is with your audience, the more loyal they will be and the more repeat visits your website will experience. Staying involved with your website, not relying on automation exclusively, will help you develop that personal connection that your visitors are looking for.

Never let the quality of your content slide. Always provide useful informative and engaging information. Always respond to comments made on your blog, and try to offer solutions to questions, even if it means providing links to resources outside of your site.

Build on your investment

Writing repeat business is a key to improving your conversion rate. Everything you do that encourages your visitor base to make your website one of their “favorite stores” will be rewarded with an increased “lifetime value” of your visitor. It doesn’t matter what kind of business your website is. You can be promoting goods and services as diverse as infrared cameras, golf tips, auto insurance quotes, washers and dryers or kitchen barstools, it just doesn’t matter you need to capture that initial visit and Internet visitor into repeat business.

Do you have a strategy you use to keep your visitor coming back? If so, we would love to hear it and any other comments or advice you would like to share.

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Filed Under: Email Marketing, Website Traffic

About James Martell

Follow @JamesMartell

James Martell is an Internet pioneer who discovered the lucrative world of affiliate marketing in 1999. He is a self-taught Internet entrepreneur and a leading expert in affiliate marketing training, outsourcing and natural search engine optimization. James is also the host of the "Affiliate Buzz", the first and longest running affiliate marketing podcast in the industry (since 2003). Google+ James Martell

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{ 29 Responses }

  1. James says:
    Hi James, It's important to be consistent. Google Analytics is an important aspect for online marketing and tracking the user behaviour is crucial. If you can see where people are leaving on your website or blog, then you can see where to improve upon. Newsletters are great. I am currently looking at using SalesForce.com although, it's a CRM all the information is in one place.
  2. Terje Sannarnes says:
    It is extremely important for every entrepreneur to win respect of website audience and build the database of steady customers. I fully agree that such methods as increasing blog activity and providing help to people and others are extremely effective. So, online entrepreneurs should definitely take into consideration tips and recommendations provided here!
  3. Jitendra Singh says:
    Its very important to have repeating visitor becoz it let you know the popularity of your blog.
  4. Delena Silverfox says:
    Definitely good, solid advice here. If you can inspire loyalty in your brand, that's the magic of marketing and the key to success! Who needs all the work of always generating new customers when you can build relationships with people and enjoy helping them solve their problems? Take care of people, and they will take care of you. Delena
    • James Martell says:
      Hi Delena, I so agree with your comment to "Take care of people, and they will take care of you."
  5. Pritam says:
    Great tips. All the points you have written are really very important for getting the repeated visitors. I will try to implement these tips on my blog.
  6. Kimi says:
    Hi James, I like to read your tips, all great but hard to apply lol.. Since day 1 I blog, I think I have been helpful to everyone, or I tried to, but there is one thing I don't like, people seem to take this chance to mis-use my offers to help. At this point, I quit being helpful :( as I can't make everyone happy all the time.. Thanks
  7. Dheeraj says:
    All the points are beautifully written but I really find the point "Maximize your blog activity" very interesting. I will try to implement this strategy on my blog.
  8. David says:
    From my own experience, newsletter has been the best method to bring repeated or like other people call them "recycled" customers. But not any newsletter can bring you this luxury. Putting a suitable posting schedule will develop a good habit into your reader's mind to the point that your newsletter become like cafe to them. Thanks for the strategies
  9. Ming Jong Tey says:
    Well said James, I especially love the Forum. It is a large community that targeted people are gather around, to find information and help each other out. So, by adding tons of value to the forum community will definitely help to propel visitors to check out your site, in order to learn more from you.
  10. trudy says:
    Just being helpful is probably the most overlooked point in blogging! I feel putting a primary focus on being helpful is the main reason for repeat visitors!
  11. Atulperx says:
    If you are able to create and maintain a list of repeated visitors of your blog and communicate with them in a helpful way then they can be turned into a fortune.. I know one blogger related to finance + loan niche and he keep updating his readers and list with latest information regarding finance services and loan services. But in newsletter he also add CPA offers related to get loan and finance quote via phone. These offers convert very well most of the time and I have seen proof of it.
  12. Jean Paul says:
    Good stuff, The problem is most people who enter internet marketing (or any business for that matter) focus on the transaction... The whole business is centred on just making front end sales. It takes some time to understand that your first sale is only meant to get the customer into your funnel. You get to make money later. What I like about your article is that it forces people to focus on building a relationship with customers over a period of time. All the best!
  13. Tikyd says:
    When you said "see what other people love their opinion" it has been a revealing message. I have not tried podcasting extensively. You gave a reason to try to do it.
  14. Alexis says:
    Hey James, That's spot on. I went to an Internet marketing seminar last week end in London. I met lots of internet marketers and some big names in the industry.One of the question I asked was turning my visitors into buyers. I realised I was missing something in my strategies. What you've written here gives me some lights.Giving visitors a voice is crucial I think. That will be the corner stone of building a community around the blog. Thanks buddy!
    • James Martell says:
      Hi Alexis, My pleasure. I am glad to be of help!
  15. Zohan says:
    Great Tips, Building a newsletter is a great way to get visitors back to our website. Also i like the concept of your wife, where she used to contact with mom's having epilepsy child. such type of ideas are awesome. Also being loyal to our readers is a must thing which cannot be avoided, if we are loyal to them, they too will be loyal to us! Thank you for sharing this tips with us, Enjoyed those tips :)
  16. Riya says:
    Newsletters are good way to attract repeat visitors as you keep informing them about new product/services and once they find out that yes it's for them, they'll certainly buy it.
  17. Richard C. says:
    I am very excited to have found this post. I have been looking for ways to drive targeted traffic to my new blog using this method. I will try to implement and see how it works on my blog. Thanks.
  18. Nasif says:
    Coool tips... Helping out is the best way to make a visitor come again
    • James Martell says:
      Yes, I so agree.
  19. Patricia says:
    Hi James I like all your tips for getting repeat visits and potential customers to our sites. I give information that hopefully my readers find helpful. Also I reply to all comments and interact with my readers through social media, emails and on my site. I also encourage interaction between the community members that visit my site too. Conversations go on not just with me but between the visitors to my site. Thanks for sharing with us James. Appreciated.
    • James Martell says:
      Hi Patricia, you make a great point when you say to "encourage interaction between the community members that visit my site". It is a worthy goal for all sites owners.
  20. Ned Carey says:
    Thanks for the tips. I encourage participation and comments. I reply to virtually every one. But I have noticed most of my readers are active for a while and then fade away. Your comment on Podcasts may be something I need to try.
    • James Martell says:
      Hey Ned, A podcast may just do it for you. I had coffee with a listener today. He had mentioned to me that he listens to my podcasts during his daily walks. I have heard this type of story repeatedly over the years. The great thing about podcasting is your listeners can take YOU with them. It's a very powerful strategy. James
  21. Jane says:
    Hey James, Great stuff. Newsletters are very important. Just like blog posts we have to be consistent in their frequency as well, so that people will know when to expect the weekly newsletter from you. And, the traffic from newsletter is your loyal subscriber base. The time at which you send out the newsletter also needs to be consistent (not just the day)! Cheers, Jane.
    • James Martell says:
      Hi Jane, You make a good point about consistency in sending out the newsletter ..."The time at which you send out the newsletter also needs to be consistent (not just the day)!" Well said. The same goes for podcasting. It is all about consistency. I have seen so many well intentioned podcasters do a couple shows and then nothing for months. Obviously not a great way to build an audience. I work very hard to make sure my podcast goes out every week. It's been a big commitment over the years, but oh so well worth the effort. http://jamesmartell.com/category/affiliate-buzz/ James

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