Getting referrals to your website is one of the biggest keys to attracting new customers. Most businesses don’t take advantage of this like they should.
The great thing about it is that it doesn’t require any additional expense on your part. And if your prospects or customers provide word of mouth advertising, this will give you more credibility. This is because what others say about you matters more than what you say.
So how do you increase your referrals? Here are six of the best ways:
1. Offer Incentives
Offer an incentive for referrals. For instance, you could provide a gift card or give a discount to anyone who refers others to your website, and the referral signs up to your list.
2. Offer Freebies
Another strategy is to give out free information products such as reports, ebooks, training videos, etc., with distribution rights. You could not only allow, but actively encourage, others to pass on the content to friends. Just make sure to include a link to your site and your contact information in the information product. You can also give them out on your site when they sign up on your opt-in form.
3. Give Good Free Information
The best way to generate referrals is to give away a lot of valuable free information. Many entrepreneurs are hesitant to give good content because they are trying to save the best information for the product. But if your free content isn’t good, people are going to assume your paid content isn’t going to be worth it either. The free information should entice them to want to learn more. This gets them thinking, “if the free information is this good, just imagine how good the paid stuff will be.”
4. Provide Valuable Website Content
Probably the best way to get referrals is to simply provide good blog content. In many instances, other sites will pick up your content and post it on their sites.This will give you additional traffic without having to do any more work. However, you have to stand out from other sites for this to happen.
So how do you stand out? One of the best ways is to incorporate stories. People are naturally drawn to stories, and your own stories are what make you unique and help people get to know you as a person. And make the website be about your visitors with resolution to their pain points, not about you.
5. Submit Videos to Directories
Create videos and upload them to your channel on YouTube and other popular video directories and encourage viewers to share them. Again, just make sure the content is good.
6. Submit Articles to Article Directories
Just like YouTube, sites like Ezinearticles.com are seen by many people, so they’re a great way to leverage your original content and establish yourself as an expert.
In summary, to increase referrals to your website, provide great information and publish it in as many places as you can.
[tweetthis]How to increase referrals to your website: Here are six of the best ways.[/tweetthis]
What ways do you encourage referrals from your clients and prospects? I’d love to have your comments below.
Deidra Miller
Marketing and Administrative Consultant
