The Primary Goal of a Sales Website

While the ultimate goal of a sales website is to generate sales, the immediate, number one goal should be something much simpler: turning browsers into prospects.

The Problem with Selling on the First Visit

It's a common mistake to assume that a visitor will make a purchase on their first visit to your website. The reality is that the vast majority of visitors will leave without buying anything. If your only goal is to make a sale, you are missing a huge opportunity to build a relationship with potential customers.

The Power of the Email Address

A prospect is someone who has expressed at least a small amount of interest in your product. On the web, the most common way to identify a prospect is by capturing their email address.

Convincing someone to give you their email address is a much smaller ask than convincing them to buy your product. Once you have their email, you have the opportunity to:

Build a relationship: You can send them valuable content and build trust over time.
Stay top-of-mind: You can gently remind them of your product and its benefits.
Nurture them towards a sale: You can guide them through the sales funnel at their own pace.

How to Capture Email Addresses

To convince a visitor to give you their email address, you must:

Establish Trust: Assure them that you will not spam them or sell their information.
Establish Relevance: Make it clear that your product is relevant to their needs.
Establish a Reward: Offer them something of value in exchange for their email, such as a free report, an email course, or a chance to win a prize.

By focusing on this primary goal of turning browsers into prospects, you can build a valuable asset in the form of a mailing list, which will be a far more effective long-term sales tool than simply trying to sell to every visitor on their first visit.