Work From Home Smart

Building relationships and connecting with your visitors, readers and customers can sometimes be challenging.  Your site structure has some to do with how people flow from one point to another, but what key ingredients build lasting relationships with those who frequent your site?

Recently I had a young lady send me an email, not long after leaving a comment on one of my posts. I have to be honest, her question took me back a little bit.  Even though she beat me to the punch, and even though her question was in regards to something I already do with all my marketing, I had never received an email asking the question of "Why it took so long."  I won't spill the beans just yet, but read on and I will explain a little further down.

3 Keys to Building Lasting Relationships with Your Visitors:

1. Develop your site with Purpose.  Every marketer, Affiliate, Internet, Network, whatever your discipline, should have a "Purpose" that directs the content, banners, links, categories, widgets or whatever is displayed on your site.  When people find YOU, do they see one big ad, or do they perceive value by how your site meshes?  
   
   Let me give a quick example: If you are an Affiliate Marketer and you have a banner display that promotes a program or product you sell, the purpose of that banner, from your perspective, may be to add income to your bottom line, but if that banner display doesn't match your overall theme, if that banner program or product is not interwoven within your content, page titles or links, then your visitors may see that as just another advertisement.  
   
   I visited a site recently where the theme and purpose was all about healthy living, actually a very nice site, but right at the top, on the right side, was a long affiliate banner for Free Web Hosting.  I thought that was kind of odd, let alone it was nearly 5 inches tall.  Does web hosting and Healthy Living match?  Do other visitors wonder the same question?  First impressions count, most times you only have about 3 seconds to convince your visitor to stay, how do you use those 3 seconds?
    
2. Write with Passion:  Most marketers understand that "Content" is king, but what about content draws your readers in?  What is it that keeps someone on your site for more than 15 minutes, reading, learning and commenting?  It's your "Passion"!!  Yes, what you write about, how you spell or misspell words and the overall flow makes a difference but to really draw someone in and keep them coming back for more, you have to relate with that person on a different level.  You have to imagine, while your typing, that you are right in front of them talking away, smiling, waving your hands with gestures, persuading them that what you are saying can make a difference.
   
   If your words are not pulling your readers in, it might be a reason that returning visitors are down, comments are only left once in a while and your RSS readership hasn't reached the level you are seeking.  Passion can be seen and felt, even through words, master it and you might just see a new level of connection with your target market.
    
3. Build Relationships through Persistence:  If you read my last post, "Instilling Leadership in our Children", then these three points might just ring a bell.  These are the 3 P's, Purpose, Passion and Persistence,  that I use to build my business and teach my kids to make them better leaders in our community.  But "Persistence" is a trait that takes focus and consistency before the fruits of your labor begin to emerge.
   
   This is where my story continues from the beginning of this post.  I mentioned earlier that I had received an email from a young lady who had left a comment on one of my posts.  Her question was, "Mike, I notice you responded to all the other commenters on your post, but not mine, how come?"  WOW, what an email.
   
   You see, she had been a constant visitor, reading, learning and then commenting, but to her, my response to her comment meant something.  It meant a connection, one that she was looking for.  How many of your visitors leave a comment and then check back the next day to see if you responded?  Might be more than you think. 
   
   What was great about this email was that responding with a comment to my commenters has always been my practice.  If they took the time to share their thoughts, views or opinions, I want to take the time to thank them and share any more advice I can.  That is how Relationships are built.  Luckily this young lady beat me to the punch, I was a little behind in responding to some comments, and a few hours later she would have seen my response.
   
   Persistence doesn't have to mean that you create posts or pages 5 times a week, it means that the little things make big differences when building relationships with your visitors.  Those visitors might someday be business partners, customers or life long friends, but first you have to develop those relationships.
   
   Try leaving a comment response to every person who took the time and effort to share their thoughts about your content and if you really want to Build a Lasting Relationship, visit their site if you are able or send them a personal email thanking them for their time and comment.

Passion-Purpose-Persistence, learn how to develop your marketing plan with these three philosophies

Sincerely,

Mike Witt

In case you missed here are two other posts to help you in building your Home Business:

Branding YOU Through Attraction Marketing 

Lead Generation Through Social Networking