Why don't we treat our website visitors with the same respect we would if they walked into our place of business? We don't properly greet them. We don't offer them help. We don't offer to follow up if they can't find what they're looking for. In this article, I'm sharing five keys to turning that around and creating more customers from those who visit your website.

1. 5 Keys to Actively Engage and Convert Your Website
Visitors
baeronmarketing.com/5-keys-to-actively-engage-and-convert-your-website-visitors/
ARE YOU STRUGGLING WITH LOW WEBSITE CONVERSIONS?
Low website conversions are nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, most business websites around the world are
suffering from this very fate.
Here’s the reality of the situation…
• You’ve got up to 8 seconds to make a positive impression on a first time visitor, or they’re outta there
• On average, only 2% of site visitors actually purchase something from a site when they visit
• It takes an average of 7 interactions to get a lead to open up their wallet and spend money with you
These numbers may be somewhat sobering. However they also reveal how much opportunity you have for
conversion optimization … (an opportunity your competition may not be taking advantage of).
So exactly what can we learn from these stats?
One important lesson is… don’t be afraid to put a call-to-action front and center on your website, where visitors will
be guaranteed to see it (otherwise, if they leave your site, it might just be too late to get them back again).
Marketing, in the age of the internet, isn’t as straightforward as it used to be. There are far too many distractions.
Thats why your marketing process needs to leverage the concept of education and relationship building through a
series of interactions with your prospects. So it’s better to think of your website, not as the terminal point in your
marketing process, but as just one piece of an overall marketing funnel, that consists of ads (including retargeting
ads), landing pages, blog posts, emails, and social media posts …
1/10

2. And that’s one reason that retargeting is key. If you’re not familiar with the term, you are certainly familiar with the
concept. Once visitors visit a web page, ads start to follow them around wherever they browse online. This is
powerful! Why? Because it allows you to retain contact with the 98% of your leads who have left your site without
taking any action.
As we move forward, I’m going to show you 5 ways that you can actively transform every site visitor into a retargeted
lead …
ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE CONVERSIONS
Do you know how to “actively convert” your site visitors?
2/10

3. The very best method to illustrate this is by comparing online to real-life conversions. Remember, you’re dealing with
people in both situations (it’s easy to forget this online).
So let’s imagine two small “bricks-and-mortar” companies; a couple of local retails shops…
These stores look rather similar to each other… stocked with the similar items, displayed in similar ways.
Nevertheless, the customers experience in each the two shops is quite different.
In the first shop, when you walk in …
… no-one greets you for; no one smiles, or says “hello” …
No one reacts when you pick up an item …
And when you stroll to the door and leave, you’re still pretty much ignored …
On the other hand, when you enter the second shop …
You’re greeted with a smile …
The shopkeeper asks you how they can help …
When you look at an item, they give you some more details about it; suggest some other products that you
might also like …
And when as you head out, you’re offered a discount on your next visit…
Which store are you most likely to patronize? There’s no contest, right?
The second shop does a far better job of engaging and connecting with you, even though they have pretty much the
same products as the first shop …
So why is this?
Well, in the first shop, it’s as if you’re not there. Your existence does not affect them one way or another. They’re
entirely passive.
In contrast, from the minute you go into the second store, the place “comes alive,” and they produce an
personalized, interactive experience for you.
The store re-acts to you, and your personal behaviors.
To puts it simply, they try to “actively convert” you.
A great salesperson knows that sales is about learning about and responding to your prospects needs. Not just
“pitching” them an offer; but, rather, providing an interactive and engaging experience with them…
When your in an in-person environment, this is primarily about observing body-language, and responding in properly
(according to one Harvard research study, 55% of face-to-face interaction is done through body-language. It’s our
primary “hint” to exactly what someone actually believes).
… If your prospect looks indifferent, you try a new angle, or suggest a new product. If they look interested, you push
to close the sale, and so on.
But how do you actively convert people on your website? How can you make the online sales process more like it is
in person – when it’s done correctly? After all, you can’t observe and react to your visitors’ body language when
they’re on your website, can you?
While it may be true that you can’t see their physical body language, you can still react to their “Digital body
3/10

4. language” …
You can respond when a visitor:
… enters your website …
Scrolls through your content
Clicks on, or hovers over, specific items …
Starts to leave your website …
These are all moments when you can intervene, and actively transform your visitors.
Here’s how …
THE 5 ACTIVE CONVERSION LEVERS
1. PIXEL BANKING
What is it?
This very first way of transforming your website visitors to retargeting leads is undetectable, albeit increasingly
important …
Pixel Banking allows you to construct audiences of everybody who visits your web-properties – whom you can later
“retarget” with contextual ads on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and 1000s of other sites by means of ad-networks.
Why it works
Pixeled audiences are pre-qualified leads; they have actually demonstrated interest in you. And that means,
unsurprisingly, that retargeting ads – as opposed to cold traffic ads – offer you much better ROI.
In the words of Digital Marketer CEO Ryan Deiss:
“Soon all display advertising will be retargeted advertising and the pixel will become even more valuable than the
click itself. As larger advertisers continue to buy up ad inventory (and create their own retargeting audiences) those
that fail to ‘pixel’ their site visitors won’t be able to afford to advertise.”
Keep in mind, most people do not buy on their first visit to your website, or even their second …
So as digital marketers, we need to construct these pixeled audiences (on Facebook, Google, YouTube, etc.) so
that we can reconnect with them, both now and in the future. These audiences are simply as important your email
lists, if not more-so.
How to add it to your site
If you are a GROW customers, you can include your retargeting codes to ALL of your campaigns. Simply paste the
pixel & copy code from the advertising platform (eg., Facebook) into your GROW campaigns.
4/10

5. (Note: regarding “onsite” retargeting, you can also using pixels to trigger (or hide) popups or Conversion Mats for
returning visitors. This is another great way of making the sales process more relevant, personal, and effective.)
2. CONVERSION MAT
What is it?
A full-screen call-to-action that displays when your visitors arrive on your website.
conversion mat
Utilize these ‘mats’ to welcome first-time visitors, highlight or announce new products & offers, deliver coupons,
capture e-mail subscribers, and lots more …
Why it works
This is like the storekeeper who welcomes you to their shop as first arrive …
By including a ‘mat’ on your website, your site reacts to your visitors when they enter. You show your visitors that
they are essential to you …
But more significantly, this provides you a chance to immediately convert your prospects (eg., to subscribe or
share), prior to they get sidetracked and moving on.
Remember, a large part of your visitors leave within 8 seconds. By dynamically “interrupting” their regular surfing
behavior, Conversion Mats instantly get their attention – making your call-to-action unmissable.
How to add it to your site
5/10

6. Create your very own Conversion Mat using the Amplify module inside GROW.
Merely choose a design template, personalize your design with our drag-and-drop editor, and then link GROW to
your site.
Now, once you’ve made a positive first impression with GROW Amplify, how do you keep your visitors further
engaged…?
3. SCROLL BOX
What is it?
A call-to-action box that loads or slides-in as your visitor scrolls through your page. You can set it to be triggered at
certain points down the page (e.g., 50%, 80%, etc.).
Use scroll boxes to ask your visitors for their e-mail address as they finish reading your most recent article, provide
them access to a discount or free trial as they finish reading about your product or service, highlight crucial
information on your page, and a lot more …
Why it works
This is a timely and unobtrusive method of getting your message in front of your visitor.
Scroll-boxes covert well since you can set them to appear at a relevant moment in your visitors’ experience. You
might show a scroll-box with an associated opt-in (e.g., “download the full guide now when you enter your email
here”) that appears when readers get to the end of your blog post.
They’re a more natural (as in “less annoying”) method of getting your potential customers to move to the next step in
the marketing process …
6/10

7. Insider tip: set your scroll-boxes to appear in the corner of the page – so your visitors can continue to read your
website without needing to close them. This will improve your conversions even more.
4. CONTEXTUAL POPUP
What is it?
A popup that’s activated when your visitor hovers or clicks over a specific image, button or text (of your choice).
Why does it work?
Like Scroll-boxes, contextual popups provide your message in response to your visitors’ behavior, so they are more
pertinent and timely.
For example, if you utilize a button or text (like THIS) to trigger the popup, visitors who click the button/text make a
“micro-commitment” before your call-to-action shows.
So don’t be amazed if you see them transform at over 50%!
7/10

8. 5. EXIT OFFERS
Exactly what is it?
A pop-over that shows to your visitors when they display “exit intent” behavior (i.e., they move their mouse to close
the tab or window).
8/10

9. IMPORTANT: Page close popups (set off by clicking the tab “X”) are not allowed by most advertising networks, but
exit intent popups are.
Why it works
Remember, on average, over 90% of your website visitors leave without taking any action …
You can use exit pops to provide these abandoning visitors a new incentive to remain (or a minimum of not leave
empty-handed)– a discount voucher, unique report, and so on.
This offers you a chance to convert visitors who would otherwise be lost – so any conversions they accomplish are a
win!
How do I include behavior-driven popups to my site?
Develop your very own Scroll-Boxes, Contextual Popups & Exit Uses with GROW Engage.
Just select a design template, personalize your design with our drag-and-drop contractor, and after that connect
GROW to your site.
9/10

10. By adding these 5 active conversion levers to your website you will:.
Instantly grab your visitors’ attention.
Dynamically respond to their browsing cues (” digital body-language”).
Give you multiple opportunities to engage.
… and produce more leads and consumers as an outcome.
To maximize your conversions, we recommend you include a minimum of 2 of the above levers to each and every
single web page on your site.
Give them a shot – and see how they boost your site!
David Baer
David Baer is founder of Baer On Marketing. Specializing in marketing funnel development & lead
generation consulting and services. David has been marketing online for over two decades, with
extensive marketing experience in theater, classical music, and wine, as well as digital product
development. David lives in beautiful Portland, Oregon, with his wife and daughter.
10/10