Surf to Sale Part One

Posted on February 25, 2010 // Comments

We’ve all spent hours surfing the Internet without making any purchases or giving out any lead information. Perhaps you’ve done some window shopping online or were just StumblingUpon different sites. Although you can’t see that surfers are doing anything on your site, it’s important to have content that is memorable to keep these kinds of people intrigued.

Four Types of Visitors

1. The Surfer: This user is just going through websites — probably in their free time — not particularly looking for anything. The Surfer may even be using a social bookmarking tool like StumbleUpon or Digg. He or she may have seen your site from a Facebook friend or Twitter user who posted a link in their update. Similar to a window shopper, The Surfer isn’t really looking for you, but he or she has found you somehow.

2. The Visitor: This user is LOOKING for something. The Visitor probably used a search engine to find you, or may have seen an advertisement somewhere and wanted to look up your website. The visitor needs something and is looking to make a decision. Your website is the tool The Visitor uses to research and make that decision.

3. The Engager: The Engager likes you. The Engager checks your sites for updates, comments on your posts, and shares your links with his or her friends and followers. This user isn’t exactly a customer yet, but when the time comes for a need, The Engager will probably come to you. Because The Engager shares your information with others, he or she is important to keep interested because of the influence he or she has on other people to become customers.

4. The Customer: This user is ready to buy! He or she may have been any of the previous types of users before, but right now he or she is your favorite one. The Customer will readily give lead information and makes a purchase.

The journey from Surfer to Customer may not happen as a step-by-step process from each type. The Customer may not even have started out as a Surfer. However, you want to appeal to The Surfer because he or she MAY return as a Visitor, which could then transition to Engager, and finally Customer.

So, how can you appeal to random Surfers while maintaining and attracting the other types of users?

How would you try to appeal to Surfers? Feel free to comment!

Wait for Part Two to hear our take on it!

Category : Concepts