Are you making one of the biggest digital marketing mistakes?

“The more gaps in the customers path to action…the more chances you create of losing their business.”

…are you creating a “Digital Dead End”?  

What’s a Digital Dead End you ask?   In the digital world of marketing this happens when you leave your customers guessing (or left with too many steps) on how to take action on your promotion…this is what I have came to call the Digital Dead End.

This is especially critical on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

• You have done a great job creating your promotion,
• spent time marketing it online,
• and people are getting excited,
• but then……you end up leaving them with a “message me” or a “website link” hoping that they will contact you, or that they will remember to come to your place of business for the promotion.

“The more gaps in the customers path to action…the more chances you create of losing their business”

Don’t want to lose them? There is a fix!

Give them the “ADD TO CART” button so they can make that sale immediately.

Getting peoples attention on social media is not that easy with the amount of information flooding their news feeds and how those platforms determine who sees it and so when you do it is critical that you not waste it.

To be truly effective you need to allow them to take action immediately.

Here are a couple of examples to show you want I mean.

Digital Dead End Example #1

Here is a post where the small business owner has created a promotion that has clearly created lots of excitement with viewers.

But there is no “BUY NOW ACTION”.  They are relying on the customer to private message (PM) or go to their website/Facebook page to contact them.

Just think how much more effective this would be with a “BUY NOW” button.  You get the sale when they are inspired by your post and simply wait for them to make the appointment.  You already have their money which means you now have their commitment.

**Names have been blacked out to protect the innocent.

…the bottom line

If the post was a clickable link to the BUY NOW listing page (click here for an example) that includes all the required information then they would have provided the customer the clearest path of action (and less work for the business owner having to repeat messages).

Digital Dead End Example #2

Personally I think food services are hindered most by digital dead ends.   People LOVE food and easily become excited over food but chances really good when someone is viewing a food promotion on Facebook it is not time to eat (or they have already made plans).

This promotion has to rely on the customer visiting their restaurant if they they remember at the time that they are hungry.   I don’t know about you but I do not like those chances for success with this type of online marketing effort.

Just think how much more effective this promotion would be with a “BUY NOW” button.

**Names have been blacked out to protect the innocent.

…the bottom line

If the post was a clickable link to the BUY NOW listing page (click here for an example) that includes all the required information then they would have provided the customer the clearest path of action (and less work for the business owner having to repeat messages).

This would be the same as a business posting a product for sale with no “buy now button” and hoping that

Of course nothing is guaranteed but…

…why risk the chance of losing that sale and remove all the barriers to your call to action.

Your ADD TO CART button!

So how can you avoid this digital dead end?

It’s actually really simple.  As long as you already have an online shop for your business and have created individual listings you simply “cut and paste” the URL of the listing that you want to promote in the status update of your business Facebook page, add or change the photos and text to suit and you are done!

Watch this 2 minute video to see how simple it is.

About the author

Craig Hanson is a serial entrepreneur and CEO and Co-founder of ThrivingLocally.com.

Through his passion and admiration for the local small business owner he strives to provide the local entrepreneur with tools and advice in order to be successful so that they can achieve their business dreams.

“It’s not about making a million bucks….it’s about making a life worth living”