• by Jamie Schissler , November 5, 2007

Search marketing is often the first place brands turn to when attempting to minimize conversion costs. They create a keyword strategy and optimize their site for better organic results. Maybe there's some display advertising in the mix, too, and ongoing testing and iterations of creative to maximize pull. Then they add in some landing page optimization to push conversion metrics higher still. Now the marketer's program is running on all six cylinders: the target audience is made aware of the site, they can get there easily, and once they arrive, they have a clear and welcoming path to conversion. Among the hand-raisers, some convert and some, well... don't.

Unfortunately, many marketers stop their conversion efforts then and there, but what about those hand-raisers that didn't convert? They still have potential value. You made an investment to get them to your site and they even provided you with some information, but they didn't convert. Maybe they're conducting research, and not ready to buy just yet. Or perhaps, pressed for time, they put it off for "tomorrow."  Perhaps the prospect is delaying action in the belief that she has plenty of time, as with financial services and retirement planning. There is a whole slew of reasons why consumers don't covert, which have nothing to do with your pre-conversion strategy and tactics.

So, what do you do with these valuable assets?

The olive oil maker of old provides some useful guidance. He gathers his fruit, runs it through the press and produces olive oil. But he doesn't discard the crushed fruit. The olive oil maker extracts additional value from his fruit though subsequent presses. In marketing terms, this translates to lead cultivation through email.

Here are four points to consider when thinking about how your email program will support these valuable non-converts:

Timing and Frequency: Develop a separate lead nurturing strategy for landing page non-converts that contains timing and frequency components, such as a series of three emails to be deployed at 14, 21, and 28 days subsequent to the initial inquiry/registration. And then let it rest.

Message Series Differentiation: Just as the olive oil maker applies increasing pressure with each subsequent pressing to extract value, consider developing the tone and content of your message sequence around increasing levels of urgency and opportunity. In some cases, where you might have a lasting or pre-existing relationship with the prospect, you'll need to be more sensitive to this in order to avoid the risk of alienating the recipient with a hard sell. But in other cases, you might have nothing to lose.

Post-Lead Nurturing: Plan for what you will do for those who still do not convert after the lead-nurturing sequence expires. Some of their initial rationale for not converting may still apply. But as long as you have their email address, you have an opportunity to keep your brand and message in front of them. Consider adding them to your email newsletter.   

Internal Lead Management Workflow: Determine how this process will integrate with your internal lead management systems and workflow. Will real people such as customer service reps and loan consultants be responding to these prospects? Will it be via phone, email, post, or all three? Ensure these touchpoints are accounted for; that the look, tone, and feel are consistent; and timing and frequency are fully integrated with the email strategy.

Approaching your non-converts as valuable assets and treating them as such will yield benefits to your business and bottom line.  With some simple planning, your conversion programs will run like a well "oiled" machine.