You’ve heard the phrase, “It’s not personal. It’s just business.”
Well, your ecommerce business is personal.
You deeply care about the quality product you offer and the excellent customer service that supports each purchase.
Buying from you should be a no-brainer for someone who wants or needs the goods you sell online.
But online, potential clients often find themselves overwhelmed, searching for the right direction.
How do they find you?
The sheer volume of choices makes it essential for ecommerce businesses like yours to stand out — not just as another option, but as a trusted resource to follow.
Enter: The Lighthouse Conversion Model
Just as a lighthouse serves as a beacon, ensuring ships don’t lose their way on the dark water, this method ensures your potential clients find their path straight to your ecommerce products amidst online distractions.
It’s not just about being seen. It’s about guiding prospects safely through their journey with a proven, three-stage approach:
- Stage #1: The Searchlight to Drive Traffic
- Stage #2: The Guiding Light to Build Trust
- Stage #3: The Harbor Light to Convert
Let me explain The Lighthouse Conversion Model by painting a more detailed picture of the two stages ecommerce marketers tend to focus on the most. Then we’ll uncover why your Guiding Light is the key to more sales and success for your ecommerce site.
Sell more products with less effort.
If you want a steady flow of engaged customers primed to buy, we’ve got a proven process for driving organic traffic and converting it into sales.
The Searchlight to Drive Traffic
It’s time to direct ships at sea (customers) to the comforts of your land (ecommerce products).
These ships would like to reach solid ground soon. However, they’re unsure of the right direction to sail. They recognize a challenge or need they have and are eager to discover the best solution.
At this stage, you’ll use your Searchlight to create free content that drives traffic to your website.
Ecommerce Content Focus
Engaging content like informative articles, insightful ebooks, visually appealing infographics, and comprehensive guides should both address problems and pique curiosity.
In the vast sea of the internet, it’s all too easy for potential clients to drift aimlessly, lost amidst the waves of information. You want to ensure they see your light amidst a sea of competitors, but your Searchlight is also about clarity.
By casting a wide, powerful beam, you signal your presence along with your expertise and willingness to assist. Like a lighthouse reassuring sailors from afar, your content should instill confidence, drawing them closer to your shores.
Traffic Sources
Visibility is the game here. Broad channels are most effective to reach large audiences. This includes efforts in SEO, capturing organic searches, launching targeted ad campaigns, and amplifying your presence through social media channels.
Primary Goal
The ultimate aim here is to spark a prospect’s interest and plant a seed of trust. By consistently offering valuable information and solutions, you position yourself as a solid resource. You want to establish your expertise and empathy for their product search.
Example
Let’s say your ecommerce products are grass-fed beef and ethical meats, like Seven Sons. You would use your blog to drive traffic to your site with articles like:
- What Is the Best Cut of Steak? The Ultimate Top 10 List
- 3 Ways Grass-Fed Butter Is Better Than Grain-Fed Butter
- Spare Ribs vs. Baby Back Ribs: What’s the Difference?
These topics address keyword phrases potential customers search for online. They also provide useful information that answers relevant questions.
The Harbor Light to Convert
Next, many ecommerce marketers go from their Searchlight to their Harbor Light. They add review and product pages to their sites.
This is a logical step … because if you’ve attracted prospects, you need to make sure those prospects have all of the information they need to make purchases.
As potential customers approach the end of their journeys, the waters they navigate become increasingly perilous.
At this juncture, they weigh their options, searching for signs of safety and assurance before making a final decision. They’re on the verge of making a purchase, and your goal is to light the way for them and ensure that they choose your ecommerce products.
Ecommerce Content Focus
Direct prospects with clear sales pages, equip them with comparison charts that highlight your unique selling points, engage them with insightful webinars, and build credibility with authentic testimonials.
Traffic Sources
Precision is the name of the game. Hyper-targeted email campaigns, based on their engagement and behavior, become the primary channel. These are bolstered by strategic SEO practices that cater to intent-driven searches and select social media promotions that highlight your product’s value proposition.
Primary Goal
This is more than a simple transaction — it’s about solidifying trust. You aim to instill confidence, ensuring they recognize the value and reliability of choosing your products. Their journey, filled with questions and objections, should find its resolution with you.
The Harbor Light, like its real-world counterpart, symbolizes safety, destination, and the end of a journey.
When sailors see the Harbor Light, they know they are home, or at least, safe from the unpredictable sea. Similarly, your customers, after their intricate journey of discovery and decision, should find solace and certainty in your offerings.
Your commitment to transparency, value, and authenticity becomes their beacon, guiding them safely into the harbor of your checkout page, ensuring they anchor with conviction.
Example
For Seven Sons, their Harbor Light includes a How It Works page and Product pages.
Everything a potential customer needs to know about buying from Seven Sons is on their How It Works page, complete with:
- Simple steps to get started with home delivery
- Safe delivery measures
- A satisfaction guarantee
- Testimonials
- Answers to frequently asked questions
Product pages guide visitors to general meat categories and specialty items.
I know what you might be thinking right about now …
Did you notice that going from attraction with your Searchlight to conversion with your Harbor Light seems like a big leap?
That’s why next we’ll explore your Guiding Light next — an often overlooked but critical part of your ecommerce site.
The Guiding Light to Build Trust
Attraction content from your Searchlight is just the beginning of a ship’s journey. It’s not a direct path to your desired destination for them.
Once a ship has noticed your Searchlight, it’s your job to make them stick around with your Guiding Light. You want to welcome and invite them to land, the ecommerce product you’ve personally crafted for them.
Potential customers today need more than just answers — they need assurance that they’re in the right place.
“This is what Digital Commerce Partners (DCP) calls the missing middle stage of many ecommerce content marketing funnels.”
Jon Nastor
Managing Partner, DCP
DCP specializes in Guiding Lights that educate, build trust, and nurture prospects who visit on your ecommerce site.
Ecommerce Content Focus
At this stage, superficial content won’t cut it. You should dive deep, offering them rich resources that illuminate the intricacies of their challenge. In-depth articles, podcasts, case studies, and tailored email courses can provide invaluable insights and detailed direction.
Traffic Sources
This is where personalized outreach shines. It’s not just about broadcasting a message; it’s about direct communication and engagement. Refined email campaigns are important here, but don’t underestimate the power of SEO combined with unparalleled resources and targeted social media promotions that keep your brand top-of-mind.
Primary Goal
Your primary aim now shifts from mere attraction to building a solid foundation of trust. Your mission is to stand out as exceptional and help prospects sift through the noise, clarify doubts, and swiftly find a solution.
It’s your commitment to authentic, detailed, and relevant content that transforms your prospect’s initial interest into genuine camaraderie.
Like any voyage, the journey through the digital realm is fraught with uncertainties and potential pitfalls. However, with a steady Guiding Light, prospects can feel a sense of direction, security, and peace of mind.
Example
Let’s look at Seven Sons’ Learning Hub that promotes their mission, values, and best practices.
This is Seven Sons’ Guiding Light that provides proof the ecommerce company doesn’t take website visitors for granted.
If a prospective customer has found Seven Sons because they want high-quality, grass-fed beef safely delivered to their door, Seven Sons clearly demonstrates that their products are a great choice.
Grow Your Ecommerce Business with The Lighthouse Conversion Model
Your prospects have a lot of choices, and the difference between guests who glance at your Searchlight for a minute and those who sail to your shores is a strong Guiding Light.
Does your ecommerce business attract and guide potential customers? Or could you benefit from a model that assures conversions?
The Lighthouse Conversion Model has revolutionized countless strategies, transforming how our clients present their ecommerce offers forever. It turns your personal mission into a profitable business.
We know recognizing its potential is one thing … and implementing it effectively is another.
If you could use some help reviewing the different stages of your Lighthouse, we’d be happy to show you how we’d build the perfect Guiding Light for your prospects.
