I know your clients. They’re social. - by Chuck Sink

Chuck Sink, Chuck Sink Link

One of the definitions of “referral” could be easy sale. Socially interactive websites generate more referral traffic. People share what they like with their friends and associates. You know they do because you and I do it all the time.

When you think about it, everything positive in your business is the result of a relationship that enabled a transaction or other favorable action. Therefore, everything about your online promotional offers and calls to action should be about strengthening your relationship with clients, prospects and other users of your website.

Google favors websites with more social referral traffic and ranks them higher. This is because people who click shared links in social media are opting to consume the message based on its relevance to their specific interests. Search engines raise your website’s authority as a trusted resource in your category when people recommend or share your page links. Social media provide the easiest and most direct channels for link sharing.

As business relationships are also social relationships, how do you go about nurturing your social relationships with your web visitors?

Lisa Parkin writing in the Huffington Post Business blog offers four powerful ways to attract social web user interaction. We highlight them below:

• Highlight top survey results – People want to know what others think and generally trust reputable consumer opinion survey data. They are apt to share it socially, especially when it validates their ideas.

• Install social commenting tools – This may seem like an obvious step, but many website owners never get to it. Naturally, 2-way conversations are what stimulate even more social interaction.

• Include user content – Contests and promotions are fine but a powerful method of showcasing user content is allowing product and service reviews on your website. It provides users a real glimpse into your strengths as well transparency into any weaknesses – areas your customers can help you improve.

• Make it easy to subscribe – Web visitors should see that you offer valuable information and updates. Make it simple for them to get it. For example, offer users the option to provide their email address OR sign up via Facebook.

As you make your website content valuable and easy to share, more people will share it and more of your page links will be clicked. That helps raise your search engine rankings and increase new business opportunities from referrals to your website.

Chuck Sink is president of Chuck Sink Link, Hopkinton, N.H.