Are you a business owner or site designer who just wants to create sites that help you reach your business goals? Goals like more leads, sales and repeat customers? That doesn't seem like too much to ask, right? Yet finding, setting up and using expensive and complicated platforms to promote products and services can be nerve racking. 

For example, have you spent countless hours trying to find a site builder and theme that actually looks like the theme demo? Have you bought "professional" themes that looked awful once you paid for them and installed them on your site?

Do you have a website that you've had to patch together to get results? I experienced lots of research and lots of epic fails, when it came to finding the right solution... before finding the tool that I'll discuss in this article. 

Watch a Quick Video

Maybe you're using a theme from one developer, and plugins from yet another developer. What happens when something doesn't work? Who do you call for support?  When you install one plugin, do you have to disable another so that your site works? Been there, done that. 

You may not even be aware of all the things you can do with the right sales and marketing tools. When you sign up for our list, we'll show you how to use one simple, drag and drop subscription we use that will make your life easier, while enabling you to earn more in less time.

If you've experienced any of the scenarios above, read this article, check out the table of contents below, listen to the video or audio and take the next step to learn about a sales and marketing tool that can make a huge difference in helping you reach your sales and marketing goals. It could be a perfect fit for what you've been looking for to grow your business.

What Will It Be... Sales That Trickle In or Sales That Flow?

It seems easier to work with platforms that require a patchwork approach that appear to be lower in cost or even free. Those platforms can cause frustration, waste tons of time, and put your into an endless struggle.

Or you can stop struggling and choose a platform that is reasonably priced, works for your business 24/7, and helps you bring in new leads, customers and sales on auto-pilot. One that enables you to leverage systems, versus being there in person, trying to manage it all on your own.

As a business owner you need a platform that you own and control. If you're on popular marketplaces and platforms and even social media, it's not a good idea to depend on them totally, because at any time, if you break their rules they can shut you down.

I know because it happened to me. But my getting shut down was one of the best things that could happen to me for a numbers of reasons. The biggest benefit to being shut down was that I found the product that we'll talk about in this article. I found this product and I've never looked back.

Let's face it, every business owner needs a powerful online presence that they control. We need a place to send potential customers to discover what we have to offer and how it can help them. 

Your site should be an online presence that makes it easy for visitors, customers and return customers to learn about your solutions, get support, make purchases and leave glowing reviews.  

Having these elements in place can set the stage for improvements in generating leads, growing sales and customer loyalty.

Listen on the Go!

To get these kinds of results with your online business, you'll need a conversion focused, all in one sales and marketing toolbox like the one we'll show you in this article. It's the toolbox we've used to build this site and we think it could be a great solution for you as well.

Meet Thrive Suite - all the tools you'll ever need to run and grow your online business available in ONE subscription. If you haven't heard about it, read on. 

It's a powerful toolbox that makes your website fast, beautiful, and most importantly - conversion focused.

This tool can transform your business for good costing about $25 per month. The great thing is that you can install it on up to 5 websites, so as your business grows you can scale it to earn even more. It includes Thrive Themes, Thrive Architect, Thrive Leads and more... read on.

To get the functionality you get with Thrive Suite, you would need a combination of following themes and plugins. Of course there are other products on the market, but the goal here is to shows you how this can add up quickly.

Wouldn't it be great to be able to have the functions below running in your business 24/7, while you are out doing other things? If you would like to have a system that does this, click here to learn more. 

To reach your business goals, you need a presence that not only looks good, but one that functions to help you convert visitors into customers. Thus the need for a platform and content that is conversion focused. 

There are plenty themes, plugins and tools on the market that will give you a great looking presence. But what happens when potential customers find your content?

Does your content deliver the right message to your audience? Does your platform have the functionality that gives visitors the option to do anything other than make a purchase?

What about those potential customers who are a good match for your business, who need more information, who need to be educated a little more about your products and their options before making a buying decision? 

1. Visitors - Land on your platform either on purpose or by accident. They will fall into two main categories. Those who like what they see and those who feel that they have landed in the wrong place. The ones that like what they see need a way to take action. 
   
   
2. Those Who Like What They See, But Are Not Quite Sold - These visitors like what they see. They are interested in your solutions and they want to understand more about your products before buying.
   
   If your site provides a way to purchase while ignoring these visitors, that means they will have to leave, do their research and return again if they want to make a decision. Your platform should allow you to create content that will help this group make a buying decision without leaving your site. 
   
   
3. Customers - The chances are much better that visitors will become customers if you provide some educational material that helps your ideal customers make a decision.
   

What Does It Mean When a Visitor Takes Action with Your Business

When we talk about taking action, this means your content should help potential customers sign up to get your news, request a phone consultation, fill out a form, sign up for a webinar, take a course, complete a quiz or survey, or another action that makes a connection to your business. 

Your platform should work 24/7 to not only look great, but to help those visitors who are interested and looking for solutions.

A Central Hub

As a business owner it's important to be on as many platforms as possible. You need a presence on social media, video, audio, and training platforms to stay engaged with your audience. Most importantly you need a central hub that you own and control as a foundation for your business.

Your central hub should be the place where everything happens. A place where no matter what you're doing in other platforms, your ideal customers can always find you there. 

You Have a Lot of Choices

And again there are many products and solutions on the market that entrepreneurs are using as a central hub, like video and audio channels, blogs, and some are even using social media as their central hub.

If you're looking at some of the other solutions, check out this video that shows you some of the benefits and features offered by Thrive Architect that you won't find with other tools.

This is what I've found, whether you use Thrive Suite or another tool. Out of all the products on the market, the best sales and marketing tool available is one that you own and control.

A self hosted WordPress blog is the best way to set a great foundation for your business and set up the additional systems (discussed below) you need to convert more visitors into customers.  

To learn more about the sales and marketing toolkit we use for all our blogs, check out Thrive Suite.

The Downside of Putting Your Central Hub on Other People's Platforms

When you think about social media, video and audio platforms as well as some of the blogging platforms like Wix, Blogger and even WordPress.com, they are owned by others.

When you're using a platform that is owned by others, as your primary way of communicating with your audience, you're taking a chance. If you do something the owners don't like they can pull the plug on your business.

Lead Generation Systems

Generating leads (also referred to as building your list) is central to the growth of your business.  You need a way to generate leads that helps you convert more of the visitors who reach your central hub. 

Yes there are lead generation forms you can place on your site. But you need more than a static form that exists in your sidebar or a pop up that says "Join Us".  

Check out the latest updates to Thrive Leads and their recent release of over 450 stunning new opt-in form templates — all of which are 100% customizable to suit your site's needs!

Creating Content That Motivates More Visitors to Become a Lead

The first step to generating leads involves knowing your niche, and the consumers in that niche. You also need a solid understanding of how people in that niche normally buy products and services. What events will trigger their need for your products and services?

When potential customers reach your central hub, you have to be ready with more than a pretty site to reach your goals. You need a site that generates leads as the first conversion. When someone arrives on your platform, to reach your goals, you have to give them a way to take the next step.  

Learn more about Thrive Leads (part of the the Thrive Suite membership) to learn why it's the best solution for lead generation. You'll also learn why it should be one of the biggest priorities in your business.

Landing Pages

Once you know who you're selling to, and how they buy, it's time to create solutions that will help and attract your audience to take action.

And this is where landing pages shine. Landing pages are designed to show your audience your solutions and the benefits (vs. features) they will receive when they use your product or service. They are focused on one goal, getting your audience to take action.

You will need content that draws them in by answering their questions, and positioning yourself as someone that knows what they are doing as well as someone they can trust. Your central hub is the place to house this content in a way that is easy for your audience to find. 

Learn more about landing pages and how they can be used to help your audience take action. You'll also have access to a free resource, the beginner's guide to landing pages.

Share Your Knowledge with Online Courses

Your knowledge is valuable and you can share it with your audience to educate them about your products and services. It's not enough these days to say that something is good. Your potential customers need to understand why they should use your product recommendations. 

Teaching courses helps them get the inside story, see demonstrations and better understand how your solutions (products) will fit into their lives. Teaching an online course on a platform you control has many benefits

Testing Engine

Making small changes can make a huge difference in the world of online marketing. Changing out an image or tweaking a title can result in more conversions. 

Continuous improvement is important when it comes to sales and marketing has less to do with having a platform that looks good and testing their content to see which versions of their content is working best for their business. 

Thrive Optimize helps business owners compare content and receive results that gives them solid information they can use to make better business decisions

The biggest advantage your business can have over the competition is knowing what works for your unique business versus what doesn't work.  There are plenty companies that will charge you an arm and a leg for this functionality. However you get it for no additional cost when you sign up for a Thrive Suite membership. With this marketing tool you can easily create A/B tests for your Thrive Architect built landing pages.

Countdown Strategies

Have you ever wondered how long it would be before a sale ended for a product you were interested in purchasing? On pages that have countdown timers set it's crystal clear. Adding this feature to your pages means there is no wondering how long you have to make a decision. 

Setting a countdown timer helps you as a business owner get people off the fence to make a decision one way or the other within a given period of time. 

Setting a countdown timer is also a great way to set and forget affiliate offers on your landing pages. Set up the countdown time and there's no confusion on whether someone gets the sale price. Woo commerce also enables you to set the end date so that pricing automatically goes back to regular price at a set date and time.

Quizzes and Surveys

This feature allows you to receive feedback from your visitors, students, and customers. They are a great way to determine the needs of your audience. Quizzes are a no pressure way for your audience to tell you how to best serve them. They can be used as a fun way for your audience to tell you what they want to see in terms of content.  

Quizzes can be a quick and easy way to deliver your lead magnet or some other tailored content that helps potential customers.  

They can also help your audience understand why your solution is the best one for their needs and can also be used to generate leads for your business, by asking a few specific questions and allowing participants to self segment. This enables you to send them only the information that is specific to their needs. 

When done well, quizzes can help you engage people that take the next step to become a loyal customer.

Phenomenal Training

This sales and marketing tool not only gives you what you need to have a strong and powerful online presence that you own and control, it also provides you with phenomenal training. There is a training library that has courses and guides you can use to learn how to promote your products online.  If you're stuck and unsure, you don't have to remain in that place. 

This tool gives you so much for the money. You only need to have a site on the WordPress.org platform to get started. Learn more about it here.

If your site is not on WordPress.org, take our free blogging course to get started.