Ebooks have been around for a while now and you may be wondering, “You deal with websites, why are you talking about this?” It’s because business websites, if they’re kept up to date and secure, can include all sorts of features you may not have realized that can help your company stand out from the others. One certain way of doing just that is by hosting and featuring an ebook on your website.
Ebooks, if you’re not sure as to what they are, are simply digital versions of books. Several websites allow you to download some ebooks in PDF, epub, or a similar format, and then you can read them at your leisure. Other times, ebooks are created for commercial purposes, particularly if that business is especially fluent in their expertise (i.e. they’ve got a lot more to say than just the one blog post in their blog!).
If you’re not sure whether or not your business should make an ebook for your website, let’s reassure you with three reasons why it’s actually a pretty good idea.
- Ebooks Can Help Audiences Grow
Building an audience is crucial to seeing any positive end results arise courtesy of your marketing efforts. However or wherever you decide to build this list, it can give you a resource of people interested and invested in your company’s brand. These are the people you can sell to and entice to visit your website time and again with a simple e-mail message. The best part about it is they wouldn’t be drawn in via a cold sale. These customers already know who you are and what your business is all about.
This is where your ebook can come into play here as an important marketing tool. You can offer this informational product to your loyal customers for free as an incentive to subscribing to your e-mail list.
One key thing to do here is you should always require one’s e-mail address in order for them to gain access to your ebook. This is what is commonly referred to as ‘gated content’ and it’s what can help you quickly grow your e-mail list. That way, anyone who wants your ebook can have it delivered to their inbox. Because of this method, asking for an e-mail address in exchange for your free (or even paid) ebook is a natural action as opposed to manipulative, such as the black-hat method of buying bulk e-mail addresses (you can read more about that in our previous blog post).
Since you have their e-mail address, this is your opportunity to start building solid customer-business relationships and even get some feedback. There’s a lot more you can do with your audience in terms of earning their trust via ebook, such as inserting snippets of customer interviews, sharing survey results, etc. Why not get creative?
- Ebooks Establish You as an Expert
It’s common knowledge that customers only want to deal with businesses and brands they trust. How do you start developing that sense of credibility that your customers are looking for? Simple: by establishing yourself as an authority on your business’s niche. This is where an ebook can really help you out. A well-written ebook that teaches or explains a concept within your business’s niche will show your customers you really know what you’re talking about.
In addition, an ebook allows you to expand on subjects you’ve only covered briefly in blog posts. This ability to expand on the subject can further solidify your credibility and authority within your industry. It will also ensure customers that you are indeed different from the rest of your competition, because you’ve taken into account the things they’re most interested in by writing about it.
Customers won’t think twice to read up on things they care about, whatever the subject may be. Why not provide that to them with an ebook?
- Ebooks Can Generate More Income
True, you could give away your ebook for free—if you have an e-mail marketing strategy in place, that is. But giving away your ebook for free is really a personal choice. Many businesses out there already sell their ebooks online for a price, so you could easily sell your ebook if the content is something people declare it as worth paying for. In fact, it’s more likely an ebook will sell better compared to a seminar or a similar info product.
You don’t have to look at ebooks as paid vs. free either. You can use both methods by creating and featuring two separate info product on your website. Make the free one you give away a shorter and more specific ebook on a certain subject, while making the paid product much larger and more comprehensive.
It doesn’t cost very much to create an ebook either, if money in making it is a concern. Lots of different software is available to create a professional looking book and it only takes a little time to get it added to your website (so long as your site is up to date that it can host your ebook properly of course!). This makes it a cost-effective way to promote yourself and your business while also generating more income.
If you have a website and blog, you’re good to go
You may be thinking to yourself, “An ebook sounds great and all, but where am I going to get content for it?” Let us tell you, if you already have a website for your business and that website has a blog full of content, then you’re already more than halfway done with your ebook. Take a look at your most popular blog posts and either expand on their connected subject or merge some with a common theme into an ebook. If you have a blog and a website to boot, then you already have what you need to follow through with this effective marketing strategy.
If, on the other hand, you don’t have a blog at all—or even a website—then give us a call before you move forward with the ebook plan. We can build you a website and blog you can be proud of as well as ensure it can host your ebook when you’re ready to offer it. After all, nothing quite kills off the customer’s interest than a website that’s out of date or doesn’t work!