How to generate more leads – Part 1 Your Website

Mar 02, 2015 10:52:32 AM

digital marketing Lead Generation Leads Marketing marketing strategy

This is not an in-depth analysis of lead acquisition methods, but rather an overview of how you can generate more leads for your business. Some may work for you; others may not be appropriate at all.

One of the most important lead generation tactics is to ensure that you experiment and try different things. If you keep doing what you have always done, you will get what you have always got.

The list is quite extensive so to make it more digestible, I have divided the lead generation techniques into six groups, or ‘parts’, that are determined by the channel they’re associated with. In part one, we will start with your website.

Your website

Get a website

If you don’t already have a website, now is the time to get one because there is a basic expectation for every company to have one. Operating without a website can make people less inclined to do business with you.

Create a blog

Take the time to create content on a regular basis this in the form of “blogging”. Write about subjects that are related to your industry and that you know about. Don’t be afraid to use your expertise to offer advice on a particular subject. Readers will notice this and buy into it more than you realise.

Bear in mind, to get the maximum effect from your time and effort you must take the time to blog regularly.

Use different types of content

While blogs are a great resource, don’t limit yourself to using them exclusively. Offer up a variety of different types of content including video, infographics, e-books etc. These can all be used in a number of different ways to support your lead generation activity.

Make your phone number visible on every page

This may seem obvious but it is a mistake that is made all too often. Don’t hide your number away on a contact page – have it prominently placed at the top and bottom of every page. Encouraging people to phone you should be your number one priority because phone leads are 10 times more likely to convert than any other lead generation method.

Track your phone calls

Use a call tracking system. Honestly, it will change how you approach your web design and conversion priorities. Not only will you be able to see exactly which channels are generating these calls, but a good system should also be able to integrate with your analytics packages – pulling in additional data from other points of contact.

Have a brief contact form on every page

While it would be great if they did, not everyone is going to pick up the phone every time they visit your website. Therefore, we need to adopt a belt and braces approach by placing a short contact form on every page. Prospects can give you their name, phone number and email address quickly and without hassle.

Have an email/newsletter sign up on every page

If you are running any sort of email activity then you should use email sign up forms on every page. Again, keep it simple – initially ask for the prospect’s name and email address. You want to avoid giving the visitor any unnecessary reasons for not signing up.

Offer free things

By this, we mean a transaction that doesn’t involve money or credit card details being collected. A number of SaaS companies are now offering 14 or 30 day free trials that you can start without supplying your credit card. Here the biggest barrier to success has been removed completely: no trust issues, no worries about forgetting to cancel; just a straight forward trial.

Alternatively, you can offer free resources such as ebooks or freemium tools that the user can download in exchange for supplying you with their contact information.

Display industry specific testimonials

Make a number of case studies accessible for website visitors. You want an example of the results you have produced for a company in each of the core sectors you work in. Include the pains and challenges faced by the company and how you helped to overcome them.

Real life examples demonstrate to your prospects that you understand their industry and have proof of the help you can give them.

Add social sharing buttons to every page of your website

Add a social sharing facility to every page of your website. Letting users share your content on their terms will give your hard work additional reach without any extra effort on your part. It may be tempting to stick with the core sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, but if you use a service such as ‘add this’ or ‘share this’, you can allow site users to use the sites of their choice.

Use what you have learnt from landing pages on your main website

If, for example, you are using dedicated landing pages in conjunction with a PPC campaign, then consider what you have learnt from these pages that can inform how you manage your website – if a particular heading or message works well then look at how you can apply that back to your website.

Make your company stand out and be unforgettable

This can be hard but consider how you can make your company or product stand out. It could be an intuitive or easy to use search feature, a tool or animated video. Whatever form it takes, make sure you stick in people’s minds so you get to the top of their shortlist.

Keep forms simple

Unless you are an insurance comparison site don’t make forms too complicated. Stick to the basics. You will get the extra information at a later date when you are in a position to go further.

Make your USP clear

Finally, don’t hide behind complex marketing or technical language; get straight to the point. For example: you manufacture hydraulic pumps therefore, your target audience is most likely engineers. Open by saying something like, “We make the world’s most efficient hydraulic pumps”. Everyone – from the office junior doing research to the lead engineer and project manager – immediately knows what you have to offer.

Key takeaways

Always track you and your prospects’ activity
Remove all barriers to reaching your goal
Make contact information available on every page
Assume nothing and deliver your opening message quickly and simply!

In part 2 we will look at getting more traffic to your website.

Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5 – Part 6

Image Credits
Business Calendar & Schedule: PhotoSteve101

Tags: digital marketing, Lead Generation, Leads, Marketing, marketing strategy