One of the things business owners ask us for most often is a website that can help them turn search engine or social media users into qualified leads. That’s a good goal – the internet can be a great source of sales opportunities if you use it correctly.
However, we often discover that these potential clients have some confusion about the art and science of online lead generation. In today’s post, we want to move beyond three misconceptions that come up again and again when we are explaining the process behind our work.
Let’s start with the issue that is the most pervasive, and the most important. Rather than attack the misconception, we’ll just start with the truth.
1. Leads Don’t Arrive by Accident
We understand that online lead generation can feel random when customers or clients aren’t flocking to your pages. Still, internet marketing isn’t a game of chance. There are unknown and uncontrollable elements, but the big picture is always clear.
To turn your website into a lead-generating machine, you have to have the right layout, good hosting, a little bit of programming, and (most importantly) an effective plan. Once you have those elements in place, you can start to attract visitors and get them to contact you. Miss one of these pieces, though, and you simply won’t get results.
Don’t follow the trap of thinking that things will happen by accident, or that you should leave your future revenue to luck. That mindset will only leave you disappointed in the future.
2. There Isn’t a Single Source of Online Leads
Lots of business owners swear by the inbound marketing channel they prefer. There are people who are big fans of search engine optimization, social media, or paid ads. Some think that email newsletters are the key to success, or referrals from industry sites.
The truth is that any of these can be valuable. While most business owners and marketers will gravitate toward the methods that have worked for them in the past, you really should be exploring all avenues to generate traffic and sales to your website.
Don’t get overly attached to a single source of web visitors or sales opportunities. Make use of all pathways that fit logically with your marketing plan and keep trying new methods whenever possible.
3. All Leads Don’t Have Equal Value
It seems like the natural goal of online lead generation should be to generate more leads. That’s not exactly rocket science. However, the reality is a bit more nuanced. Because, in the end, what you really want are more and better customers.
Having more inquiries isn’t always helpful. That’s especially true if a large percentage of them never turn into buying opportunities. Think about it this way: would you rather have one really good meeting with a hot prospect, or a dozen coffees with potential buyers who really aren’t interested?
It’s important to keep this perspective in mind when putting your online lead generation campaigns together. Otherwise, you could lose the forest for the trees and get focused on meaningless stats rather than real results. The goal is to move your business forward, not just to fill your inbox.
Could You Use a Proven and Experienced Inbound Marketing Partner?
With decades of combined inbound marketing success behind us – and the glowing testimonials and case studies to prove it – our team has what it takes to help you pull new buyers in from the web. All you have to do to get started is reach out and schedule a free consultation. As the name implies, it doesn’t cost a thing and it might just be the step that helps you double or triple your sales in the coming years.What are you waiting for? Contact us today and see how we can help!