The best way to make money from your business website is to generate online leads and sales opportunities that can be closed later. That’s particularly true if you have a product or service that carries a high price or typically features a complex sales process.
Unfortunately, even though most business owners and executives want to use their websites for revenue growth, the majority struggle in this area. In today’s post, we want to help out by giving you a simple blueprint for effective online lead generation…
Identify Your Target Market(s)
Before you can get leads from your website you have to know who those leads are going to be coming from. Think about your buyers in terms of where they live and work, what they know about products and services like yours, and which issues matter most to them.
As you consider all of this, don’t forget that some of your “buyers” might not be decision-makers, but influencers who can help steer them in the right direction. In fact, you may have more than one type of searcher or prospect to appeal to.
Build Your Website for Lead Generation
With a certain group of prospects firmly in mind, your next step is to make sure that your entire website is built for lead generation. Everything, from your headlines to your navigation structure, should encourage a specific set of actions.
In the web design industry we talk about sales funnels that take someone from an initial exposure to your business to a completed order. Imagine what steps might be involved and think about what you can do to encourage those actions on your website.
Get More Web Traffic
In a simplistic sense, online lead generation is a numbers game. The more traffic you have to your website, the more opportunities there are for people to fill out forms, schedule appointments, and so on.
There are lots of ways to increase visits to your website, of course, but the most effective ones are usually search engine optimization, online advertising, and social media marketing.
The more you emphasize each of these tactics and disciplines, the easier it will be to use your sales funnel profitably.
Convert Visitors in Steps
The bigger your sale is, the more important it becomes for you to add a series of small commitments that come before the final purchasing decision. In the same way that you would test drive a car before making a down payment, your prospects might want to read a blog post or white paper before scheduling a demo and ultimately making a purchase.
Finding the right number of conversion steps is an art and a science, but you can figure it out with user testing. In the beginning, simply ask yourself what a reasonable next step would be and then do what you can to point website visitors in the right direction.
Close with a Killer Call to Action
When it’s time to “seal the deal” you want to make it as easy as possible for your buyer to say yes. So, sweeten things up by giving an irresistible call to action.
This could include a special discount, a gift that has value to your customer, or even a time-sensitive offer. Whatever it is, try to give your website visitor something they would want on their own. Then, the choice to start doing business with you will be even easier and more obvious.
Want to Put Our Advice to Work?
Our team of creative business growth professionals has been building lead generation websites for years. Contact us to schedule a free consultation and see how we can help you take your sales and marketing efforts to the next level!