If you have a brick-and-mortar store, the standard "We're Open" sign draws in potential customers. But if you have an ecommerce business or sell services online, your website is your storefront and the equivalent of a physical sign. Make a good impression with a visually appealing design, engaging copy, and a layout that's easy to navigate.Ideally, your website will be so intriguing that people want to buy your products or services and sign up for your newsletter to stay in the loop. Lead generation is the marketing term for the process of identifying and attracting potential customers and getting them to provide their contact information or indicate interest in your products and services.Good news: It isn't complicated to make your website a lead-generation magnet so you boost your bottom line. Ready to get started? Implement these five simple tips to turn website visitors into clients and customers.
Use Google Analytics to determine your most popular website pages. Start by adding lead-generation forms on the pages with the most visibility. Test out different types of forms to see what converts best for your audience. Create different incentives that make sense for each page. For instance, you could offer free resources on your blog page, the ability to register for the events listed on your events page, free 10-minute coaching sessions on your coaching page, or exclusive discounts on your products page. People simply have to fill out a contact form to get access to each perk.
If you have a company blog (sidebar: it's great for SEO) log into Google Analytics again to identify your most viewed blog posts. Starting with the top posts, create additional free resources that match each topic. Let's say one of your top posts is about how to take product photos. You could offer a downloadable list with additional tips like the exact camera settings to use, creative ways to make backdrops, and how to use Photoshop to edit product photos. Make click-worthy ebooks, worksheets, checklists, and short guides that people can download after they complete your lead-generation form.
People will be more likely to purchase your services if they know that you are knowledgeable and they trust you. Show what you know by creating webinars and, if your schedule permits, short 10-minute introductory calls for people who are interested in working with you. This is an especially helpful lead-generation technique for career consultants, legal consultants, financial consultants, and other consultants and coaches because potential clients need to have confidence in them before sharing personal information.
Sometimes people just need a little nudge in the right direction. Design a branded website popup that encourages people to fill out your lead-generation form. Try out different types of popups – such as timed popups, scroll popups, entry popups, and exit popups – to see what works best. Some people find popups off-putting, so make sure that there's an obvious way to close the popup – otherwise people might get confused and leave your site because they think they need to provide their information to get it to disappear.
Everyone loves a sale! Offer special discounts to people who sign up for your newsletter. It's beneficial to increase your mailing list because you can make sure your brand is always top of mind by sending announcements, sale notifications, event invitations, and other communication straight to customer's inboxes.What are your lead generation tips? Share them with other smalll business owners and entrepreneurs in the comments!
