Generating leads from a website is a very important piece of the puzzle for many businesses who's primary target audience is other businesses. Although it does take effort, it doesn't have to be daunting, overwhelming task. We've broken it down into 5 very basic elements that will help you increase lead generation quickly.
One of the most fundamental ways you can improve lead generation is to quite simply ask the person to become a lead. Websites frequently miss out on B2B leads because they do not have a system in place to ask for and collect leads. Phone numbers and other contact information are great tools to provide a potential prospect, but without collecting their information you will have no way to nurture the lead and progress it through the sales funnel. This greatly limits your sales ability as the only opportunity for the sale is that single webpage. A well placed form located above the fold is an excellent opportunity to collection lead information.
Once the lead form is available on every web page, the prospect needs more incentives to provide their information. While some will freely offer up their contact information, many will need a reason to give you this information. By offering something of value to the prospect, you are giving them an incentive to share in return. Air conditioner sales might prepare a white paper on choosing the most efficient system to ensure lower cooling costs, healthcare companies could prepare a white paper on HIPAA privacy or ICD-10. The more relevant and current the topic, the better. Focusing on a new, critical issue that many are confused about is an excellent way to not only lure in that prospect but to have it shared with others in the industry. By making the topics germane to your industry, your future prospect will have little concern about sharing their data.
Companies often spend a good deal of money advertising their products in the trade materials, sending mailers, and other information in order to attract visitors to their website and improve lead generation. In this traditional scenario, the selling company digs for new leads. In order to improve your lead generation potential, you should work on allowing your customers to find you. More customers are using the Internet as a primary research tool. By working on search engine optimization and other inbound marketing techniques, you will make it easier for your prospects to find you. This will allow you to generate leads you most likely were not aware of or reaching with traditional marketing efforts.
Blogging and other content generation is similar to the white paper strategy except it is more informal. White papers are often very time-consuming to develop and presented in a purely professional voice. Blogging allows the professional to share content of interest in both the professional and personal voice. Some of the more successful blogs gain attraction based on the writer’s sharing of opinions and personal analysis. Present current issues but include your personal concerns, objections, or support so the customer can begin to see you as an individual versus a faceless business and improve lead generation..
Social media is often ignored or stops after the Facebook webpage is created. While social media is still in its infancy, it has become an indispensable tool for reaching out to prospects. Individuals are more tolerant of social media sales efforts as they are presented unobtrusively. Depending on your product line, Facebook or Linkedin might be more appropriate for your primary focus; however, the free nature of social media makes it vital to be present on all outlets. Low cost advertising allows the opportunity to attract customers to your social sites as well as your website. Over time as your business explores each, you will begin to learn which products or services fit which media best.
If you chip away at the stone and put a little effort into each of these 5 methods you will see improvements in your lead generation in no time... well, a little time, I guess.