Generating sales leads online requires the successful implementation of a number of strategies. The ultimate goal is to drive as much targeted traffic to your website as possible and then convert that traffic into sales leads.
And to convert that traffic into sales leads you first need to sort through your traffic and identify those who are likely to become buyers.
This is called lead generation
It's all about getting people who are likely to buy to raise their hands and indicate their interest. This means identifying them and getting their details so you can continue to promote your goods and services to them.
And the simplest and most effective way to get their contact details is to offer them something of value in exchange. It could be a free report, a free video series or a free consultation.
Understand your prospect BEFORE you look for them
One of the keys to generating leads is making sure you target the RIGHT people.
Which is why we always begin by asking:
- Who is your ideal prospect?
- What are the biggest problems they're having?
- What are they likely to respond to?
This allows us to develop highly targeted messages - specifically designed to attract potential clients and customers to your site.
Our research helps us identify where your prospects can be found online and we then target these sources using SEO, search advertising, banner advertising and social media.
By using the highly targeted messages we make sure the people who visit your site will be high quality leads.
And once they're on your site we need to convert them to into actual sales leads by capturing their details.
If you don't at least capture the details of interested visitors your efforts have been WASTED
To do this we make an irresistible offer in exchange for their contact details. Often we simply ask for their name and email address. Other times we may ask for more information. The information we ask for comes down to your market, what you're offering in exchange for their details and your capacity to follow them up.
Why do you want their details?
Buying decisions take time. It's not uncommon for people to take up to 6 months from their first looking at a product or service to actually buy. And if you don't have their contact details and keep in touch with them, odds are when they're ready to buy it'll be from one of your competitors, not you.
Just by keeping in touch with them they'll immediately think of you when they're ready to purchase.
And by making them different offers to buy, you can actually prompt them to buy earlier than they were planning. And guarantee when they're ready to buy it will be from you.
And even if they do purchase from a competitor, simply keeping in touch with them means you can still get them back at a later time.
How to get their contact details
One common mistake we see is people asking for visitors' contact details while offering very little in exchange. Asking people for their details so you can send them regular updates is rarely a strong enough reason for people to give you their details.
To get as many leads as possible, you need to establish these key points.
- You have to quickly establish credibility. Nearly all your visitors will be sceptical which is why quickly establishing credibility and trust is crucial. Because if they don't trust you, they won't give you their details.
- You need to make a compelling, irresistible offer in exchange for their details. It could be free report revealing information they're seeking, a series of information videos or even something sent to them in the mail. And you must make a strong call-to-action so they take immediate action on your offer. Done properly, the information you send them will also help convert them into a buyer.
- You must present your offer clearly and prominently on your website so visitors won't miss it. Too often great offers perform poorly because they simply get missed.
An ongoing process of improvement
At Web Profits we don't simply implement a lead generation process and leave it at that.
We work with you over time to continually increase the number and quality of leads you acquire.
Because markets change. Competitors may make more aggressive offers. New markets emerge for your products and services.
And by not constantly keeping on top of your market and testing new lead generation methods your response rate and quality of leads will fall away.
Here are some ways we keep our clients on top of the market
Different offers - While you may think a free report is the most attractive offer you can make, a free video may prove even more popular. Which is why we trial different offers to find out which works best.
Display your offer in different ways - Our design team trial different ways of making your offer more visible and enticing. It's not uncommon for different colours, positions or sizes on the page to make a significant difference in the number of people giving you their details.
Ask for different information - Generally, asking for a name and email address will get you the highest response. But if you convert people well over the phone, a small drop in response in exchange for their phone number could be a highly profitable move.
Different traffic - A different source of traffic can get you a significant boost in the number of people leaving their details. Which is why our strategists are continuously refining the ways they generate high quality traffic to your site.
This involves trying different offers, asking for different information or displaying your offer in a different way on your site.
A disciplined and rigorous approach makes the most money
This ongoing testing and measuring takes time and resources which few online service providers are willing to do. But this is where the real victories come from. And it's why some of Australia's largest companies only trust Web Profits to increase their online market share.
And as you would expect from a company of our calibre, we deliver easy to understand reports every month detailing the success of each strategy. This way you can see exactly how much profit you're making on each strategy and have hard evidence to give your management team or board.
