Copyright 2005 Bryant JonesMany millions of dollars are being wasted on promoting and
sending traffic to ineffective lead generation websites.
Here are my top 10 tips to make your site generate more
leads for you and your company.
1. Keep it clean.
A busy, cluttered website will drive visitors directly to
your competitor. Make sure your site is easy to navigate
and clutter free. We've all been to websites that are awash
with information. While you need to get your message across
you don't want to scare your potential customers away. Make
sure your site looks tidy, with as few colors as possible.
Too many flashing banners and ads will undoubtedly detract
your visitors from the actual content on your site. Don't
include too much highlighting. If you highlight every word
in your text, it isn't highlighted it's simply bold.
2. Make it quick.
Studies have shown that the average surfer will give any
site only 3 to 4 seconds before they formulate that all
important first decision. Don't forget that first
impressions last so you need to dispense with graphics that
take too long to load, ensure that any necessary pictures
are of a minimal file size (picture size is irrelevant
here) and definitely do not have an all graphics site; they
take an age to load, not to mention the search engines can
not do anything with them.
3. It's all about conversion.
Paying for a PPC campaign is a very popular way to get
visitors to your site, but you have to be careful that you
manage your account for conversion not clicks. Spend money
only on those keywords that convert to leads. Use the
conversion tracking offered by Google and Yahoo! Search
Marketing (formally Overture). Or use some other ad
tracking software. The main point here is your ad campaign
should be an investment, not an expense and if you are not
tracking your conversion rate how will you know which it
really is?
4. Create trust.
You will not generate leads from a website that does not
radiate trustworthiness. Use third party trust indicators
liberally on your site, for example testimonials,
membership organization logos, and endorsements. Also if
you state something that may be hard for your visitor to
believe, explain to them the details so you build
credibility.
5. Copy is the key.
Your website copy needs to be compelling, informative and
lead the reader to take your desired action. Do not list
facts and features, state benefits. You reader doesn't care
if your widget does the quarter mile in 2.5 seconds. They
want a widget that "Does the job so fast they can get done
and take off early to go fishing"... See the difference?
6. Pre-qualify leads with content not questions
If you need a certain demographic lead, make sure your copy
spells it out clearly. Clearly explaining the details about
who is qualified for you product or service will keep you
from having to screen out unqualified leads with too many
questions on your form. Which brings me to my next point...
7. Shorter forms actually make for better leads
Highly qualified and highly educated prospects guard their
personal information closely; keep forms short and only ask
the minimum number of questions. Long forms with too many
personal questions tend to reduce the quality and quantity
of your leads. When someone is willing to share all their
personal information there is a good chance that person has
nothing to lose. You have to consider what information you
really need from your leads. If you don't need to know then
don't ask. You can always send a follow up email. This will
act not only as a good fact finder but also as your next
step in creating rapport.
8. Make it easy.
Have a form on every page, or at least on every page that
it makes sense to have it on. Visitors to your site won't
take the time to trawl through 12 pages of website content
to find your form and fill it out. I have seen a tremendous
increase in leads when I added the form to every page of a
site. I would caution you about having a form too prominent
on you home page though, it tends to scare some visitors
off.
9. Sweeten the deal.
Give away free information to entice visitors to fill out
your form. Throughout time people have always loved a
bargain. The feeling of getting something for nothing is
usually enough to help persuade the unsure, and will often
lead to extra leads and extra sales. Make sue that you give
away something with a high perceived value, no one is
enticed with junk.
10. Communicate in the right language and add personality.
Using plain language that communicates the personality of
you and your company will build trust and rapport. Don't
use technical jargon if you are trying to reach the masses.
Very few people are likely to know industry buzz words .
Keep it simple and informative and add personality at the
same time. Try and answer questions before they are asked.
Use these 10 tips and generating sales leads from your
website will become much easier and a lot more profitable.
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Bryant Jones is a lead generation consultant, S.E.O. expert
and the managing partner of LeadsSolution.com
(http://www.leadssolution.com). LeadsSolution.com provides
lead generation services including lead generation websites
and sales leads to businesses both small and large.
