The Anatomy Of A Lead Generating Website

Among all the tools you can use in converting prospects into customers, the one that you need to focus on is your website. A good website has an impressive traffic count but it does not end there, the visitors should do more than just walk by you; you must convert them into leads and eventually, customers. That’s the gauge you need to measure, to know if your website is helping your business to grow.

Take a look at your website now. Does it inspire your visitors to do more than just pass by? If the customer is interested to do more than just a cursory glance, will they know what to do next, or is it up to them to find their way around? Let’s say your visitors do the next move and sign up, do you have a tool that will collate the data into your database? Do you have custom landing page for each campaign that you run? All of these questions boil down to, IS YOUR WEBSITE DESIGNED WITH THE GOAL OF GENERATING LEADS?

If you want to improve your website’s lead-generating potential, this post will provide you with essential tips and tricks. It doesn’t matter if you’re new at the game and are building your leads from nothing or if you’re an established business who hopes to get more out of your website in terms of increasing conversion.

How A Lead-Generating Website Looks

1. Lead generation forms – A visitor signifies interest in your business by providing their contact information. They do this by filling out a form. Take note that this act is voluntary on their part – they chose to provide their information without you asking for it. These interested signers could be customers very soon. It’s important therefore that your website has lead generation forms embedded to make it easy for visitors to sign up.Landing pages are the go-to places to put lead generation forms in but that is not a hard and fast rule. You can embed your forms anywhere you’d like in your website. Take a look at these examples
   • A form’s size will determine the quantity and quality of the data you will generate. Short forms that are easy to fill out will give you more sign-ups. Long forms, on the other hand, may intimidate people from signing up but those who will sign-up will give you a wealth of data to learn from.
2. Form scraping tool – After you have embedded your forms, you need a tool that will collect and track your data and put them into your database. You don’t want them scattered around like unwanted junk mail. If your leads are properly collated, you will know what action to take for each group. See the following examples
3. Primary and secondary CTAs on every page – When a person goes to a website, usually they want to do more than just look around. They may be looking for things to buy, services to contract, places to visit, etc. Sometimes, too, their intention is to just look around for something that may interest them someday. Your website should be able to guide your visitors in their research or buying process through calls-to-action (CTAs). CTAs ensure that they don’t have to find their way around on their own and get lost in the process. Having CTAs on every page can make your website a lead-generating machine.When creating multiple CTAs opt for each part of the funnel, make sure to have a primary CTA that sticks out from the rest and is found above the fold of your site pages. This primary CTA will lead the visitors to do the #1 thing you hope they would do.
   • What will the multiple CTAs look like? Well, it depends on what you want your visitors to do – sign up? Request for a sample? Create an account? Defining leads this way will give you clearer goals and will make your funnel more anticipatory. Take a look at these examples:
4. Landing pages with gated offers – Landing pages are the seat of your lead generation effort. Every Digital marketing campaign and offer you come up with must have a custom landing page. The more landing pages there are, the greater the chances of converting site visitors into leads. Also more landing pages are good for your SEO, which can create an impact even before a visitor steps onto your page.
   • What makes a good landing page? Aside from looking into your landing pages’ design, form length, navigation, share buttons and social proof, the following resources will tell you how to build lead-conversion optimized landing pages:Here are some examples of effective landing pages:
5. Pop-up forms – Pop-ups are admittedly irritating that even inbound marketers are questioning whether or not they should use them. Well, there is a way to use pop-up forms for inbound purposes that lessens the irritation factor.
   • Offer something that your visitors actually want, so they will not let out an expletive when they see your pop-ups.
   • Let your pop-ups pop up in a graceful manner. Don’t let it be too “in your face.” Timing is the key that you will eventually get.
   • Use language that cannot be construed as abrasive.
   • Do not spoil the mobile experience.
   • Make sure they can close it easily, so you don’t annoy them.
6. Intuitive design and thoughtful placement of the CTA – Your website aims to compel your visitors to do the action you hope they would do. To achieve this, build your website with your readers in mind. Your layout, CTA placement, whitespace, font, color and other elements must help your visitors find their way around your website and make them stay, particularly in areas of the page that will convert them into leads.
   • According to an eye-tracking study, the eye’s natural path starts from the upper left-hand corner of a website and then moves to an F-pattern. Place your important CTAs somewhere within the F-pattern. Take a look at this:
7. Lead-generating CTAs in a blog – A blog is a huge traffic-driving and lead-driving engine. Make sure you are using your blog regularly; if you don’t have one, make sure to create one asap. Blogs drive traffic to your website and convert traffic into leads. Every time you add a blog post, you create an opportunity to generate new leads and you can keep on doing this for as long as you want.
   • Writing a blog for this purpose doesn’t mean just writing one and publishing it. There should be a lead-generating CTA to every post that points to a free content that is gated behind a landing page. Create these offers and promote them by blogging about related topics.
8. Social proof and other trust builders – A visitor will turn into a lead when he gives you his contact information and he will do this only when he believes in your business, and what you’re offering. How will you build your credibility in order for your visitors to trust you? One way is to have social proof. What are these?
   • Customer testimonials – These are quotes from real customers that you can place on your website. Place these quotes below forms and include the customer’s photo, name, company and job title as proof of authenticity.
   • Case studies – These are stories that are more detailed than testimonials. They can either be written or in video format.
   • Customer brands – These are logos of well-known clients that you can put on your website to show them off.
   • Trust seals – These are symbols that assures visitors that their information is safe with you.