Is your website generating enough leads? If not, you're in good company. Many B2B companies fail to draw potential customers through their websites. They rely on lead generation from advertisements, cold calling, email campaigns, direct mail, and referrals. Those avenues are great, but why miss out on additional opportunities? If your website serves strictly as an online brochure, it's time to consider creating a site that generates leads.
Traditional lead generation methods such as cold calling and direct mail are losing their effectiveness because of the internet. Buyers prefer researching B2B companies on their own, online.
Research by Forrester shows that buyers are up to 90% through the buying process before contacting the seller. But, only 4% of website visitors are ready to buy. So, it’s important to identify a method to interact with buyers as soon as they begin their buying journey. This is where the need for a lead-generating website comes into the picture.
First, clearly define what your product/service is and who it’s for. If it’s hard for website visitors to discern this after spending a few minutes on your website, you’ve got a problem to address. To minimize your bounce rates, ensure that your brand messaging and positioning is clear.
Search optimization is important, too. Optimizing your B2B lead generating website is critical to getting found on search engines like Google. Ensure that you focus on SEO efforts with high-quality content. Google is a fan of websites that provide users with engaging and valuable content that is relevant to what they are looking for. Use less technical jargon and stick to providing content that is concise and easy-to-absorb. For instance, a great headline alone can boost traffic to your website by 500%.
Update your website regularly and keep users engaged with captivating content, videos, images, and so on. To help attract visitors, know that Google prefers websites that load quickly and are optimized for mobile visitors.
User experience (UX) is also one of the most significant aspects of lead generation. If website visitors are confused with your website design or unhappy with the UX, they are likely to go elsewhere. Focus on enhancing the UX before you start any lead generation campaigns.
Does your website have enough forms to make it easy for visitors to connect with you or do you only have one Contact Us form? You can't convert visitors into leads unless you ask them to share their contact information. Just make certain you use short forms (a limited number of fields) instead of long questionnaires. The shorter the form, the higher the conversion rate.
Simple design elements such as navigation menus and clear call-to-actions can boost UX. A lead-generating website’s user interface plays a critical role in increasing conversion rates. So, ensure your website is aesthetically appealing and easy to navigate.
Finally, amidst some serious data breach incidents recently, keep in mind that buyers are more concerned about their personal information than ever before. If you don’t want potential customers to get warning messages as soon as they land on your website, get a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate. Also ensure the SSL is coming from a trustworthy source.
Now that you know the basics of building an effective lead generating website, let’s look at some useful ways to draw more traffic to your website.
Social Media Marketing. Engage in meaningful conversations with potential customers on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to drive them back to your website. Post content that will provide them with value and you'll pique their interest in your company.
Email Marketing. Build a qualified mailing list and send informative emails to potential customers. However, don’t stuff your email with information; drive your readers to your website for the full story.
Blog Subscriptions. Even though blogs are used to build authority and engage website visitors, they are also a hot spot for generating leads. By encouraging visitors to subscribe to your blog, over time you should be able to convert some of your readers into quality leads.
Ready to transform your website into a lead-generating website? We can help. Contact us today!