How to Build a Lead Generation Website
Most small business owners I talk with have a lot of the same issues, one that comes up often is how to build a lead generation website. Sometimes it comes in the form of why isn’t my website capturing leads from the traffic I’m getting.
If you’re getting traffic to your website, but it’s not turning into leads and customers, then the tips in this blog will help you solve some common problems small business owners encounter when they’re trying to build a lead generation website. If you want some ideas specific to your website, try our Free Website Review.
The first issue is always getting the traffic to your website, but that’s a topic unto itself. For the sake of this post, let’s assume you’re getting some traffic to your website, but they’re not converting.
Engaging Your Audience
If the traffic to your website in not turning into leads and customers you are likely failing to engage your audience. You might be talking too much about yourself and hoping that, if you’ve got them to your website, they’ll sell themselves. It won’t happen. You need to demonstrate to them that you truly understand the problem they have and build their trust. The way you do this is with content. Authentic, helpful content.
Blogs, videos, newsletters, ebooks, podcasts, infographics. They’re all designed to do one thing: build trust with your audience.
By engaging your audience through content that speaks to their problems, you’ll signal to them that you understand and may have something of value to offer.
Creating the Right Content
To do this, you have to take the time to map out what those problems are and offer helpful advice on how to fix them. And not all of that advice can be buying your product or service. You’ll get there, but it can’t be the first thing they hear from you or you’ll never build that trust.
Spend time mapping out the issues your prospective customers have and coming up with ideas for content that speaks to it. Then, either yourself or by hiring a content developer, write those blog posts, record those videos, create those ebooks, and build that content into every page of your website!
Have Strong Calls to Action
Once you have their interest and start to build their trust, they’ll be more likely to give you their information on your lead capture form. But you have to ask for it, and prominently.
That form could be a blog subscription form, or a form to download a special report or ebook, but whatever it’s for, it needs to be in their face with strong calls to action. “Get our weekly business tips right to your inbox”, Get the latest research …”, Find out what your competitors don’t know yet”.
If you hide your lead capture form on the bottom of your Contact Us page only a very few people will ever find – or be motivated to fill it out.
Lead Nurturing
Now that you have that lead captured, you have to nurture it. Your website has done its job and you have to keep it going. Continue to send them useful content they will find value in. Every now and then send them an offer for a larger piece of content that has even more value. It may be free, or even one they have to pay small price for. If they accept, and download that content it will signal their interest and trigger you to reach out.
This phase is where your email marketing strategy needs to kick in and keep them engaged until they are ready to purchase.
“People don’t like to be sold, but they love to buy,” – Jeffrey Gitomer.
If you build an effective lead generation website and combine it with a lead nurturing strategy that builds trust, you will be creating buyers.
