Your B2B lead generation funnel is going to need some attention after you’ve launched it. Like all things digital, it can be improved through testing and tweaking and I’m going to share with you five areas you can focus on to make big improvements in the quality and quantity of your leads from your funnel.

If you’re just looking into lead generation/sales funnels, you may want to start with my post on what a sales funnel is and how they help grow your business. Or if you’re just starting to build your first funnel, this post will walk you through that process.

If you’ve already got a funnel up and running, but it’s underperforming, then keep reading. Think of this process as coaching sessions with your salesperson. There are two phases to your B2B lead generation funnel optimization process:

  1. Look at the numbers to see where you’re not performing well
  2. Test small changes in one area at a time and watch to see if it improves

You’ll apply these phases to each of the five areas of focus outlined below.

Optimizing Your B2B Lead Generation Funnel: 5 Areas of Focus

  1. Traffic source
  2. Landing Page/Initial Conversion Point
  3. Thank You/Upsell Page
  4. Follow up Email Sequence
  5. Final Conversion Point

I recommend you start at the bottom of the funnel and work your way back. Why? Because the bottom of your B2B lead generation funnel is your final conversion point and even a small improvement there can have a big impact on revenue. The exception would be if you aren’t getting any conversions on your initial landing page. Then you have to attack that first.

At each stage you’re going to look at what’s happening based on your metrics (see this post) for the analytics codes you should have set up in your funnel). Things like ad clicks, opt-ins, form completions, email opens and clicks. You’re looking for areas that could be improved and the metric you’ll watch to see if your optimization is working.

sales funnels

Final Conversion Point Optimization

This is the final step in the B2B lead generation funnel that your email sequence has been driving people to. It could be a landing page, or an opt-in right in the email, maybe even a shopping cart. If your conversion rate is low here, look at maybe adding a guarantee, more testimonials, altering the wording, even tweaking the form.

Follow-up Email Sequence Optimization

If your email sequence is not driving any traffic to your final conversion point, or you have a lot of unsubscribes here are some things you can check

  • Is the language really speaking to the ideal client profile and their problem?
  • Are your emails aligned with the message that brought them into the funnel?
  • Test headline variations
  • What’s the frequency? Try increasing it or decreasing it

Thank You/Upsell Page Optimization

So, they’ve opted in on your landing page, but nobody is biting at the upsell you have on your Thank You page.

  • Try adding testimonials or social proof
  • Is the upsell offer aligned with the lead magnet they opted into?
  • If your page is long, try a short version. If it’s short, try a longer version with more explanation of the benefits of taking that next step and the value a prospect will receive
  • Test some technical/design elements like the colour of a button or how much information you are asking for in the form

Landing Page/Initial Conversion Optimization

A common problem with initial landing pages is that there is a disconnect between what drives them here (the traffic source) and what they see on this page. Check that first. Test anything and everything you can on this page (but not all at once). You want to remove all friction and hesitancy to opt-in.

  • Headlines
  • Level of information on the page
  • The form (design and how much information you ask for)
  • Images, try different types
  • Even background colours

Traffic source/Ad Optimization

If your ads are not driving traffic to your landing page here’s where you look to make adjustments:

  • Double-check messaging aligns with ideal client profile
  • Test headline and body copy variations
  • Check your targeting. Maybe you’re serving ads to the wrong people
  • What about your imagery? Have you tried video?
  • If you are driving traffic to your landing page with search, then read this post from Brian Dean at Backlinko for a definitive look at how to improve your SEO.

Once you make progress with the element you begin with, move onto the next. When you get through the entire process, go back and start again. Optimization is a never-ending process. Even a well-performing B2B lead generation funnel will slip from time to time, and results can always be better.