How to Generate Effective Leads for Your Website

Every business can create a website. However, not every business can use their website to generate effective leads and traffic that matches their goals. Whether your running a brick and mortar retail store or an online membership website, it’s important that your website is generating effective leads and converting enough of your visitors into customers.

Feel free to checkout our latest podcast episode with Nella DeCesare, the Managing Director of WBN Marketing, as we discuss ways to generate effective leads through your website.

Get People to Your Website

You can't start generating leads through your website without having any traffic, and the best way to start getting traffic to your website is by creating content. Developing a content marketing strategy is the first step in acquiring new customers. Content marketing is used to attract, engage and retain an audience by creating and sharing relevant articles, videos, podcasts and other media.

Here are some great examples of content that you can use to start generating traffic:

• Blog posts
• Case studies
• Success stories
• Customer testimonials
• Online reviews
• White papers and ebooks
• Templates
• Videos
• Inforgraphics
• Podcast episodes
• Webinars
• Social media posts

It's important to remember that people learn in a variety of ways. Different types of content will appeal to different segments of your target audience. Some are auditory learners and are attracted to podcasts, while others might be visual learners and prefer videos or infographics. So by leveraging multiple types of content in your content marketing strategy, you can appeal to a variety of different people. Experiment and try out different types of content and see what works for your business.

Optimize Your User Experience

Once you have traffic showing up to your website, it's time to get them to convert. In order to do this, you'll need to have a positive user experience that brings users back time and time again. In order to do this, you'll need to optimize your website usability, design and fuctionality that makes for an appealing experience from start to finish.

This is why it is critical that your website users encounter the least amount of friction while browsing or none at all. Having countless links on a landing page, using an overwhelming color scheme or having content that is misleading can all ruin your customer experience. Problems like this are detrimental because they can impact your websites conversion rate.

Here are three tips to help improve your websites user experience:

1. Call-To-Action Button Placement

The call to action button is a key element on a webpage, acting as a signal that lets the user know what to do next. Without a clear call to action, users may not know what the next steps to take are.

A call to action makes it clear to potential customers which action to take next and helps remove any friction in moving down a sales funnel.

2. Improve Website Readability

According to Inc., 81% of online users skim the content they read. This is why your website readability should play a major component in your user experience strategy. The font, font size and consistency that make up your website will determine whether or not a user will go from skim mode to an all out dissection of your content.

Remember, website visitors love to skim. The trick here is to not make your content hard to read and making it consistent throughout. The harder it is to visually comprehend, the easier it is for users to leave.

3. Create Simple Forms

Nothing is more annoying than clicking on a call-to-action button or a contact form and being asked too many questions. This will kill your website conversions. People love simplicity and there is no way around it. Think about the last time you we're filling out a form and gave up half way through because you didn't want to complete it.

One thing you should always keep in mind is making sure to match the value you're providing to your users happy. If you're not giving a lot of value in return, make sure your form is simple and to the point. We recommend checking out Typeform, a free form maker that will land your website more leads.

Offer Value with Your Sign Ups

A great way to get users to convert is to offer them something in return for free. The value is in the information that they fill out to acquire your free content. It could be an email that get's added to a newsletter or detailed information about their business in exchange for an informative infographic. Like we mentioned about creating forms, make sure the value that you are providing is worth the time and effort it takes for the user to sign up or register for.

A great example of this is our free basic membership. Businesses can join SWFL Inc. for free by simplying filling out a 3-minute registration form. They then get to promote their businesses to a regional network of customers, connect with local businesses through professional networking events and receive educational resources designed to help businesses grow in a modern economy. Join for free today!

Add Testimonials for Greater Credibility

One of the most important things in making your website’s conversion rate successful is to build credibility with your future customers. The best way you can do this is by incorporating testimonials from real customers to signal to your users that you are a trustworthy brand. Did you know that 92% of consumers say they read testimonials and customer reviews when they are deciding to make a purchase?

Now that you know that you need testimonials, how should you go about receiving them? How do you get your current clients to write testimonials for your business? Let's talk about some great ways to make them happen. 

Repost Social Media Reviews

Every business should have social media pages. If you have reviews on your social media pages already, they can act as a testimonial for your website.

Create Testimonial Videos

Videos can be a great way to attract potential customers to a business. The next time an existing customer stops by your store or you have a meeting with them, ask them if they would be interested in recording a quick video testimonial about your company.

Another great way to get existing customers to record video testimonials is to provide them with additional value for participating. For example, you can give them a discount on their next product or service, or even offer them a giftcard to their favorite coffee shop. It's a win-win for all parties involved.

Use Your Google Reviews

A great place to start gathering testimonials for your website is to use your Google My Business reviews. Every company should have a listing on Google where users can leave feedback directly. Simply take the reviews that highlight your business and add them to your website.

Conclusion

If you'd like to generate more leads through your website, follow the tips we talked about above. Most importantly, just be thoughtful on the role your website plays in your lead generation process. It’s a really important piece of the puzzle that businesses often overlook.

If you’d like to learn more from local industry experts about digital marketing, social media, technology and business development, check out our most recent podcast episodes here. To start promoting your business and connecting with new customers, join SWFL Inc. for free today!