4 Lead Generation Tips for Your Website
Are your lead generation efforts waning as 2016 progresses? Don't worry - we all get a little distracted when summer weather comes along.
The good news is that, with a few helpful tips and pointers, you can get your lead generation efforts back on track in no time at all.
4 Ways to Enhance Lead Generation
If you're struggling to procure qualified leads via your website, then it's possible that you're using the wrong strategies. With some simple tweaks, you can get back on track and end the year strong. Here are a few ideas worth considering:
1. Use Opt-In Forms Strategically
Every website should feature both free content and premium content. Free content includes things like blog posts and client testimonial videos. Premium content is a little higher quality and consists of things like white papers, case studies, and webinars.
The value of premium content is that you can use it to gather leads. This is something RJO Futures does with its learning center. Notice how they require visitors to click the "Request Now" button to receive the educational guides. Then, they're funneled through a strategic opt-in form that collects their information and gauges their interest.
Can you find a way to strategically implement opt-in forms, too? While there's something to be said for giving away complimentary content, you should also make it a priority to collect customer information via premium content and submission forms.
2. Craft Superior CTAs
If you aren't generating consistent leads, then you can be certain your calls-to-action (CTAs) aren't nearly powerful enough. Either that, or you're using too many of them. Hick's Law states that as you increase the number of choices an individual has, you also increase their reaction time. As we all know, time is money in terms of conversions. The longer a person waits to perform an action, the less likely they'll follow through.
The ultimate takeaway is that you need to create better calls-to-action and strategically place them in areas where website visitors are most likely to see them and be moved to action. There are countless examples of good calls-to-action, but check out Evernote's homepage for one. Notice the simplicity, placement, and use of color (green) to instigate action.
3. Invest in Visual Content
It's important that your website features a variety of content, but don't forget about visual content. In 2016, mediums like video, infographics, and compelling images perform much better than text-based content like news articles and press releases. There's something about visual content that engages the senses and moves people to action, so make sure you integrate as many visuals as possible into your content strategy moving forward. Nordstrom, for instance, relies heavily on images and videos both on its landing pages and its product pages.
4. Send Kickback Emails
After users input their information into a submission form, you have an opportunity to send them a "thank you" email - also known as a "kickback" email. Are you sending these important messages?
According to a study from HubSpot, kickback emails double engagement rates of standard marketing emails. In other words, the best way to maximize your opt-ins is by immediately reaching out to them while your brand is fresh on their minds and thanking them for the action they took.
Maximize the Value of Your Website
Websites are designed to attract and convert leads. If you're failing to generate an adequate number of qualified leads, then your website isn't serving its purpose. By identifying the root causes and correcting any issues that may be present, you can reinvigorate your website and transform it into the lead generation tool that it was meant to be.
Larry Alton is a professional blogger, writer and researcher who contributes to a number of reputable online media outlets and news sources. In addition to journalism, technical writing and in-depth research, he's also active in his community and spends weekends volunteering with a local non-profit literacy organization and rock climbing. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.
