With a lead generation website, the primary job of the website is to generate a sales lead for the business. There are three simple but commonly overlooked areas where conversion improvements can be made. Getting these three things right could translate into huge gains in conversions — in both quantity and quality.
1. The Message
- The first thing you need to think about is the messaging for your primary call to action (CTA). What is the overall conversion message you are going to continually keep in front of your website visitors that is going to get them to convert into a sales lead?
- Many websites have a Contact Us page with a form, and that is their primary CTA. This is a very weak attempt to convert visitors into leads. Instead, you should be thinking along the lines of what problem your website visitors are trying to solve, what are they looking for, how can you help them, etc.
- Examples of more targeted CTA messages:
- Get a free consultation
- Request a quote
- Free trial
- Free demo
- Receive a free catalog
- Request service
- Depending on what service or product the business sells, you may have a use for more than one of these. If that is the case, it is a good thing, as you will be able to speak to prospects at different stages of the buying cycle or with different needs.
2. The Conversion: Essential Tips for Phone and Form Inquiries
- For website visitors at the end of the buying cycle and ready to reveal their personal information to start a conversation, you need to make it as easy as possible for them to do so. Every barrier you place in front of them can reduce your conversion rate.
- Here are best practices to follow when trying to get your website visitors to convert into sales leads. Some of them are common sense, but you would be amazed at how many businesses miss them.
- Phone calls
- Make your phone number very visible by placing it at the top of every page of your website.
- If your business has multiple phone numbers, only list one and then route the caller where he/she needs to go.
- Make sure someone is available at all hours during the business day to answer the phone.
- Make sure the person answering the phone has had training on proper phone communication:
- Thank the person for calling and mention the business name.
- Introduce yourself to the caller and ask how you can help the caller.
- Obtain the caller’s name and phone number (to actually capture the lead and make it easy to reconnect if the call gets disconnected).
- Do not send callers into a confusing menu system.
- Do not send callers into a full voicemail box.
- Do not make your callers wait on hold.
- Forms
- Don’t let your CRM desires drive your website form design.
- Keep your form fields to a minimum.
- Keep your required fields to the minimum amount needed to respond (e.g., name, phone, email).
- Make sure all of your form fields (including the submit button) do not extend below the fold.
- Properly size, align and label your form fields.
- Do not use syntax checking on your phone number field(s).
- Keep error validation to a minimum (like making sure the field was actually filled in).
- Keep your error message highly visible and easy to understand.
- Do not use CAPTCHAs on your forms.
- Test your forms in multiple browsers on different devices (try submitting your form without filling in any fields and see what happens).
- Make sure to follow up with every form submission as quickly as possible, ideally under 30 minutes.
- Imagine your website’s average conversion rate is 5 percent. Those were the website visitors who:
- Were at the end of the buying cycle
- Connected with your primary CTA message
- Either found your phone number or the website page with the form on it
- Decided to act by calling the phone number or filling out the form
- Successfully navigated through any phone or form issues
- Reached someone at your company who could help them with their need(s)
- What happened with the other 95 percent? They left your website and never converted into a sales lead. While some of those visitors could have been people with the wrong intent (trying to sell you something, searching for a job, competitors, etc.), the majority of them were just not ready to turn over their personal information. These folks were either too early in the buying cycle or your website failed to impress them enough.
- For the visitors who were too early in the buying cycle, there are two things that you should be doing:
- Provide a download that the visitor can take with him/her. This is normally in the form of a PDF and could be something as simple as a multi-page service brochure about your business. Make sure to include your phone number in that PDF, along with links to your website’s home page and conversion form. You will be amazed by the number of downloads this type of document will receive. Make sure your website forces a download of the PDF file and does not simply link to a PDF that opens in the visitor’s browser. You want the PDF file to be downloaded to users’ desktops or documents folders. This way it becomes a file that they can print and put on their desk or give to their boss. It also becomes a file that they can email to any other decision-makers or people in need of the same service or product.
- Launch a display retargeting campaign. This will show ads to visitors who have left your website without converting and keep your business name top of mind as they browse other websites on the Internet.
3. The Leave-Behind
These two things will go a long way toward helping you chip away at the 95 percent of visitors who don’t want to give you their name, phone or email address.