The ultimate goal of nearly every business website is to not make a one time sale but getting the visitors to contact you. This generates leads and allows you to nurture those prospects and convert them into new and repeat business.
In order to understand whether your website is doing a good job generating leads you need to look at it from a visitor’s perspective.
Landing page optimization is a hot topic but you need to consider your website as a whole for best results.
Establish credibility
Initial impressions have a huge impact on your overall success. Connecting with visitors the second they arrive is crucial. Encourage them to stick around by reassuring them that they’ve come to the right place. Engage your website visitors immediately, capture their attention by being unique, direct and personable. Your goal is to earn trust and establish credibility.
Be Responsive
Don’t let your prospects wait for a response to their inquiry too long or you’ll loose their trust and possibly business.
Promote the Benefits
Present the benefits of your solution and how they eliminate their problems – this will capture their attention, present you as an expert and encourage them to make a move.
Guide Your Visitors Through the Buying Process
Your initial job is to offer information and be a resource (offer guides, how-to videos). Once the trust is built and your visitor is interested, they will want to see what makes your offer better – tell them (case studies, checklists, success stories, testimonials). The next step is for your prospects to make the purchase – this is where you should offer reassurance, make them feel good about making their decision. Voila!
Be Personable
Give your company a human face by including your photo (or photos of key staff members) on the “About Us” page. A short video with a welcoming message from the CEO is even better.
Be Accessible
Phone numbers and a link to your contact page should be prominent, preferably positioned at the top of the website. Include that information in the footer as well, to minimize the need for scrolling.
Offer Clear Call-to-Action
When visitors arrive to your website, they should immediately and intuitively be able to focus on the most important thing. Minimize clutter and by that I mean any element that detracts from the action steps. A call-to-action should be obvious. Pair it with a capturing title and a brief copy that highlights the benefits for better response.
Keep Forms Brief
The less information you ask your visitors to provide, the better chance of getting them to complete your form. Require only the contact information you need to respond and don’t ask for much more. Otherwise you run a risk of your prospects to get discouraged or annoyed and leave.
In conclusion
To boost your lead generation process take the time to evaluate how your website builds credibility, establishes your business as a resource and motivates visitors to take action.
Stacey
I also think that offering pricing range information up front is a good idea. Prospects need to know if what you offer is within their budget and they might not want to “waste” time filling out forms and signing up if they don’t know your budget ranges to begin with. Great post, Joanna!
Lukasz Sobczuk
Credibility and a user-friendly site are crucial, but so is search engine optimization. You need to put the site in front of the right people or none of your poorly targeted visitors will care to fill out your form. Great review.