Your website is your golden opportunity to convert browsers into actual leads. It’s all well and good creating impressive ads on social media and having a great product or service to sell, but if your website isn’t in tip top condition and optimized to retain that traffic, you’re going to lose out on a tonne of potential sales.
But how do you know if your website is up to scratch, rubbing shoulders with the big timers?
Pay close attention to the key areas below, and you’ll be setting your website up for success.
Speak your customer’s language
All of the copy on your website needs to resonate with your target customer, and mirror the language your customer would use in their everyday life, while addressing their pain points. If they enjoy humour – make them laugh; if they prefer a direct approach – don’t beat around the bush and get straight to the point.
This helps to build an initial relationship with potential leads, because they will now believe you know them, you have an understanding of their needs and that you might just be able to help them.
Invest in good design
We know that deep down we shouldn’t ever judge a book by its cover, yet we know we’re often guilty of doing so – right?
When you land on a website that looks like it was created in less than ten minutes by an eight year old, you’re not going to be impressed and regardless of how amazing their content or services might be, you’re going to bounce. And I don’t blame you.
A sleek website design will help to increase trust and confidence in your brand, and not only attract new leads but also convert them once they’re there.
If you don’t know your wordpress from your squarespace, and the word “coding” sounds alarm bells in your mind – admit defeat (hey, we can’t all be brilliant at everything) and invest in a professional who can whip up your dream website in no time.
Figure out your end goal, then work backwards
Beginning with the end in mind will help you to define the exact actions you want a browser to take once they land on your website.
Let’s get really specific here – what does a “lead” mean to you? Is it someone who lands on your website? Someone who opts in to your newsletter? Someone who signs up for a free trial?
Once you’re clear on this, you can design your website so that it’s in sync with leading the browser down a sales funnel and achieving your end goal.
Have a simple opt-in form
Nobody likes to deal with something that looks complicated or confusing from the outset – in fact, it’s human instinct to avoid anything like that.
So when it comes to designing your opt-in form, the simpler it is the better. It needs to be easy to access, easy to understand, and easy to sign up to. The fewer personal details you ask for, the less barriers you’re placing in front of your potential lead, and the more likely they are to sign up. Nobody wants to part with a tonne of private information like the town they live in or their birthday, especially when it’s irrelevant – only request information that you actually need.
Also – don’t ever mention spam. Some companies think it’s a good idea to include a note saying “we promise to never spam you,” but a test run by Michael Aagard showed that including this phrase on an opt-in form reduced conversions by a hefty 18%.
Have a single CTA
Hick’s Law backs up the idea that the fewer choices you give people, the less confused they will be, therefore the easier it will be for them to make a choice.
If someone lands on your website and is bombarded by six different popups or requests, they’re likely to feel overwhelmed and walk away without doing any of them.
Keep it simple, and you’ll attract more leads.
Blog regularly
An increasing number of companies are starting to heavily invest in content creation because they’re witnessing the power it has to gain them organic traffic through search engines, provide incredible value to potential customers, and also convert that traffic into sales.
Blogging is without a doubt effective in generating leads, but it needs to be done professionally and consistently over time to drive results. Don’t expect overnight success – we’re playing the long game here.
Adding CTAs to your blog posts is another great way of capitalising on that organic traffic, providing more value to those who want it, and generating leads for your products in the process.
Add a video
More than half of us are visual learners, which explains why so many of us were bored senseless at school, and also why that large chunk of text on your website might not be helping you to convey your message to the masses.
So why not explain it in a different way?
A video introducing your company and your products or services will keep your visitors engaged, and might even inspire them to take action. Video is far more personal, and allows you to directly speak to your potential customer in a much more intimate way.
Measure your results and alter tactics accordingly
When all’s said and done, none of these tips will be helpful in generating leads for your business unless you’re consistently measuring them and making adjustments accordingly.
If your goal is to increase your number of leads, you need to be tracking the exact number and analysing the fluctuations depending on tweaks you make to your website. It’s true what they say – knowledge is power.
A landing page is a great way to split test two different ideas so you can see which one performs better, before applying it to your main website. Using a testing and analytics software can dramatically help you to determine what’s working well and what you need to ditch fast.
What’s the ONE change you’ve implemented on your site that has significantly increased your traffic and leads? Let us know in the comments below!
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