Give Your Web site a Lead Generation Checkup
By Bob DeStefano
Is your Web site a lead generation machine? Your Web site can be your most powerful marketing tool, delivering a steady stream of new business leads and filling your sales pipeline. Unfortunately, most companies do not optimize their Web sites for lead generation —offering, instead, nothing more than passive online brochures.
What about your Web site? Find out your Web site's lead generation potential by giving it a lead generation checkup. Review the following 10 questions, and give yourself one point for each Yes answer. Good luck! (To print this blog, use the article tools on the right.)
1. Does your homepage clearly communicate what your company does and the audiences you serve?
_____ Yes _____ No
First impressions count, and more people will see your home page than any other page on your Web site. So, make sure your home page is as welcoming and useful as possible. It should clearly communicate your capabilities and the solutions your company provides.
Moreover, it should provide a timely digest of the latest and greatest information you offer deeper within the site. Most important, it should focus on your prospects' needs and serve to guide them through your Web site to find the information that can best help them.
2. Do you use a conversational tone in your Web site's copy?
_____ Yes _____ No
People think their Web site is designed to serve the thousands of people that will visit it. The reality is that one person will visit your Web site at a time.
Make sure you connect with each visitor by taking a friendly, conversational tone in your copy. Write as though you're sitting with them over coffee. Demonstrate that you understand the challenges they face and offer a solution.
3. Do you offer useful educational content in addition to product and service information?
_____ Yes _____ No
Don't just sell — educate. Complement your product and service information with valuable educational information that helps your customers do their jobs better. Pack your site with "how-to" articles, best-practices guides, training videos, and other educational content. They will turn your Web site into more of a resource center that your customers and prospects will trust and visit regularly.
4. Is your Web site optimized for top ranking in the search engines?
_____ Yes _____ No
Search engines such as Google are your best source for targeted, motivated leads. Your prospects are searching for you. Make it easy for them to find you by boosting your rank in the search engines. To turn your Web site into a search-engine magnet, fill your Web site's copy and coding with the keyword phrases your customers use most often. In addition, build a network of quality inbound links to your Web site from reputable and industry-relevant external Web sites.
5. Are you updating your Web site's content on a regular basis?
_____ Yes _____ No
Is your latest press release from 2008? Does your copyright notice still say 2009 or earlier? People want to do business with dynamic companies. And, to project your dynamism, you need to have a fresh and relevant Web site. Make it a point to take a critical look at your Web site at least monthly, and add or remove information to improve its value to your customers and prospects.
6. Does every page of your Web site include a compelling call to action?
_____ Yes _____ No
Don't make the mistake of relying on your Contact Us page as the sole method for prospects to take action. To turn your Web site into a lead generation machine, pepper your Web site with a variety of relevant calls to action inviting prospects to reach out and take the next step.
7. Do your calls to action address prospective customers at each stage of the buying cycle?
_____ Yes _____ No
Not everyone is ready to buy from you today. Some people are kicking tires; others may have a basic early-stage question. Look for ways to compel all prospects to reach out to you by offering tailored calls to action that appeal to prospects at each stage of the buying process. Examples include Ask the Experts forms, complimentary consultations, downloadable best-practice guides, free trials, etc.
8. Is your phone number prominently displayed on every page of your Web site?
_____ Yes _____ No
Don't forget to prominently display your phone number on every page of your Web site. In our experience, people are at least as likely if not two to three times more likely to pick up the phone when they are browsing a company's Web site. And there is no better time to be talking with a prospect because you can use your Web site as a presentation tool.
9. Are your online forms short, asking only for basic contact information (e.g., name, company, phone, and email address)?
_____ Yes _____ No
Are your online lead generation forms as long and daunting as a tax return? If so, shorten them. The more fields your forms include, the less likely prospects will be to fill them out. Ask only for basic contact information that your salespeople will need to make an intelligent follow-up. You can program those forms to identify the page the person was on, so your salesperson can prepare for the call.
10. Do you have a process in place to ensure your Web site inquiries receive immediate follow-up?
_____ Yes _____ No
How long does it take for your salespeople to follow up on online lead inquiries? If the follow-up is not immediate, you are leaving money on the table. Assign salespeople to follow up on online leads, and make sure the inquiries get to them as soon as possible. To streamline your lead-management and follow-up process, tie your Web site forms into a customer-relationship-management (CRM) system such as SalesForce.com or SugarCRM.