Attract more like-minded clients
AS PUBLISHED ON THE STUFF WEBSITE.
If you have a service business, you already have a website. But is that website really working for you? Does it attract customers, or does it send them away?
If your website is not generating leads, then it’s not truly working.
Worse, it could be sending potential customers into the arms of your competitors.
In this article, I will look at what a lead-generation website needs to do, and how it works 24/7 to filter and qualify leads.
Not all websites are created equal
Business websites commonly fall into two distinct categories, and they fulfil two quite different functions. The first of these is the ‘brochure site’. This type of website is designed to convey information about your business and your brand: who you are, what you do and who you do it for. It’s like an online capabilities statement.
The second category is the lead-generation website. As the name implies, this is the kind of site that does things.
Specifically, it invites prospective customers to engage with you – by signing up to your newsletter, downloading your brochure, booking a discovery call, or picking up the phone to speak with you or your team.
Your website is your most valuable marketing tool. It’s how people find your business, which grows your profile, your brand authority and your sales pipeline – when done right.
What you communicate on your website helps prospective clients decide whether your company can fulfil their needs. But only this second type of website plays an active role in that process.
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Making an impression
In print form, brochures have long been an effective way of conveying specific information. They can look cool, too, and there are many reasons businesses still use them.
Branding websites have traditionally followed the same format – bold images, attractive design, well written copy – in the service of strengthening brand identity.
Many sites do this very well; visitors can get a clear idea of who the company is, what it does and what it can do for them.
Indeed, a Stanford research study found that 75 per cent of website users make judgments about a company’s credibility based on website design.
But is that enough?
While it’s important that prospective customers form a positive impression of your company, it’s far more important that they engage with it – only then does the customer journey truly begin.
Lead-generation websites are designed and created specifically for that outcome. Using a proven set of features, a well-constructed lead generation website will actively engage a visitor using educational content, case studies, offers and calls to action, in a way that encourages them to take action.
And that’s the key.
Brochure websites are passive, while lead-generating websites are active. They work harder to engage the right clients (through the right messages and content) and inspire action.
Online marketing has revolutionised the way services firms grow and prosper. No longer can a simple brochure site meet a company’s marketing needs.
A lead-generation website that publishes regular content and offers value-added content such as thought-leadership, education articles or downloadable guides, can entice customers to come to you.
It can pre-qualify those customers, ensuring there is already a fit between new leads and your business.