Inbound Marketing: How to Convert Traffic into Leads

Generating traffic to your website is but a crucial first step to establishing a steady stream of paying customers. Traffic alone, especially for a B2B company, is not enough. Both SEOs and online marketers agree that the challenge in the post-Penguin world of search engine marketing is lead conversion. It’s a daunting yet very rewarding process. That’s why many would go to great lengths to convert traffic into leads or visitors into repeat buyers.

So how do we turn traffic into profit? There are no hard and fast rules. The amount of work that needs to be done depends on the goals you’re targeting and the changing rules of the game (such as search engine algorithms). For most companies, it’s often the case of a bottleneck or a thorny issue that blocks lead conversion progress. Either they fail to meet the basic requirements or they fail to take the necessary next steps.

Get the Basics Right

There are different ways and tools used to convert traffic into sales.

There are, however, tried and proven measures experts call “the basics.”  Getting SEO right is one of the basics. Don’t just pay good money to create tons of back links, study how the search engine works and be willing to pay for premium tools. A number of paid SEO and web metrics software such as SEOMoz, KISSMetrics and Raven Tools can help you outrank your competitor by boosting traffic and increasing leads. 

Linking v. Content

The community of web experts has long been polarized into two competing factions: link-based and content-based. With Google’s latest search engine algorithm updates, much has been said about moving from link-based to content-based SEO strategies. The truth is, you need both. You can, in fact, plan for link-worthy content-based strategies to convert traffic into sales. Here’s where you need a marketer who knows how to analyze site metrics and leverage psychological triggers of buying.

Next to SEO and web marketing, another part of the basics many companies don’t actually know how to use is conversion architecture and lead conversion tracking. Where do your leads come from? What medium (web, mobile, tablet, etc.) are they using? Which pages on your site are most visited? What’s your lead conversion rate? These are just a few important questions to ask when tracking lead conversion. You have to track everything from lead to point of sale before you can convert traffic into profit. An aggregate of data can help you identify bottlenecks or potential problems that block your company’s progress.  Using the Hubspot platform software can help in providing valuable data.

Identify Bottlenecks and Find Workable Solutions

So you have the basics right but you’re not getting any closer to your goals, what else should you do? Do the next step. Analyze data and sort out key details. Spot as many bottlenecks as you can and attack them one by one. Below are some common bottlenecks or lead generation mistakes companies do.

No Clear Call to Action

Ask people to do a specific action. There are many ways to tell people to buy your product or service, be smart enough to pick the right choice of words that demand action. Craft simple calls-to-action visitors can respond to at a click of a button. Be careful not to oversell, it can only be counterproductive.

Short-sighted Tactics and Shortcuts

Short-sighted tactics and shortcuts won’t suffice if your goal is to convert traffic into a steady stream of willing buyers. As much as you like to get visitors buy your stuff soonest, building a trust-based company-customer relationship take time. Prospects need to be won over and leads need to be nurtured over a long period.

Using Only One Tactic

How would you know which marketing tactics work best if you’re only using a single tactic? Try out several methods such as email marketing, cold calling, proprietary research, content marketing and webinars. You’ll most likely need a combination of these to boost your lead conversion rate. Remember that you won’t get it right the first time. If only two people show up on your webinar, say on a Google Hangout, you might have implemented it poorly. Get help from experts and strive to perfect each tactic before you give up on it.

Mishandling Prospects and Neglecting Leads

Prospects and leads are potential cash cows. Unfortunately, not many companies understand the importance of nurturing long-term links with prospects and leads that a majority of them are never followed up on and neglected. Every lead is an opportunity. Increase opportunities by proactively winning over prospects and generating leads. Regularly update your communication channels, including blogs, newsletters and social media accounts.