20 years ago no one would have imagined that in 2013 a computer automated website could be one of the highest producing lead generators for a business.
In the last two decades marketing has changed a great deal thanks to the Internet.
While the Internet has helped increase lead generation, not all websites (perhaps only a small fraction of them, actually) are set up to produce sales qualified leads, which is what we are going to talk about today.
How can you better prepare website generated leads for sales?
Content-
Yes, I know content seems to be the answer for everything these days. Everyone is talking about how you should write more content, etc, but there is more to the whole content fad than just getting more content out there.
In the case of generating sales qualified leads though, content is a big indicator of being successful. Follow content closely with persona targeting, and you've got a much better strategy. Let's discuss.
Persona Targeting-
You have a website where you help people find experts they want to work with. When someone visits your website they can fill out the form to get more information.
To produce more content to bring visitors to your website, you might automatically think of writing posts covering any of the following information:
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Local experts lists to choose from
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Review sites people can look at to find experts
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BBB about local experts
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Finding a contractor on craigslist
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How to use Angielist to hire a contractor
Generally speaking it would SEEM that these would bring more people to your site and you could easily get them to sign up to learn more about your service.
However!!
Once you do an interview with some of your clients (people that have turned into leads), you realize some interesting facts about them. Such as:
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They hire you to save time
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They don't want to worry about the best person to hire, they just want to do it
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They are less worried about money than you thought
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They don't want to do the research themselves
With this information, you can change your blogging topics into these instead of the ones listed above.
- Skip the research- Top 3 local remodeling contractors (very specific)
- Local contractors for bathroom remodels
- Get the job done- hire __ for senior home projects
- Why we only choose contractors with insurance
- Get the nursery added quickly to your home
- Make sure mom and dad are safe to stay in their homes in San Francisco
The difference in the two lists are very subtle but important.
Getting specific to what your ideal customer wants, in your blog post, means they will see your headline and want to know more.
The first set teaches them how to do what you do (find contractors) while the second set showcases your expertise and helps them.
Now someone looking for a local (San Francisco) contractor is likely to find your site in search, and with headlines such as those above, they will click to learn more.
Once they are on your website, they are more likely to become a lead, because you are showing up at the right time. You are no longer simply presenting yourself as a place to find contractors, but a place to find the right contractor.
Let's recap:
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You specialize in finding the perfect contractor for a job.
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You had some blog posts in mind that helped people make their own decisions, those who decided it was too much work could fill out a form to become a lead.
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You interviewed past clients to find out why they hire you.
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You took their answers and constructed a blog plan that highlighted their needs, making them more likely to visit your site and become a lead.
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Sales can follow up on these leads because they are better targeted than your previous leads that were still considering doing the work themselves.
Do you see the difference? Can you see how this will help you turn leads into sales qualified leads?
If not, we'd be glad to answer your questions in the comments below. Or you can contact us with your inquiry to get answers that way. We look forward to helping.
photo credit: Wonderlane via photopin cc
photo credit: dan taylor via photopin cc
