Obviously, there is a critical difference between someone interested in your company and an actual client. This may seem like a ridiculous statement to have to clarify, but the truth of the matter is that some businesses are so focused on generating leads, that they stop there and forget to follow through on the most important part – turning those leads into customers!
A key part of doing business online is being able to convince your website’s visitors to make the jump between seeing and buying. To achieve this, your company needs a lead collection system that not only obtains the information of potential clients but then follows through by:
- determining where leads fit into certain buyer personas
- segmenting lists based on lead preferences and level of interest
- developing a strategic plan for following up with specific lists
The Secret to Developing The Full Proof Lead Collection System
Let’s break this down into an even more basic outline…
An effective lead collection system follows two simple steps.
1. Conversion of Visitors:
In order to obtain clients, you must first be able to determine who is truly interested in your product (target audience/buyer personas). Not every visitor to your website is going to be ready or willing to buy your product. And your ability to discern who is actually interested in buying is a key part of lead collection. If you offer a free resource, such as an ebook or whitepaper, those who are truly interested in your product will show themselves to be “warm” leads when they take that next step to willingly give their personal information in return for your offer.
In order for you to receive the valuable contact information of these warm leads, however, you will need to create and place easily noticeable call to action links/buttons at strategic points on your website. These will lead visitors to landing pages on which the exchange of information can occur. Structuring the landing page to allow easy access to the potential client is key to conversion, but you must also be able to obtain the information you need simultaneously (which, in the least, would include a name and email address).
When you have mastered this first step – which, of course, is made up of several smaller steps including the creation of offers, the design and placement of CTAs, and the development of landing pages – you are well on your way to achieving a foolproof lead generation system for your site. Now you no longer have a bunch of random visitors to your site, but instead you have a specific, valuable list of contacts and leads that you know are truly interested in buying your product.
2. Closing the Deal:
After you have your list, it’s time to strategize about your plan for following up with those new contacts. This process, which is unfortunately forgotten or neglected by many businesses, is really just as critical as the process of conversion. Use visitor analytics to determine how ready each of your leads is to buy. You can observe data such as how often they visited your site, how long they stayed on certain pages, and where they entered the “funnel” when they did finally convert on a landing page. This information is essential in knowing how to interact with each lead. 
Of course, some businesses have a full sales team ready to make calls as soon as leads come in. In that case, there are many methods to use in order to determine a lead’s readiness to buy, but one simple way is to simply ask them to represent numerically on a scale how ready they are to deal with you. Based upon their answers, you can then make a plan for what your contact with them will be in the future (ex: lead A may be put on a list to get a call back in a couple of weeks, while lead B may request to receive email updates and offers, but not to be called again directly).
The bottom line here is that identifying, ranking and segmenting your leads is an important part of effective follow-up. When you have a clear plan for following up with the warmest leads, you will
excel in the final sales process. Without a clear and definitive lead collection and follow up plan, potential customers may slip under your nose unnoticed.
If you’re interested in more details about how to analyze the sales funnel or how to nurture your leads through email marketing, contact us today for a free consultation! And while you’re at it, download our free ebook below…its all about developing an effective email marketing campaign.
