How to Turn Your Business Website Into a Lead Generation Machine

The majority of companies' websites look great. Not many of them actually have a working effect.
The main issue when you're not getting enquires from your site is seldom traffic. The website just didn't have action-oriented messaging in its design. A lead generating website doesn't simply inform your visitors what you do, it guides them toward contacting you, hand-in-hand.
This guide goes over exactly how you can create a non-interactive, brochure-type website that becomes an interactive website lead generation system with the help of proven website conversion optimization principles. No jargon, no gimmicks . just what really moves the needle.

Key takeaways:

• The website that generates leads clearly tells the visitors the next step to take on the website.
• Reduce hesitations before conversion with trust signals (testimonials, case studies, credentials).
• Specific CTAs are generally more successful than generic ones and short forms are always more effective than long ones.
• People are searching for a solution, and content marketing is attracting them.
• Optimization for the conversion is not a single time solution it is an ongoing process.

What "Lead Generation" Really Means for a Website

A lead is simply a visitor that has provided their contact information, reserved a call or asked a question, and has proven their interest.
Website lead generation is about creating your website in such a way that this happens on their own and on an ongoing basis, rather than you going and chasing people. With a good implementation, your web page runs in the background and makes visitors feel like they were talking with you even when you weren't online.
It's not about traffic. It's really just the right traffic, it's really just that it converts more.

Why Most Business Websites Can't Generate Leads

The first step to solving any problem is to know what cause it in the first place. Common issues include:

• A lack of any clear next step on any page.
• Contact forms that are at the bottom, or are too long.
• There are no targeted messages which address a specific visitor's problem.
• Slow loading websites that drive site visitors away before they can even view content.
• Lacks still hasn't supplied any trust signals (testimonials, results, credentials).
• The content created for search engines, not humans.

If any of these are familiar to you, you're not the only one who has encountered them, and they are not insurmountable problems once you are familiar with their simple solutions.

If you're seeing steady traffic but few enquiries, these issues are usually just the surface. For a deeper breakdown, read Why Is Your Website Getting Traffic but No Leads? 15 Reasons to identify exactly which of these might be holding your site back.
 

The Core Principles of a Lead Generating Website

1. Every Page Needs a Purpose 

Every page on your website will have one clear goal: what is it that I want this visitor to do next?

That might be:

• Completing a contact form
• Booking a consultation
• Downloading a resource
• Contacting your colleagues personally

Visitors will leave a page without taking any step if it is not clear about what they should do next.

2. Speak to a Problem, Not Just a Service 

Individuals don't look for services. Look for answers around an issue they are experiencing.

Instead of writing:
We provide website design solutions.
Try:
Just can't seem to convert website visitors into customers? We design websites that convert!
This minor tweak tackling the visitor's issue first is among one of the easiest website conversion optimization methods and it works since it makes a person feel understood before they even scroll another page.

3. Build Trust Before You Ask for Anything 

First impressions alone are not enough to get people to convert. Your website should subtly show that you're trustworthy before inviting someone to complete a form or make a booking.

Some easy methods to do this:

• Testimonials from clients (actual names or businesses).
• Clear and specific results presented in case studies.
• Certification, awards or years of experience.
• Explanation of the cost and/or process of a service in a clear and honest manner.
• A real photograph of yourself or your team and NOT stock photos!.

Trust reduces hesitation. The one enemy of conversions is hesitation.
concrete steps to improve website lead generation.

Concrete Steps To Improve Website Lead Generation

Step 1: Simplify Your Homepage Message 

In the fraction of a second, visitors make a decision on staying and/or leaving. Your home page should have an answer to the question:

• What do you offer?
• Who is it for?
• Why do they have to believe you?
• So, what do they need to do?

If a visitor who has not seen the message before is unable to respond to these questions within 10 seconds of seeing the message, the message needs to be simplified.

Step 2: Shorten and Simplify Your Forms 

Long forms are boring to fill out. Each additional field you request decreases the number of respondents answering.

• Do not ask for anything more at this point (usually name, email and one qualifying question).
• Do not request phone numbers unless it is in relation to the child's need.
• Label in a friendly, conversational way, rather than formally.

Of course, more information can be picked up afterwards when trust is built.

Step 3: Add Clear, Repeated Calls to Action 

A call to action (CTA) is a message that prompts visitors to take a specific action. CTAs such as Learn More" or "Submit" do not give any promises; they are too vague and ineffective.
Rather, be focused and solution oriented. For instance, these are the words of CTA in this site:

Get Free Growth Audit

It is low risk because it is free, clear because it is an audit and promise of value because it is growing. The same applies to your CTA free, clear and valuable.
Place your CTA:

• On pages of significance, place the keywords at the top.
• You will explain the value after each section.Each section will have a value explanation.
• When posting blogs and articles, at the end of the post or article.
• If there is a sticky header or footer (if it is appropriate).

Step 4:  Is to use Content to Attract the Right Visitors

Blog posts, guides, and resources can be used for many purposes beyond SEO they are one of the best website lead generation tools ever because they draw in people who are looking for a solution to a problem you can solve.
If content is to be converted:

• Keep your attention on what customers are asking you in reality.
• Use simple language; do not use any unnecessary jargon.
• Embed or place a relevant CTA in or at the end of each blog post.
• Integrate related services and/or case studies naturally within the text.

That's what makes blog clusters so successful, a collection of articles on the same topic. They gain topical authority and establish multiple opportunities for leads to enter.

Step 5: Optimize For Mobile And Speed

Today, over half of all website traffic is via mobile devices. Your visitors don't even see your offer if your site does not load fast or is clunky on their cell phone.

Quick wins:

• Compress images.
• Do not use excessive and unnecessary animation.
• Regularly test how fast your site is.
• Ensure buttons and forms are easily accessible to tap with smaller screens.

Step 6: How to measure what is working 

What you can't measure you can't improve. As a minimum track:

• Which traffic sources are you getting the most traffic from?
• What pages are the top ones that visitors are going to?What pages receive the highest traffic?
• The place where the visitor(s) lands before transforming.
• What percent of the CTA clicks are assigned to each CTA?

This data can help you focus your website conversion optimization efforts not guess.

Some Common Errors That Can Happen During Conversations And Go Unnoticed Until The Conversation Fails to Occur.

• Excessive options in the same moment. Having five different CTAs on a page doesn't help the user and it might make him confused.
• Overly clever headlines. Clarity is a key skill that outsmartness fails in most cases.
• Ignoring existing traffic. Many businesses try to attract new customers but forget to work with their existing customers who might just need a better direction for moving forward.
• No follow-up system. If a person fills out a form and it does not get responded to in a timely fashion, it's like a dead end to the visitor.
• Considering the website to be completed. The best websites are always tweaked and enhanced according to actual user behaviour.

When to Check Your Website's Lead Generation Performance?

Ideally, check the website's performance:

• Weekly view visitor trends and demographics, as well as any new pages or features. 
• Review messaging and CTAs and content strategy quarterly.
• Typically every year undertake a whole design and structure review.

When that yearly review points to bigger structural issues not just messaging tweaks it may be time for a full redesign. Our Website Redesign Checklist for Indian Businesses walks through exactly what to audit and plan before you begin.
 

It's better to make small, regular changes over time, than to have big redesigns every few years.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Website Conversion Optimization?

Conversion optimization on the website is the never-ending effort to tweak your website, whether it be in its design, content or structure, to encourage your visitors to take an action that you would like, without always increasing the volume of visitors.

When trying to "make money" with a website, do you need a lot of traffic in order to generate leads?

No. A 5% conversion rate is far more successful on a smaller, targeted audience as compared to a much larger audience that is less focused. It is always more worthwhile to solve the conversion problem first rather than just increasing traffic to an "embarrassment of visitors.

Should you really need to have a blog to generate leads?

Not required, but one of the best long-term options. A well-written blog will bring traffic that is looking for solutions, and put your business in a trustworthy position before they even call you.

Is pop up a good way to gather leads?

When used appropriately (when someone is trying to leave the site), exit-intent pop-ups can actually get them back to convert. Do not have pop-ups flashing on the first page that a visitor to your site will see they will frustrate visitors before they have read anything.

What is better, live chat widgets or contact forms?

These are used for different things. Live chat is ideal for users who have an urgent question and require immediate assistance. Forms are suitable for visitors who are willing to provide more information, and will want some follow up. A lot of high converting sites employ both, just based upon the decision-making point of the visitor.

Should I have paid ads or can I get leads through SEO?

Both have a role. While paid ads might fetch quicker results as your SEO and content marketing efforts are gaining traction, you can build a consistent and extended flow of visitors through SEO and content. Many businesses opt to use paid traffic in the short-term, while getting their content-based lead generation off the ground.

Final Thoughts

It doesn't take a drastic change to your website for it to become a real lead generator. It needs clarity: clear messaging, clear next step, a website that is based on the wants and needs of your visitors not your own tastes or whims.
Start small. Fix one page. Simplify one form. Clarify one CTA. Then measure, learn and make improvements.
If you're looking for a transparent and non-threatening analysis of where your potential leads are dropping off, and which area to tackle first, Get Growth Audit now! 

Talk to Pansofic about your website requirements and find the right development approach for your business.