If you can't consistently generate more leads from your website then you have to re-evaluate your website content along with the purpose and goals of your website.
Building a website is never just for fun if you own a business. I think every website has a similar purpose, but the goals for a specific website may vary depending on the type of business you are in. Let me explain...
The Purpose of a Website
When websites first came out they were really just digital brochures that advertised a business. We've come a long way since then and the purpose of a website has changed dramatically.
A #website is the hub of all your #marketing efforts. It's an investment, not an expense!
A website now has many jobs and is like a marketing Swiss army knife for your business.
The purpose of your website is to FEED your business!
- Find
Your website needs to help people find your business. Is it search engine optimized? Do you show up when people search for keywords related to your business? - Evoke trust
Evoke means to bring or call something to mind. Your website needs to establish trust and authority so that when people think of you they are confident your business is not only the logical choice but the ONLY choice for them. - Educate
Your website needs to clearly communicate the problems you solve and how you can help your ideal clients. - Deliver
Your website must deliver results! It needs to convert visitors into leads and customers.
This leads me to my next point...
What is the Goal of Your Website?
Now that you know what the purpose of your website is, it's time to define the goals of your website so you can measure whether it is delivering results!
Your goals may vary depending on the type of business you have. Here are two of the most common goals of having a website:
- Generate Leads
The main goal of a lot of websites is to generate leads by getting people to take a specific action. You really need to understand the specific action you want visitors to take when visiting your website.
For example, on our website, we want people to opt-in for some of our free resources or sign up for a free marketing checkup.
When visitors take one of these actions on our site it helps us build an email list so we can continue building a relationship with them in the future, or it gives us an opportunity to get on the phone with a prospect to add value to their business while helping them get to know, like, and trust us. - Sell Products or Services
You may create a website to sell a product or service to customers. This could be buying a product, booking an appointment, or subscribing to a service. E-commerce websites are a great example of this.
Knowing the goals and purpose of your website helps mold and shape the content for your website. Every element of your website should support the purpose of your website or your goals.
Must-Have Elements to Generate More Leads from your Website
In our experience, we've found there are some essential elements that can really help generate more leads from your website.
Note: All of the elements below are focused on homepage content. To generate more leads from your website it's really important for your homepage to have a strong message that draws visitors in and makes them want to take action.
Your website may not have ALL of these elements and that's OK. Focus on incorporating as many of them as you can, but don't worry if you leave several of them out.
1. The Promise
When a website visitor lands on your homepage it's really important they know about the problems you solve or how you help people. This is where the Promise headline comes in.
At a glance, your homepage must be able to promise visitors that you can solve their problems. The goal of your Promise is to connect with a site visitor immediately.
2. Sub Promise
A sub promise is some additional content you might add below your promise to further reinforce the message and expand on how you can help people.
3. Call to Action
A CTA or call to action button guides visitors to take the desired action when visiting your website. It can be an image or text that prompts visitors to:
- Request more information
- Schedule a consultation
- Download a free eBook
- Join an email list
- Call your business
Here are a couple examples of these first 3 elements in action...
Example 1: Freshbooks
Example 2: Evernote
Would you like a checklist of these key ingredients? Sign up below and we'll send it to you!
EASY TWEAKS TO HELP YOU AVOID THE MOST COMMON WEBSITE MISTAKES TODAY
Are you Making These Common But Avoidable Website Mistakes?
Once you know what they are, they are easy to fix, and this cheat sheet will show you how. You'll bring in more leads and sales with your website immediately.
4. Contact Details
If one of your website goals is to have people contact you, then you obviously need to make it easy for them to do so right?
Contact details also build trust...
The web is full of false websites and users are becoming more suspicious of activities like phishing and internet fraud. Such activities scare visitors away. Your contact details must be available in most, if not all, parts of your website so people can ask you questions anytime the need arises.
Did you know that 44% of website visitors will leave a company’s website if there’s no contact information?
Contact details also offer a better user experience...
How often have you visited a website and it's nearly impossible to find contact information for the company? It happens to me all the time and it's super frustrating! They're communicating they don't want to be contacted by prospects and customers...not good!
I'd recommend having contact info in the following sections of your website at a minimum:
- Navigation - Contact, Contact Us, About Us, etc.
- Footer
- Overview and Product pages
- Support Page
- Contact Page
Here are basic contact details you must include:
- Company Name
- Address
- Phone Number
- Email Address
- Office Hours (if applicable)
5. Video
I have mentioned this time and time again - video content is awesome for small business marketing!
What I love about video content on a website is that it allows small business owners to:
- Give people a real sense of who they are.
- Help people understand what you stand for.
- Share their story.
- Engage site visitors.
The combination of visual and audio elements of a video is extremely engaging for website visitors.
Interested in video marketing? Learn more about the benefits of video marketing for small businesses.
6. Problems You Solve
Educate your website visitors by highlighting how your product or service can solve their problems. What are the benefits of doing business with you? What are the results I will see by working with you?
For example, a bookkeeper could highlight how they save clients time and money. As a marketing consultant, we highlight how we eliminate the pain and frustration of marketing and make it easier with consistent, repeatable results.
7. Trust Elements
Trust elements are things that help build trust, authority, and confidence with people who visit your website. Some examples are brand logos, reviews, case studies, testimonials, certifications, etc.
Ultimately, these elements are used as social proof that your business is legitimate and capable.
Here's a testimonial example from our website...
8. Changing Content
Changing or "fresh" content is what makes people come back to your website. It's also good for search engine optimization and proof that your site is active.
Examples of changing content on a homepage are recent blogs posts, a news feed, recent testimonials, or featured products.
9. Your Core Services or Products
When people visit your website, they want to quickly see what your company offers. Your core services or products should be visible on your homepage.
Create boxes that highlight your core products or services with brief descriptions for each service.
That's it, folks! Start with the purpose and goals of your website first, then use these key ingredients to generate more leads from your website.
So what do you? Can you use these elements to help generate more leads from your website?
Did I miss anything? Feel free to comment below. If you think this is worthy or sharing we'd be honored.
Need more lead generation tips? Check out our entire Ultimate Guide to Lead Generation.
Are you looking for more solid local marketing tips and tricks? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Local Marketing.
Would you like a checklist of these key ingredients? Sign up below and we'll send it to you!
EASY TWEAKS TO HELP YOU AVOID THE MOST COMMON WEBSITE MISTAKES TODAY
Are you Making These Common But Avoidable Website Mistakes?
Once you know what they are, they are easy to fix, and this cheat sheet will show you how. You'll bring in more leads and sales with your website immediately.
Header image courtesy of Pexels.