Generate More Leads from Your Website

by Robert Kosobucki

Websites have become a key tool for companies that want to identify new suppliers, and for suppliers that want to find new customers. But, the typical display of products and company information on supplier websites often results in limited success in generating sales leads – even with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). You can dramatically improve lead generation by using some Marketing 101 marketing/sales analysis tools to guide content development and how it is presented on your website. Use the following questions to guide development of your website content and you can take a major step forward on the road to generating more sales leads.

Website Lead Generation Tip	Why this is Important
1. Who are your targeted customers? What industries /applications?	Most suppliers present their products from their perspective. Instead, communicate the information in the context of the buyers' needs and applications. Different markets have specialized requirements. Buyers prefer suppliers who appear to understand and have experience with their unique requirements.
2. What are the different site visitors looking for?	Different functional roles (buyers vs. technical persons) are looking for distinct types of information that may need to be presented differently. Understand what their key evaluation criteria is for selecting a supplier and use it to determine what content is needed and how it should be presented to guide them toward selecting you.
3. What differentiates you? Say it briefly and where it is most likely to be read, and say it in the context of what is important to them.	What is your strategy to beat competitors? What aspects of your company, products and people can differentiate you and would make you a better choice than other companies?
4. What do you want the website visitor to do?      a. Order      b. Download info      c. Phone you to discuss their requirements      d. Email you their RFQ      e. Give you their email address      f. Remember something about you	For B2B businesses the goal of a website should be to guide the customer toward involving your company in the next incremental step of their buying decision process. Simple product presentation does not do that. You have to solicit particular actions from them.

The table above is only the first step of the five steps listed below for developing a website that is more effective in generating leads.

1. Develop the right content by answering the marketing questions in the table above.
2. Attract more of the right visitors to your site by researching keywords to incorporate into content.
3. Keep visitors on your site longer by using Best Practices in the presentation of content and in site layout.
4. Persuade visitors to contact you by using the above tips to convince them that contacting you will help them make a better purchase decision.
5. Continue to increase lead generation by incorporating website analytics into your site and using it to make improvements.

None of the above five steps alone is sufficient to increase lead generation. But together the steps are the framework of a sales and marketing strategy that can dramatically increase your lead generation. Contact Insyte at 716-636-3626 to discuss how we can help you increase your sales.

Robert Kosobucki, a consultant with Insyte Consulting, has over 20 years experience in product development, marketing, sales and strategic planning with technology and manufacturing companies, in both domestic and international markets.