Lead generation from digital marketing comes from three primary channels – owned, earned and paid media. Owned media refers to the channels we can create and control such as our website, blog, or the content we create and post across social media – LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter etc. Earned media is when customers, the press and the public share your content, and talk about your company via word of mouth. While Paid media is the channel where you spend money to promote your business through other companies or a 3rd party website.
Companies who struggle generating leads from their website often invest in earned and paid media channels to “drive more traffic” to their websites. They’ll invest in paid search campaigns, display ads, sponsorships, SEO, press releases and alike in hopes of improving their lack of lead activity. The problem is, while these tactics generate more traffic they don’t typically increase leads. Here’s why…
Many businesses today have what is called a lead capture gap problem that exists on their website. They have a single generic CONTACT form with limited fields like Name/Phone/Message and a phone number or email address – and that’s it. While this is convenient for prospects who already know that company and who have already made a decision to buy or purchase, chances are most traffic is not at this stage.
In fact, there’s a good chance that a majority of the people visiting your website on any given day are not ready to complete a generic contact form or pick up the phone and call.
So what can a company do to improve this problem? Increase the number of lead capture opportunities by increasing the number of forms on your website with owned media.
Here are a few ideas for system integration companies (share this with your web person):
- Add an email subscription form that is triggered when a visitor exits your website “Wait, before you leave stay up to date on the latest security technology to keep your company protected – Join our List”
- Have your marketing department or web person change the generic Contact Us form to a Discovery Call or Consultation form – this shows your prospect you are here to help them find answers in a guided way.
- Add a new form called “Schedule a Demo”. Include more form field questions relative to a person adding a demo – Name, Phone, Email, Company and then personalize it with form fields like “What questions do you want answered during this demo” “Which best describes your timeframe for purchase?” etc.
- Add a “Download our Case Study” form where you can capture your visitors Name, Phone, Company and Email address in exchange for sharing a Case Study that shows how you are solving system integration challenges for your clients in their industry.
- If you are blogging – at the end of your blogs, add a Call to Action button that encourages the visitor to take the next step.
- On THANK YOU pages – the page where a customer is taken after they submit a form – think about adding content that can move that prospect one step closer (e.g. Add a Consultation form request to the Thank You Page where your prospect is downloading a Case Study).
These are just a few ideas to get your team on the road to increasing lead generation.
Take a look at your website. How many ways besides a generic contact form and phone number do your customers have to contact you?
Share this article with your web person or schedule a discovery call with us today – Vector Firm can help you eliminate the lead capture gaps in your business. Complete the form below to get started:
