How To Create A Powerful B2B Lead Generation Website That Keeps Your Visitors From Flying Away To The Competition

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1 How To Create A Powerful B2B Lead Generation Website That Keeps Your Visitors From Flying Away To The Competition By Keith Smiley 1

2 Introduction The corporate website is the #1 online source of new leads for businesses, second only to personal referrals. However, it s not performing to its maximum lead generation potential. 1 That s because many B2B companies have brochure style sites which don t work anymore. They simply don t capture any leads. The corporate website is the #1 online source of new leads for businesses, second only to personal referrals If your website is a brochure style site you ll recognize it in three ways: The home page does not have an offer. The home page does not reveal your unique selling proposition (USP). The home page does not attempt to capture the visitors name and address. If your website doesn t do any of this you are leaving money on the table and losing potentially high quality leads. More importantly, they will likely never see what else you have to offer. This report will show you 6 mistakes many B2B companies make with their website, why having an effective online presence will increase profits and the 10 things your website must have to be an effective lead generation machine. Also included is a website effectiveness solution checklist. 1 Demandbase2011 National Website Demand Generation Study Copyright 2014 Keith Smiley Page 2

3 Mistake #1 A Boring Empty Homepage Many marketers think that visitors to their website love logging on to a flashy homepage with lots of cool images, and even some music. Wrong. If a visitor has to wait for your site to load, watch a visual presentation, and then press a click here to enter site button, they will probably leave your website. Too often B2B websites are full of excessive technical jargon which confuses their less technically inclined prospects. What you should do: More than any other page, your homepage needs to reflect your business. It should be clean, understandable and inviting. Mistake #2 Being Vague About What You Do Unfortunately, this happens way too many times. You visit a site you found using a search engine, read the copy on the homepage and About Us section, and come away with no clue about what the company actually does. Too often B2B websites are full of excessive technical jargon or vague language such as: We re the leaders in providing global solutions for industry verticals. If no one can understand what industry verticals are, then you need to change your messaging. Many firms also fail to coherently communicate their benefits. They try to show their expertise by spewing technical jargon. Unfortunately, they confuse their less technically-inclined prospect because the message is unclear to them. Most prospects will not tell you they don t understand what you do; they will simply move on to another firm. Copyright 2014 Keith Smiley Page 3

4 What you should do: Your web site should clearly explain what it is you do and who you are. If you re a management consultant- just say so. If you provide IT services-then tell us. Don t make your visitors guess what you do. Mistake #3 Give your visitors as much information as they need but make sure that it s relevant to the page their viewing Overwhelming Visitors With Information Overload Some companies overload their site with everything that they do. They list every product and every service they provide in great detail and add on 20 testimonials. It is good to inform your audience, but it should be done in moderation. Trying to promote everything all at once may scare your visitors away. What you should do: Give your visitors as much information as they need, but make sure that it is relevant to the page that they are viewing. Provide them with a little more than just enough information and then direct them to another page on your site via a button or a link for more details. This way the visitor gets the information that they want and may continue to read on if they wish. Mistake #4 Having Little Or No Thought Leadership Content Some companies have nothing on their website but a services page, an about us page, and a contact page. Some have press releases and or a blog, but no other content. What you should do: You should have a page on your site labeled resources, knowledge center, or something similar and fill it with white papers, case studies, videos, webinars and other content that will help establish you as a thought leader in your industry. Copyright 2014 Keith Smiley Page 4

5 Mistake #5 Having Little Or No Bread And Butter Content Some companies hardly have any bread and butter content on their website at all. Having an abundance of white papers, case studies, videos, and webinars is good. However, before your prospect can get to that content, you must provide lots of bread and butter content including: Services/Product Info. For each service or product that you offer, you should have a page of content describing it. Don t cram everything into one or two pages. Having more pages also makes it easier to optimize for specific keywords. This will make it easier for prospects to find you on the search engines. FAQ Page. Multiple FAQ pages regarding different aspects of your business answer people s questions as well as drawing them to your site from a search engine. Testimonials/Client Lists. Third party endorsements help prospects decide whether they should do business with you. Articles/e-newsletter/or blog. This type of content educates site visitors and shows your expertise. Having an ezine opt-in form on your homepage is a proven low-cost way to generate quality leads, and convert them in to paying customers more quickly What you should do: Once you have created a site that communicates an effective message, you then need to develop a content strategy that attracts and engages your visitors. Your website must have a system in place to generate leads and periodically interact with them. Unfortunately most professional service companies don t have this simple, yet very effective lead generation tactic. Mistake #6 Not Having An Ezine Opt-In For On The Homepage Too many B2B companies are overly concerned with how their website looks instead of focusing on how to generate leads. Many B2B company websites are visually appealing, but most lack the one online tool that influences potential buyers to make a buying decision. Copyright 2014 Keith Smiley Page 5

6 According to a survey from MarketingSherpa, 34.1% of technology buyers are influenced by e-newsletters. 2 The one thing that is missing from 9 out of 10 technology company home pages is an newsletter opt-in form. You can t find one on many professional service firm websites either. On many of these sites the opt-in form is on another page a few clicks away. But even one click away is one too many, because having an opt-in clearly displayed on your home page is a proven, low cost opportunity to capture quality leads, and convert them into paying customers more quickly. 39% of respondents of a MarketingProfs study say newsletters are the most effective online medium ITtoolbox conducted a survey of 2300 IT and business professionals. The results were very similar to the MarketingSherpa study. 34.3% of the respondent s ranked based tactics among the most influential marketing tactics mentioned. 3 Out of 592 respondents of a MarketingProfs study on B2B lead generation 39% said newsletters are the most effective online medium 4 In today s B2B marketplace the length of sales cycles are increasing. People are taking longer to make purchase decisions. Sometimes it takes 10 touches or more before a prospect trusts you enough to consider doing business with you. To make these touches as powerful and memorable as possible you need an e-newsletter. It is by far the best way to make these 10+ touches happen faster, with less resistance, and at a lower cost. The buyers in your target market want timely, relevant, valuable information that will help them do their jobs better, and make their lives easier. What you should do: To reach your prospects, you must properly entice them to opt-in to your e-newsletter the moment they land on your homepage. Here are 8 ways you can optimize your e-newsletter opt-in form to get more quality leads: 2 Business Technology Marketing: Practical Benchmark Data For Marketing Sherpa, August Breaking Through To Lucrative IT Market, Roger Slavens, BtoB Online, September 11, MarketingProfs Research Insights B2B Sales Lead Generation: Introduction of Web 1.0 And Web 2.0 Media. How B2B Marketers Are Using Old And New Media To Drive Lead Generation Copyright 2014 Keith Smiley Page 6

7 1. Understand your opt-in area is ad space. You need an opt-in area on your homepage not a link. To entice visitors to subscribe to your newsletter, you need a little space to make a great pitch. 2. Make a promise of value. Tell your website visitors why they should sign up for your newsletter. Let them know exactly what is in it for them, ideally in two or three bullet points. 77% of professional service firms generate at least some new leads online 3. Limit the amount of information you ask for. Your newsletter should be quick and easy for prospects to subscribe to. Just ask them to fill out their address, title, and first name only. 4. Clearly display a Privacy policy link. This will increase your credibility with your prospect. Even though most people won t read it, they will appreciate your commitment to protecting their privacy. 5. Get some action into your call-to-action. Use action words like Subscribe, or Sign Up Now on your response button. 6. Put the opt-in form on your home page. Put your offer of free, valuable information right on your home page, so your visitors can instantly see it. 7. Keep your entire opt-in area above the fold. When visitors enter your home page, they should be able to clearly see the opt-in area without having to scroll down the page. 8. Make an offer they can t refuse. Offer something of real value to your prospects, just for signing up. It can be a free white paper or report, tip sheet, case study, article, free demo, etc. It should be something that is valuable for your target audience. Having An Effective Online Presence Will Increase Profits Professional service firms who are effectively using online marketing are increasing their profits. According to a study from Hinge Research Institute, 77% of professional service firms generate at least some new business leads online. A significant number of firms, however, produce a high percentage of leads through online marketing. Approximately 15% of firms generate 40% or more of their new business leads online. Clearly, Copyright 2014 Keith Smiley Page 7

8 online lead generation can be an effective strategy for the modern professional services firm. The data also shows that firms generating a high percentage of leads online are growing at a faster rate. The median growth rate of firms generating % of leads online is four times greater than the median growth rate of firms generating no online leads. The group of firms growing at the highest rate is generating 40-59% of leads online. This balanced approach of traditional and online marketing strategies may represent a sweet spot that creates optimal results. 5 Professional service firms that generate a high percentage of leads online are more profitable Overall, professional service firms that generate a high percentage of leads online are usually more profitable than those firms that do not fully utilize their online presence. This might be because traditional marketing techniques often cost more than online marketing methods. According to a study by Hubspot, online leads generated from inbound marketing had a 62% lower cost per lead than those generated using traditional approaches such as trade shows, direct marketing and telemarketing. 6 That s why it s so important that professional service marketers make sure that their website communicates effectively. Because your website is the most dynamic marketing asset you have. It s the first thing people see when doing an internet search or when someone wants information about your company. Your website is a real-time extension of your business. It s your 24/7 marketing and sales department. Checklist: The 10 Things Your Website Must Have This list details the things your website should have so you can generate the quality leads you need to grow your firm. 1. An ezine signup form on your homepage. As stated before, this is the most powerful online tool that influences business buyers. If you re hoping to collect e- mail addresses, an inviting ezine or e-newsletter sign up box 5 Online Marketing For Professional Service Firms. Hinge Research Institute Hubspot.com/state-of-inbound-marketing Copyright 2014 Keith Smiley Page 8

9 must be clearly featured on the home page, with a link in the body copy and navigation. 2. A homepage that loads instantly Web-user surveys continue to prove that Flash intros can take too long to load, and many prospects move to another site if there is a load delay. People come to your site to find solutions as quickly as possible. Flash gimmicks and music that appears before your homepage will send away visitors. 3. A homepage that offers a customer-benefit headline (big promise) at the top. Your prospects are looking for solutions to their problems. Your homepage should communicate that you understand and can solve their problem Your prospects are looking for solutions to their needs or problems. Your very first message should demonstrate that you understand their problem and can solve it better than anyone else. 4. A lead-generation marketing plan. Your website marketing strategy should clearly spell out your company s lead generation goals and tactics. This is critical because it drives your website content. 5. Make information easy to find. Why do you visit a website? Isn t it because you want to find information? Get answers? Solve a problem? Shop? Buy something? Make sure your site makes information and products easy to find. Use descriptive links, section headers and subheads. 6. Have an order page that sells. The copy on your order page should be clear, conversational, and persuasive. 7. Have a variety of content and thought leadership pieces. You should have some white papers, case studies or online videos that show how your firm solves your client s Copyright 2014 Keith Smiley Page 9

10 problems. 8. Put an offer on the contact us page. This always increases leads and inquiries. Even on a general purpose company site. 9. Tell readers what to do. Click here for a free demo. Visit our online store for special monthly discounts on supplies. Looking for an easy solution to organizing sensitive data? Click here to learn more about DataLock You get the idea. 10. Support your claims with lots of proof. People tend to be skeptical of what they read online. Especially if the information is from an unfamiliar company. You should prove your claims in any marketing piece. But online, that s even more crucial. Need More Help? If you re ready to act on the valuable information you received in this insightful report, call me at (317) Let s talk about what you need, and I ll help you reach your target audience with web copy - and a host of other marketing materials - that will help you generate more leads and make more sales. About Keith Smiley Keith Smiley is a lead generation copywriter for aggressive B2B marketers. With over 15 years of experience working in the broadcasting industry, which includes writing several radio commercials, public service announcements, and liners, Keith knows how to write attention-grabbing copy. Keith s copy is clear, concise and designed to rapidly generate quality leads to ensure the success of your sales department and the Copyright 2014 Keith Smiley Page 10

11 continued growth of your ROI. If you d like to receive more information or a quote on your next copywriting project, visit or call (317) Copyright 2014 Keith Smiley Page 11

12 Appendix Website Effectiveness Solution Checklist Complete the following checklist to evaluate the effectiveness of your website marketing program and formulate a comprehensive strategy that attracts, engages, and converts qualified prospects into buying customers. 1. The home page has an ezine signup form 2. The home page loads instantly 3. The home page offers a customer-benefit headline (big promise) at the top 4. The website has a lead generation marketing plan 5. Information is easy to find on the web site 6. The website has an order page that sells 7. The website has a variety of content and thought leadership pieces 8. The website has an offer on the contact us page 9. The web site tells readers what to do 10. The website supports all claims with proof Implemented Works Great Implemented Needs Improvement Need To Implement Don t Need Copyright 2014 Keith Smiley Page 12