FYI: This short article is not about getting traffic to your site. It just reveals five things you can do to help improve leads and sales on your website.
Tip 1:
Provide a core message that speaks to someone, but not everyone.
Make sure your message speaks to your target market. Many websites speak in such broad terms they end up not speaking to anyone. Don’t be afraid to isolate and pinpoint your target market. If you’re a dentist who specializes in porcelain teeth, but also does basic dentistry, talk about specializing in porcelain teeth, not general dentistry.
Tip 2:
Put your lead form above the fold.
At the least, your homepage should have a lead form. But I would go as far as to put one on every page of your site. Your lead form should be above the fold in most circumstances. “Above the fold” simply means everything you can see on a landing page without scrolling down. For example, if you go to your own website, everything you see on the page without having to scroll down is above the fold. This is the most important part of the page. Although historically, the golden rule has been to put the form above the fold, more recently, people have had great success using lead forms below the fold, which is probably because people have become more computer savvy.
Tip 3:
A Call to Action
I have heard it called unprofessional by some and too much like a salesman, but a call to action works. Numerous tests have shown calls to action pull more leads than those without calls to action.
A “call to action” is simply asking your visitor to do something, whether it is to provide more information or read a report.
Tip 4:
Words matter, and copy is king.
The ultimate persuasion tool is words. Having your landing page written by an experienced copywriter is money well spent. If you would rather do it yourself, pick up a solid book on copywriting, but be careful – a writer’s judgment of his own ability to write is often flawed, and the eye of a third party in such a situation is invaluable.
A great book I recommend is The Copywriter’s Handbook, by Bob Bly.
Tip 5:
Create an informative blog customers will find useful.
No one likes to be sold to, so share something about your product or service that will help your customer make better choices. This will create the perception that you are not someone trying to sell something, but are sharing information that will help them. They will be much more likely to buy from you if you are offering them valuable information.
