August 29, 2019
At Newedge, we firmly believe that a website without any form of lead generation simply isn’t designed for business use.
Sound harsh? Not necessarily.
We’ve moved far beyond the time when business websites were nothing more than digital brochures or alternatives to business cards.
If you’ve invested hard-earned money in a new website (or an update to your existing web presence), it should be generating consistent leads for you - no arguments.
If it isn’t, consider this the definitive list of they key elements that make for a great lead-generating website.
Consider your blog to be the start of the demand generation process. Demand, when curated and nurtured over time, will result in leads, and the best way to start that process is to consistently publish engaging, helpful blogs that draw in the most relevant audience.
Designing for mobile in 2019 has changed considerably, but the fact remains that, if you want to convert more visitors into leads, you need to ensure your website works perfectly on any sized device.
How many times have you reached a website that appears to offer exactly what you need only for it to frustrate you to the point of distraction with long, hard to use forms? Keep your contact forms light, simple and accessible from any device.
Landing pages often get ignored because they’re seen as another time-consuming marketing task. But a marketing campaign without a landing page won’t get you very far. For every new product, service, announcement and event, you need corresponding landing pages to bring in pre-qualified leads.
Calls to action (CTAs) are the method by which leads are captured. If your content does a stellar job of engaging people and encouraging them to act, you’ll want to make it easy for them to do so with big, clear buttons and persuasive accompanying text.
This is an obvious one - you’d think! But without search engine optimisation (SEO) your website simply won’t appear in front of the right audience on Google. And this isn’t something you can do alone, either, therefore it’s certainly worth spending on external assistance.
It’s far too easy to design a beautiful website that’s a pig to use. The best lead-generating websites combine beauty with functionality by presenting a clear, unobstructed, enjoyable journey for the user. When was the last time you put the customer hat on and tried to use your website to buy from yourself? You might be surprised by what you encounter.
How can you tell if your website is providing a decent return on investment in terms of leads? Google Analytics integration (and use!) is essential if you’re to see how many goals your website completes each day and exactly where those leads are coming from.
Chances are, most business websites lack one of the ingredients above, so if you’re scanning our list and shaking your head at missed opportunities, don’t worry - you’re not alone.
What’s broken can always be fixed, so if you want to talk about lead-generating web design in more detail, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the friendly team at Newedge.