My Marketing Vision Blog

Peanut butter and jelly, but no bread.  Jordan and Pippen, but no hoop.  Apple, but no Steve Jobs.

You get the idea.

Search engine optimization is critical to the success of online lead generation.  However, SEO alone isn't going to get the job done, at least not efficiently. Working with companies on their SEO strategies has always necessitated going beyond "getting found." With pay-per-click campaigns and even well optimized websites visitors can end up on a site with no direction about where to go or what to do and ultimately end up leaving without engaging.

Companies that have the greatest opportunity to succeed have developed their website with their buyer profiles in mind.  Buyer profiles are representative of "typical" visitors, their habits, demographics, and needs. Let's look at an example:

A plumbing company might have a buyer profile labeled "backups and clogs." These buyers have unforeseen, possibly emergency problems in their homes or business.  They always need immediate service and the average bill is under $200. Examples of problems include toilets or sinks not draining correctly.

Both organic (not paid) and pay-per-click will get a prospective buyer to their site, but how does this company convert the visitor into a paying customer? Here are three effective tips that help turn visitors into leads:

1. Landing Pages - landing pages are places that these buyers would go to address their specific needs.  In the example above, this company would create a separate page specifically addressing clogs and backups. They would provide a little bit of information on their experience and quick response with examples of the types of problems that qualify. Right away, the visitor is being visually "hand-held" and led through the process of conversion. More information on the value of landing pages in lead generation.
   
   
2. Offer - This company knows that this type of customer needs immediate assistance.  Perhaps they offer a guarantee of 2 hours from the time the call is placed to arrival on site.  Now a visitor is in the right place and feels that her problem can be solved quickly.  What's left?
   
   
3. Call-to-Action - This is where the site tells the visitor what to do next. "Click here to set your appointment and receive $25 off of your visit." The visitor clicks, fills out a short form (inlcuding email) to set the appointment and receives a coupon code via email immediately after submission.

Done correctly, landing pages, value offers and calls-to-action can turn a well optimized website into one that generates customers. Isn't that what the goal is?

My $0.02.