A professional website is a must for any successful business. It’s the first place potential customers go to learn about your services, rates, contact details, and more.

A website is more than just the face of your business; it’s a multifaceted tool that should be promoting your products and services 24/7.

Lead generation is key when it comes to an optimally performing website.

What’s a lead? A lead is the first step in the sales process.  In digital marketing terms, that’s someone who interacts with your online presence and shows interest in what your business has to offer.

Whether you are operating solely online or wish to use your website to complement your brick-and-mortar store, the importance of generating leads digitally can’t be understated.

Fortunately, many small businesses in Ireland have had the opportunity to avail of the Local Enterprise Office’s Trading Online Voucher Scheme – a benefit of up to €2,500 to help Irish SMEs move online. Whether you’ve taken advantage of the scheme to invest in new software, training, or web development, your next step is investing in a digital strategy and learning how to make the most of your website.

We can help you with that, or you can read on for a few easy ways to use your website to your best advantage and grow! 

Add Your Contact Information  

It should be as easy as possible for potential customers to get in touch with you. What’s the point of putting the effort into a fantastic website advertising all you have to offer if visitors can’t figure out how to reach you? 

Including a phone number and physical address can help establish trust between yourself and your customer. It’s a way of saying “Hey! There’s a real person on the other side of this computer screen who can’t wait to help you cater your wedding!” (or retile your bathroom, or tailor your suit…you get the idea!). Not only does including your contact information allow clients to reach you more easily, it also boosts credibility by showing you are committed to customer support. 

A sleek header or footer across your website with your phone number and email address is an ideal way to put your contact details in front of website visitors. Implement this across the site, and they’ll know that no matter what page they’re on, they can reach out directly with any questions they might have. Also, make sure to include an easy-to-find contact page with all of your information, including any physical locations or dedicated customer support lines. 

Create Powerful Forms on Key Pages

Website forms are one of the best tools your website has to generate leads. They allow customers to get in touch quickly, and with endless customizable options, you can easily get qualified lead information delivered straight into your inbox. But be careful; forms need to be

optimized and designed for maximum impact, otherwise they can be jarring, pointless pieces of tech plastered on valuable website space. 

You can use forms to collect in-depth information about potential clients. They can be included on a contact page or as a precursor to downloading content like eBooks or whitepapers. Visitors can use a form to submit queries, register interest, or join a marketing e-mail list, all of which will put potential client info in your hands. 

Your first step is to find out where your customers are. You don’t want to place a form on a page that is getting low traffic. Use an analytics tool such as Google Analytics to research the pages that are most frequently visited. This could be your home page, your contact page, or a page outlining your services. When you’ve found out where your customers are hanging out – digitally speaking – treat them to a form that’s easy-to-use so they don’t get bored searching for it on the less frequently visited spots on your site and leave altogether. 

There are plenty of places online to find easy-to-use, free forms. Find a form builder that is simple and customizable, like JotForm or  Google Forms. Simply build your form, install and start collecting leads. 

The key to a form that will successfully deliver quality leads is ease-of-use. In terms of best practice, opt for fewer fields. Don’t get carried away with a never-ending list of questions. Stick to the basics – name, contact details, services they require and an empty field for any questions or comments. You’ll get to the nitty gritty when you get in touch with your sales pitch later! Also, try automating with autofill. Let the tech do the hard work and install autofill options that help your clients avoid too much typing. Finally, if you’re asking for information for marketing purposes (i.e., to send on promotions or email newsletters and marketing), make sure you are GDPR compliant! 

Optimise Always 

The beautiful thing about a website? There are a million and one ways to optimize your site, which will make it easier for leads to reach out to you. You can explore SEO and landing page optimization, content strategy, social media marketing, UX and more. In the end, all of your optimization efforts should boil down to one thing: driving new business.

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to website optimisation. However, there are also some simple strategies you can apply to any site, no matter how technical or intricate, that can boost your traffic and generate more leads. 

1. Develop a mobile-first strategy. 52.2 percent of all web traffic is generated on mobile devices, so it’s important that your website is as seamless on a phone screen as it is on a desktop. 
2. Speed things up. Sluggish site? Potential clients won’t wait around if your site is slow to load. You can check your site speed with free tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to make sure your website is operating at optimum performance.
3. Build links. One of the easiest ways to make sure your website is search engine optimized and can be easily found is through link building. Include hyperlinks in important copy to send clients to verified, high-authority sites, including your own. Links are easy to include in blogs, web copy and content. With a consistent content strategy, other websites will start linking back to you in turn, which will build search engine visibility and drive leads. 
4. Keep content fresh. Don’t let your website go stagnant. Implement a regular blogging schedule to keep visitors coming back to your site for new insight and information. Update regularly and you’ll see a boost in leads. 
5. Track and Analyse. Analytics can seem intimidating, but YouTube videos and eBooks are excellent resources that can help you learn to easily navigate the numbers behind your website. In turn, you’ll know which pages attract the most visitors and which can use a little more love when it comes to retention. 

Your website is a powerful tool that can work for you. It’s more important now than ever to utilize the web to generate leads, drive conversions and ultimately grow your business, both online and in person. If you’re ready to start your digital marketing journey, simply get in touch to see how we can help you today.