5 Tips To Help Convert Online Leads
By Paul Esajian on July 25, 2018
Leads do not equal deals.
Generating dozens of leads is nice, but the name of the game is converting leads into deals. What separates great investors from average ones is their ability to convert deals where others can’t. If a lead reaches out to you regarding selling or possible working together they are interested enough to potentially move forward. It is up to you to take the ball past the goal line and finish the process. Getting just one extra deal a year equals a significant increase in your annual bottom line. If you can convert two or three you immediately take your business to another level. Generating leads is a great opportunity, but you need to handle them the right way. Here are five tips to help convert more online leads into actual deals.
- Quality content. The first step in the lead funnel is producing quality content. Your content provides the readers a glimpse of who you are and how you operate. If the content is outdated or untimely readers will slowly go elsewhere. You should map out your content schedule a week or so in advance so there is no repetition and you don’t have to waste time considering what to deliver. You should also think of ways to keep your content fresh and exciting. In addition to blogs and article posts you can try a video blog or podcast. The goal is to get eyeballs to your posts, so you can drive them to your website. By switching things up your posts will stand out and have a better chance of getting viewed. Your leads are only as good as your posts. Spend time to always produce quality content.
- Landing page/website. Getting the viewer from interested reader to potential lead is the next step in the process. Your posts should always revert to your landing page or website. This increases the chance they will browse around your page and supply an email address. Your website doesn’t need to be updated every month, but it can’t be outdated. Like your posts, people will judge you based on your website. If the information, look, style and feel are outdated you may get a bad rap. Everything on your website for lead generation should point to obtaining an email address. Getting an email address is the key to lead generation. Once you have an email you can begin reaching out to them. You can obtain an email by offering something of value, like an eBook or how-to guide. To access this information they need to enter an email address. This is a win-win for both parties, but a definite haul for you. Spend a few minutes every week making sure your website or landing page looks exactly how you want it to.
- Email sequence. As we mentioned, once you have an email address you can really begin your marketing. It is no secret that email campaigns have long replaced cold-calling. More people are likely to respond to an email than any other method of contact. Your emails should have a pattern and always end with a call to action. The first email should be an introduction with a little bit of information about you and your business. You can point them to a specific section of your website or supply a link to a pertinent blog post. With each additional email you should give them a little more information ending with an invitation to meet. As simply as it sounds, the goal of the emails is to find either a working partner or someone that needs your services. The sooner you can meet with them the more likely they will be ready and willing to act.
- Contact interested parties asap. The little things you do with a lead often make all the difference. It is essential that you return all emails or calls as quickly as possible. You never know when someone will read a post or an email and be driven to respond. The longer they hear from you the more likely they will not have the same sense of urgency. It is essential that you get back to them the same day they reach out to you. If you receive an email overnight, you need to respond the first thing in the morning. In your response you should directly answer their questions and end the email with a question of your own. This keeps the communication going which makes it easier to see if they are interested in meeting. You are always going to have a lot going on in your business, but it is important you treat every incoming inquiry with the importance it deserves.
- Track/retain data. Every inquiry has the potential to turn into a deal or a reliable long-term contact. Where many people go wrong is thinking if this doesn’t happen overnight, it will never happen. It is important to retain and store every email in a database, so you can reach out to them at any time. Someone may not be ready to act today, but you never know what can happen in a month or two. It is also important to track all communication you have so you can pick up on the things you did wrong. Without knowing who you are communicating with, where they came from and what they want to do you are essentially wasting your leads.
Lead conversation is about organization and persistence. It can also be a matter of simply returning an email or answering a question as honestly as possible. Use these five tips to help convert more of your leads into deals.