Any online business that sells a product or service is leaving money on the table if they don’t utilise a way to generate online leads and then follow up on with those prospective clients.
The internet is far too large of a marketplace to undervalue the importance of a qualified prospect expressing interest in your company’s offerings – selecting your site over the billions of others available.
Follow these tips for getting, and then following up on, every lead generated by your web pages.
Ways To Generate Online Leads
Perhaps the easiest way to generate online leads is to provide an opt-in form. If a visitor looks at the information on your site and their interest is piqued, it is a natural next step for them to sign up to your email marketing list. And there you have it – a qualified lead.
Another way to get leads is to use social networking sites. Look for those users discussing a particular topic related to your business, then contact them. Twitter makes this easy by listing trending topics. Let’s say your business sells widgets. You can do an automated or manual search of the trending topics using “#widgets”. Any posts referencing the word widgets will be listed. And unlike Facebook where you have to be added as a user’s friend to send them messages, Twitter allows you to send a direct message to anyone after you follow them.
Every Lead Is A Priority
Many companies do not place the proper priority on sales leads coming from their website. Even customised lead generation campaigns often do not receive proper follow up after a potential customer provides their personal information. Without conducting a timely follow up, a very plausible business transaction could quickly and easily defer from your company and the customer move on to your leading competitor to carry out a deal.
The Internet, with its vast capacity, offers an endless supply of information on any topic or pertaining to any business, and all it takes is the click of a mouse to access it. However, the downside to having such a limitless resource is that most people search through seemingly endless companies making comparisons and seeking out their best options without making a single one-on-one contact with a live person. The company that takes the time to personally respond will usually achieve a much higher conversion rate.
Following Up Leads
Important leads can easily slip through the cracks and business opportunities become lost due to the lack of follow up. But, with the help of a follow up generator, businesses can keep in close contact to assist by answering any questions and/or providing additional information and advice to a valued consumer, whether it be on or offline. An autoresponder also ensures that each person is continuing to receive information and updates from the company on a regular basis.
Do be sure that you update the messages in your autoresponder series from time to time. The longer you keep providing interesting and informative messages, the more likely you are to convert the subscriber to a client.
Some prospects prefer personal contact via telephone. An automated system is great but it still requires an actual person to review requests in order to ensure that each subscriber receives the attention and specific information they request. Be sure to check your email account frequently for notice of new opt-ins or messages.
When you do generate online leads, don’t let these leads slip by without a follow-up response. These qualified leads are like money in the bank – but only if you take action.
About Sean Rasmussen
Hi Sean,
This is excellent advice. I guess that we really need to generate online leads to become financially successful. I mean that we could wait for customers to come to us but we could be waiting forever. It’s much better to be proactive.
I seem to be getting approached more and more often on Twitter by people trying to sell me stuff. They tweet me saying, hey, we saw your tweet on this widget, maybe you’d like our widget instead. Interesting tactic.
Maybe I’m wrong but I see getting someone to opt in on an email list as the easy part. The hard part is how you treat your potential customers after that. It’s the converting prospects to sales that is the hard part.
I think you are quite right there Jazz. Many people have no trouble generating leads but miss the important part… following up on those leads to convert sales.
It’s difficult to respond to every inquiry and even more so when the inquiry is a confused potential customer looking for something you don’t offer but I do agree, it’s worth the hassle.
I dealt with one particular customer for years. She is mentally disabled and misunderstood a lot of what I told her and I had to repeat a lot of my answers but she came through for me and I for her. It’s these moments, these examples of great patience that lead to great customer service and an ongoing business.
Hi Sean.
You’ve highlighted some excellent points on how to generate leads and improving conversion.
I can see a common message with your suggestions, that although the lead generation is online and can be automated to a degree, its all in the follow up, and it best done on a personal level.
Whether it’s by email or phone etc., follow up is one of the most important factors of capitalising on your leads for sure. A personal touch goes a long way
Hi Sean,
before internet marketing I worked for a huge company that spend millions on trade shows and advertising to create potential leads. Only to put them in a big database and potentially not do anything with them anymore.
I agree with you that after creating the lead it is depending on what you do with it to let the customer feel how important he/she is for you. A good follow up is definitely worth the time and cost spend.
Hi Renee,
That’s amazing that a company would go to all that trouble to get potential leads and then not take advantage of it. It’s no wonder that some of the smaller guys online are starting to be serious rivals the big companies.
I think online you have a much more dynamic relationship with your customers. You really have to value your customers as it’s way too easy for them to just click away from your page.
I think that it is also important to ensure that the structure of your autoresponder emails are carefully thought out. Those few follow-up emails that you send out could seal the deal with your lead, or break it completely.
Very important indeed Cemil. It’s easy enough to set up an autoresponder series, the important part is to send out quality content that is effective.
Hi Sean,
Sometimes it can be a bit of a juggling game using an auto-responder to reply to emails while at the same time assuring that the personal touch is not lost. This is done by making a phone call used as a direct personal contact with potential customers.
My experience is similar to Renee’s where I worked for a company that generated leads but no proper follow-up on them. Each lead received one phone call. If they said no, that was it, and they were not contacted again. What a waste and many people were interested in the service but just not right at that time. Following up on leads is very important for making online sales.
I have an opt in on my website linked to an auto responder to generate online leads but same as Jazz, I have yet to convert that into sales. I really do need to put more time into this as I feel I am definately not making the most of the leads I have.
G’day Sean,
I agree that an opt in form is an A1 way to generate leads, and the importance of good followup cannot be ignored.
I’ve done some sales training courses where they STRESS the importance of followup and made a huge point about asking the opted in customer for a sale, but if they didn’t want the widget, to ask them for a referral to someone who was hanging out for such a widget. Worked really well for years.
Companies which allow individual sales team members to establish a rapport with individual customers always seem to generate a higher standard of loyalty from that customer.
I imagine the same basic rules still apply online – it comes down to EXCELLENT customer service.
Cheers
Harry
Hi Sean,
I have only recently heard about optin forms and have been doing some research myself as to their effectiveness.
I am so happy that I came across this post you have done, and have read all the comments. I would actually like to insert an optin form on my blog. I have heard that there is a way of having them in an Ebook and on a video? Is this right?
Blessings
Elly
Hi Sean,
Thanks for the tips on how to generate online leads, I haven’t ventured into the auto-responder world just yet but it is on my to do list! I have recently seen some free auto-responders available that I might try : )
I am wasting the potential of visitors who are coming to my site at the moment by not having some place for them to opt in. Most people won’t be ready to buy the first time they visit your site as they will be suspicious of you – so you need to work hard to developing a relationship with you so they feel comfortable to buy from you as well.
I seem to be the oddball here. I have no problem seeing what to do with leads. It’s getting my opt-in form in front of people in the first place. You touch on a tip here: “Another way to get leads is to use social networking sites”, but, I’m in need of a road map, I guess.
Thanks for sharing about the seriousness of following up the leads generated.
I agree that having a system for following up is crucial, otherwise all marketing effort is lost. I am generating a lot of leads for my MLM business but now need to become a master on follow up.