Every e-commerce business that is successful relies on leads to increase sales. By now you probably know all the usual ways of finding potential customers such as networking online and offline, instituting a PPC campaign, initiating a referral program, etc.
However, sometimes you can find the best leads when you use a bit of creativity. These Lead Generation Techniques will help get your creative juices flowing to garner new, and sometimes unexpected sales leads.
Focus On Your Marketing Niche
No two businesses are alike. Each one is based on different principles, offers unique ways of servicing the customer, and differentiates their inventory from competitors. Use these differences to come up with creative Lead Generation Techniques.
Let’s imagine your e-commerce website sells autographed sports memorabilia. You might already be using social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace to reach your target market. But take it one step further. Search for fan pages or groups that are directly related to your merchandise, i.e. a fan page for a specific hot superstar. Members who are already interested in discussing and learning more about that athlete will surely be interested in purchasing a soccer ball with his signature.
How about partnering with an online gambling site? Offer to exchange ad space or at least links. Capitalise on the latest game’s winning team by promoting a special offer to the gamblers who benefited from a pay-off.
Perhaps your company sells accounting services and is considered eco-friendly. Don’t just look for B2B leads in the usual places; add your site to directories of green businesses, sponsor a contest that revolves around green initiatives, or partner with a salesman at the local car dealership that offers hybrid vehicles.
Offer An Affiliate Program
Rather than just monetising your website by becoming an affiliate marketer, why not offer an affiliate program of your own? This is an excellent way to generate new leads. Your marketing affiliates are incentivized to find new customers and you benefit when the leads come in from these new sources.
Your affiliate marketing program can be as simple as asking for leads and the payout as low as a few cents per qualified lead received. This is a win-win situation that costs you very little.
More Lead Generation Techniques
Does your website sell an eBook or even offer it for free? In addition to using your eBook as a tool to generate leads via a special offer for download, there are many creative ways to use an eBook as a lead generation tool.
Why not print out a few copies and set up a book signing? You could also participate in a virtual book tour. Offer the first chapter for free upon visitors filling out an information form then continue your marketing efforts with these new leads.
Attend conferences and meet-ups for groups related to your niche market. Offer to teach a class at a local college or through your city’s business association. Write guest posts for a related blog and run a contest for all visitors who leave a comment.
When it comes to Lead Generation Techniques for your e-commerce website, use your creativity to find new sources both online and off. You just may find one or more great resources for untapped penetration in the market.
About Sean Rasmussen
Lead generation is always a big problem for most businesses; home-based or bricks and mortar. If you can figure out how to get a constant source of leads flowing into your business, you will succeed without a doubt.
Good Article
John
Totally agree with you there John, without leads, profits are hard to come by. Glad you enjoyed the article.
Regards – Sean
You can try also SEM or Search Engine Marketing, most of visitors goes to Search Engine’s and search for what they looking for. In addition, Make use also of Social sites to market your product ans services e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Forums, Media, etc.
Some good advice there Samorvil, thanks for your input.
Regards – Sean
Excellent ideas Sean
There is so much to consider
I love the offline strategies. I fully believe in getting out there and interacting in “real life”. As an IM’er, it’s easy to get stuck behind the computer and forget that there is a world with real people out there too
Hi Sean,
These are really interesting lead generation techniques. It definitely gives me some great ideas to generate leads. I guess it really only takes a little creative thinking to come up with some new ideas. Sometimes I get so stuck in doing the familiar things I forget to consider anything else.
This is another time it will really help to know your target market.
Hi Sean,
Depending on what your product is of course but, I find that leaving a gift package at a local shop is a good lead generator. A hairdressing salon for instance. The hairdresser can give each customer a ticket in a draw to “win” the gift on display.
It’s a win win because the hairdresser is happy to be giving their customer something extra and a chance to win. The customers need to write their name and phone number on the ticket to be contacted at a later date.
If it were a sporting store a deal could be made to purchase a popular item as the prize, and if a certain amount of quality leads were collected. The possibilities are endless on ways to generate leads.
Thank-you for the great ideas to generate leads, Sean.
Great post Sean,
For lead generation, a service like http://www.jumplead.com is worth considering, it’s a web app that uses web analytics tech to identify prospects that are already checking your site out. Along with search terms and the pages viewed.
Works best for B2B leads!
I tried your suggestion to offer to teach a class at a local college. I didn’t get any business, but I learned so much about lead generation just by having to prepare to teach the class. So it was a good experience.