Lead generation 10 key rules

OK, think of yourself as Moses and of us as God…no, scratch that. What we are about to do is nowhere near as epic, you aren’t going to lead an enslaved people to freedom but you be doing some leading of a different kind - generating leads. We are going to issue you with 10 commandments for doing so, but we aren’t going to deliver them on a mountain, instead we are delivering them direct to your PC or mobile device. That’s much easier than climbing. You’re welcome.

Leads generated are only worth as much as the website that produces them. Luckily, to design a landing page that is geared towards generating leads does not have to include an overwhelming workload or huge amount of time. The following 10 commandments (sorry we are still enjoying having God-like status) are proven to boost lead generation and that can only lead to an increase in conversions, but not only that, these commandments are rules to live by in the website marketing world and can increase your website’s trust and authority.

The First Commandment. Thou shalt include a contact phone number

Including a contact number on your website may seem a little backward, even more so if you market a product or service digitally. However, in doing so you increase consumer trust and the number gives your offer greater credibility. Even if the number doesn’t prompt your customers to actually call, a phone number does give them some reassurance.

The Second Commandment. Thou shalt post forms on every page

Providing easy access to the actual form that generates leads is crucial to boosting the number of workable leads via your website. Less is more here, the less info they require, especially at the first step, the more likely people will continue on and share their valuable personal details.

Putting forms for lead generation above the fold also increases the chances customers will view them and in turn fill them out, visual cues like arrows help as do tempting offers – ‘free quote’ for example.

The Third Commandment. Thou shalt have greater credibility by adding photos and testimonials

Do not underestimate the power of testimonials as a marketing tool, the addition of photos or even adding rich media (audio and/or video) can boost that power to Biblical proportions. However that power may prove too much for lead generation sites in terms of bandwidth, nevertheless genuine testimonials can have an impact in supporting your offer.

The Fourth Commandment. Thou shalt make your videos speak! (to the user)

Videos posted online serve as a bridge between online and off-line business and have been proven to greatly increase conversion rates across a wide range of different industries but in particular e-commerce websites. The best performing videos talk to the user rather than talk at them and assist them in feeling more confident and informed of their purchase.

The Fifth Commandment. Thou shalt use trust seals (just make sure they aren’t just decoration)

All major providers of trust seals claim that by incorporating a trust seal on your site you can increase rates of conversion. There aren’t a lot of stats to back this up but take the word of the Lord (us, sorry, still playing God) as assurance they do make an impact. Don’t just incorporate a seal for pure visual reasons, choose one backed up by a consumer guarantee.

The Sixth Commandment. Thou shalt use power verbs to describe your offer

Powerful verbs such as “have”, “feel” and “get” are strong calls to action because they are active don’t water down the impact of your message with things like “imagine having” or “imagine feeling”. Using words that are action oriented in your offer puts the spotlight (we wanted to say “ray of light”) firmly on the customer meaning they see the light (yeah, we’re still doing it) and can see the benefits rather than just imagining them.

The Seventh Commandment. Thou shalt customize site templates

This is simple logic but for quality lead generation, you should customize any cookie cutter “everything-is-done-for-you” website templates. What’s more, you should make an investment in the best possible website within your budget, make its purpose clear and tailor it to generating leads and not just making it look like it was touched by an angel (yep, again). Good design boosts consumer’s trust and confidence levels.

The Eighth Commandment. Thou shalt first consider your end-goal

Everyone likes a happy ending and your happy ending is the generation of leads. Therefore you should begin with that end-goal in mind. Defining you goals will make testing and analytics clearer, and help you direct users down a path of good and righteousness in terms of what actions you to take as you guide them towards your goal. Define the goal, is a lead someone who completes a form? Someone signing up for a newsletter? Requesting a callback? Knowing exactly your goal will help you adjust your conversion accordingly.

The Ninth Commandment. Thou shalt make use whitespace wisely

God apparently made good use of white when he chose the décor for Heaven. You should too. Whitespace (aka negative space) may seem like a small element in terms of overall web design but like the sight of the Pearly Gates, it can have a big impact. Don’t try and fill all the space, instead give your images, photos, content and call to action buttons room to breathe.

The Tenth (and most important) Commandment. Thou shalt test, test, test and test again

None of the previous commandments will lead to good unless you test them to understand what is working and what isn’t. The quality and number of leads is a factor in conversion just like any other and one you want to see improve and increase over time. Lead generation pages are also the ideal place to test changes in site design before applying them sitewide. The right testing and analytics software will also help you determine exactly what is working.