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Every business wants to maintain or increase their sales, right? In today’s digital world, the best way to do so is through an online marketing strategy. Part of this strategy includes bringing targeted audiences to your website, where they’ll either inquire for more information, make a purchase or consume your content.
Your WordPress website must be optimized for lead generation in order to accomplish such objectives. However, getting visitors to convert into leads (or customers) takes far more effort than a pretty-looking and sounding website. It must be purposefully developed with lead generation in mind.

What is Lead Generation?

Market defines lead generation as “the marketing process of stimulating and capturing interest in a product or service for the purpose of developing sales pipeline.” Thanks to the Internet and new marketing tactics, lead generation is an ever-evolving process which relies heavily on the use of a website to capture a user’s information or interest.
Since approximately 96% of website visitors aren’t ready to purchase, lead generation tactics allow visitors to submit their contact information in exchange for further product/service/brand information and content. Marketers can then use these contact details to inform interested visitors through educational and entertaining content. The goal of these efforts is to create a lasting relationship with users and convert these qualified leads into customers.

Why Should I Care About Lead Generation?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely noticed that outbound marketing tactics such as print marketing and cold calling are becoming extinct. After all, outbound leads cost 39% more than inbound leads! Instead, marketers are switching to the inbound marketing methodology which focuses heavily on generating high-quality leads for businesses.
With the abundance of information available online, customers are becoming self-reliant shoppers who don’t enjoy mass advertising, promotional blasts, or vague marketing. Instead, they require personalized marketing and targeted content before making a purchase decision. For instance, rather than being concerned only with demographic information, marketers now also look at behavioral data to capture the attention of interested customers. Instead of being in the customer’s life for a quick time period, brands now seek to develop long-term relationships with consumers.
With all of this in mind, it is imperative that your WordPress website is designed with a lead generation focus. By doing so, you will improve your company’s chances of capturing quality leads which later convert into customers.

Best Practices for Creating a WordPress Website with Lead Generation in Mind

Now that you know why lead generation is crucial to your online marketing success, let’s dive into the many ways to improve your lead generation efforts on your website.

Understand What You Want the User to Do

When in the early phases of designing your WordPress website, map out the intent of each page. Do you want users to make a purchase on this page? What about contacting your company for more information on that page? Understanding the intent of each page and what action users should take will guide you in designing a visually appealing page and writing compelling copy that drives users to take a specific action.

Leverage Calls to Action

A call to action, or CTA, tells a website visitor exactly what to do next. Common examples include:

  • Buy now
  • Click here for more information
  • Download your eBook today
  • Contact us to get started
  • Subscribe to our newsletter

These clear and concise CTAs are what your web pages should focus on. All the content, design, and functionality should work together to drive users to accomplish one specific action. Use CTAs on every page where logical. The purpose is to get users to a new phase of the purchase cycle.
In addition, make sure your CTAs are “above the fold” and easy to spot, so users don’t have to mindlessly scroll or search.

Forms are Your Friend

Many marketers stress the importance of having lead generation forms on every page of your website. Now, this may seem over the top and even overwhelming. However, each form does not need to serve the same purpose.
For instance, on a service page, the contact form and CTA would be directed towards getting the user to contact your company for further information. On a blog post, the contact form would be aimed at getting users to subscribe to your newsletter. Although these two forms move website visitors into different parts of the sales funnel, both create quality leads for your business.

Display Contact Information

Some website visitors won’t want to submit a form or make a purchase. Instead, they want to speak directly with someone from the company. Be sure to list your phone number and other contact information prominently on your website. Most websites display this information in the header or footer of each page.
Don’t forget to add the leads that call in or stop by your store to your customer relationship management system!

Utilize Instant Chat

Since lead generation includes developing a strong relationship with customers, make it easy for visitors to talk to you. Instant chat functions on a website allow website visitors to ask questions, find information, and learn more about your business. Popular chat platforms for WordPress websites include:

Be sure to either have someone monitoring your chat platform or automated responses set up, so a visitor never goes without a response.

Take Advantage of White Space

When visitors come to your website, you want them to take notice of the CTA or main message right away. This is best accomplished by using white space to your advantage. Using white space allows the eyes to go right to the form, headline, CTA, or asset you are leveraging to get a visitor to take action.

Don’t Deter from Your Brand

While white space is key, never falter from your brand’s identity. This means using the right colors, fonts, and tone of voice to bring your brand to life. In addition, moving away from this brand identity can be confusing for a user, causing them to leave your website in search of a more cohesive online experience.

Original Website Design

Although it may be tempting to use a template or stock design to quickly launch your website, potential customers notice this from a mile away. An original website design not only ensures a cohesive brand experience, but it also can help you accomplish your lead generation goals.
For example, some template website designs do not allow you to deviate away from the predetermined layout of a page. If the layout you chose is not mindful of lead generation, you’ll have a difficult time improving your overall percentage of website leads and sales. In addition to optimized WordPress hosting, Bluehost also offers affordable website design services which can make an original website design a bit more attainable for those who aren’t designers and coders.

Write Compelling Copy

On top of how your website looks, your website content also aids in generating quality leads for your website. The content should discuss how your brand/product/service is the solution to whatever pain or predicament the user is having. Your website content should also point users to the CTA so they can take the next step in the purchase process.

Include Customer Testimonials

Did you know 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations? If you want to convert website visitors into quality leads for your brand, take advantage of customer testimonials. For even better results, film your customer testimonials, as 70% of B2B marketers claim that videos are more effectivethan other content when it comes to converting users to qualified leads.

Use Gated Content

Gated content refers to content which requires a user to submit information prior to consuming or receiving exclusive content. Marketers often “gate” their most powerful and successful content as part of their lead generation efforts. For instance, your website could offer an informational video series in exchange for a user’s name, email address and company name.
Have you designed a WordPress site focused on lead generation? Share your best practices with the community by commenting below.

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