I have worked with scores of online advertising specialists, digital agencies, funnel-builders, designers and ad buyers around the world. Through this experience, I’ve found that when it comes to something as simple as lead generation, most miss the mark on one simple concept: They don’t ask for a customer’s information on their landing pages.
Think of when you walk into a clothing store: When approached by a salesperson, even before they say anything, you likely often say, “I’m just looking,” regardless of what their question was going to be. You, the consumer, want to look around and go through your process. And if you need help, you will ask.
The same goes for lead-generation landing pages. You don’t want your website to be that salesperson. Instead, I’ve found it’s best to provide a simple call to action that asks a customer to answer a few questions, which, in turn, allows them to see if your site can give them answers to their problems.
Developing A Lead-Generation Questionnaire
Rather than asking a consumer for their name and contact information immediately on your website’s landing page, however, lead them down a questionnaire that asks about their current situation. This is essentially pre-qualifying the potential lead. This also allows you, the marketer, to understand a potential lead’s needs and determine if you can help. Assuming the consumer answers questions in a way that makes them a qualified lead, it’s then (and only then) that you should ask for their contact information.
By following this simple strategy, I’ve found not only can you see more leads and conversion rates but also the quality of the lead can increase, as the consumer has divulged information (and actively engaged in the process), so they now feel comfortable that their needs have a better chance of being met.
Asking The Right Questions
When determining which questions to ask, keep in mind that every industry is different. What’s important is ensuring you’re not asking too little or too much. Your goal is to get the potential customer engaged enough to know you’re trying to solve pain points without getting too personal.
For example, if you’re generating leads for a dental practice that specialises in implants, you might ask: What describes your situation? How much pain are you in? Do you currently have any crowns? What’s the outcome you’re looking to achieve? Are you interested in finance options? Of course, you don’t want to make the customer feel like they’re taking a never-ending quiz. I’ve found the sweet spot is asking a maximum of five questions, unless your industry requires a more thorough process, such as the mortgage industry.
Finally, keep in mind that the form is something you can optimise as its own element on your landing page. Start by assessing if and when users drop out of the form. As I’ve learned from my main funnel builder, it’s important to analyse that data. Then, you can continue to experiment with the order of your questions, your phrasing and the questions you ask as a whole to optimise the customer journey.
The Takeaway
There are many other factors that are important in regards to the optimisation of a lead-generation landing page. Headlines, bullet points, links, social proof and testimonials are all items to consider. That being said, don’t overlook the value a questionnaire can provide when finding potential leads.
Regardless of whether you run a digital agency, are a lead provider or manage your own marketing for your business, take a look at the form and call to action on your landing page. If you’re still asking for cold traffic to marry you before dating, then it’s time to reevaluate your lead-generation strategies.
The original version of this article was originally published on Forbes by Ian Bentley.
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