Comments on: 3 Reasons Your Visitors Don’t Convert to Leads http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/ Marketing blog focused on marketing optimization, improving website conversion rates, search engine marketing, web analytics, word of mouth, etc. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:05:29 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: PPC News Roundup for April 30, 2008 | The Adventures of PPC Hero http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/comment-page-1/#comment-1174909 PPC News Roundup for April 30, 2008 | The Adventures of PPC Hero Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:54:53 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/#comment-1174909 [...] you have a lead generation website or landing page, Grokdotcom has some helpful tips in this post. You need to point out the [...] [...] you have a lead generation website or landing page, Grokdotcom has some helpful tips in this post. You need to point out the [...]

]]> By: Selling Annuities http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/comment-page-1/#comment-1139816 Selling Annuities Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:15:39 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/#comment-1139816 Great ideas in this post and in the thoughtful comments that follow. The ones that resonate most with me are those dealing with 'qualification' versus lead volume. Most often I deal with marketing executives that don't distinguish the two - hard to believe I know! The analogy that Brock Butler's comment makes about thinking of your website as a salesman receiving either "raw leads" or "qualified sales opportunities" is spot on for countering this attitude. Cheers! Great ideas in this post and in the thoughtful comments that follow. The ones that resonate most with me are those dealing with ‘qualification’ versus lead volume. Most often I deal with marketing executives that don’t distinguish the two – hard to believe I know!

The analogy that Brock Butler’s comment makes about thinking of your website as a salesman receiving either “raw leads” or “qualified sales opportunities” is spot on for countering this attitude.

Cheers!

]]> By: PriceV http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/comment-page-1/#comment-1139709 PriceV Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:53:59 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/#comment-1139709 We have found the same topic and after doing some research we found that a visitor from Singapore (an English speaking country) may be looking for information on a topic in English but has no intention of really shopping at a website in the United States (most visitors have a good idea by simply scanning the content that the website is based in US or UK or Australia or India). That is why they are less likely to click on ads for websites based in US. We have found the same topic and after doing some research we found that a visitor from Singapore (an English speaking country) may be looking for information on a topic in English but has no intention of really shopping at a website in the United States (most visitors have a good idea by simply scanning the content that the website is based in US or UK or Australia or India). That is why they are less likely to click on ads for websites based in US.

]]> By: Chef Coats http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/comment-page-1/#comment-1117463 Chef Coats Sat, 06 Dec 2008 01:33:48 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/#comment-1117463 The ideas found in this post and others on the Future Now site have transformed my web development business. Using your techniques my latest site has a bounce rate under 20% and converts surfers at FIVE TIMES the rate Fireclick Metrics posts as an average for our market segment! You can be certain I'll continue to read your articles :-) The ideas found in this post and others on the Future Now site have transformed my web development business. Using your techniques my latest site has a bounce rate under 20% and converts surfers at FIVE TIMES the rate Fireclick Metrics posts as an average for our market segment!

You can be certain I’ll continue to read your articles :-)

]]> By: SEO Best Practices http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/comment-page-1/#comment-1055807 SEO Best Practices Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:15:43 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/#comment-1055807 I find difficult to convince Management on spending more time on analyzing our landing pages to increase conversions. They are always thinking of driving more traffic to the site. We have a 75% bounce rate in our sites and my suggestion has been on increasing conversions from the visitors we already have, but there's always the issued of budget and priorities. How to get Management to walk the road of increasing conversions? I find difficult to convince Management on spending more time on analyzing our landing pages to increase conversions. They are always thinking of driving more traffic to the site. We have a 75% bounce rate in our sites and my suggestion has been on increasing conversions from the visitors we already have, but there’s always the issued of budget and priorities. How to get Management to walk the road of increasing conversions?

]]> By: Final Expense Leads http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/comment-page-1/#comment-915860 Final Expense Leads Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:44:31 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/#comment-915860 Your article, and the comments that follow, are extraordinary for the perspective they offer. I'm developing websites for an insurance company to attract and support agents in different markets, each a different demographic. Thinking of these as "communities of need" searching to fulfill their goals will be a very useful approach for me and for my clients. Thanks for your help. Dennis Foreman Your article, and the comments that follow, are extraordinary for the perspective they offer.

I’m developing websites for an insurance company to attract and support agents in different markets, each a different demographic. Thinking of these as “communities of need” searching to fulfill their goals will be a very useful approach for me and for my clients.

Thanks for your help.

Dennis Foreman

]]> By: UniqLooks - Only place to shop 100% cashmere scarves http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/comment-page-1/#comment-797858 UniqLooks - Only place to shop 100% cashmere scarves Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:04:55 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/#comment-797858 Great thoughts. Thanks Great thoughts. Thanks

]]> By: Cyndi Smasal http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/comment-page-1/#comment-700031 Cyndi Smasal Mon, 05 May 2008 18:55:42 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/#comment-700031 Another consideration is the length of your lead generation page. A short (1 page) landing page will generate more leads, but they are less qualified. A longer (8 page) landing page will make it easier to establish value, trust and expectations. You get fewer leads but they will be highly qualified. Cyndi Smasal Internet Marketing Master Strategist Another consideration is the length of your lead generation page.

A short (1 page) landing page will generate more leads, but they are less qualified.

A longer (8 page) landing page will make it easier to establish value, trust and expectations. You get fewer leads but they will be highly qualified.

Cyndi Smasal
Internet Marketing Master Strategist

]]> By: Calvin http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/comment-page-1/#comment-673916 Calvin Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:14:37 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/#comment-673916 I get a lot of information i never noticed. I will first work on "About Us". This is very important point that i was ignore I get a lot of information i never noticed. I will first work on “About Us”. This is very important point that i was ignore

]]> By: Soeren Sprogoe http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/comment-page-1/#comment-673910 Soeren Sprogoe Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:10:27 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/#comment-673910 Absolutely love your articles (and book), Bryan! Working with eCommerce, and not just lead generation, I usually start with the following 4 bullets when optimizing campaigns and landing pages: 1) The visitor is really after something else. You're bringing some wrong traffic, most likely from too broad PPC keywords. Make it absolutely clear what it is you're offering, so you don't waste the visitors time. Who knows, sometime in the future they might have a use for you. Better make them leave fast, but with a positive impression. 2) The visitor is not ready to "convert" yet. You're hitting them in a place in their buying cycle that you're not expecting and not offering a conversion point for on your landing page and/or site. 3) You're not helping the visitor accomplish his/her "goal". Look deeper into what it actually is your visitor is after. Don't tell the visitor what it is you (think you) want them to know, but tell them how your product/service can help them accomplish their goal. And don't confuse the message with all sorts of irrelevant information. 4) You have trust issues. The Stanford Project Troy suggest is a good place to start to improve on this point. Disclaimer: This is just from the top of my head. It's not an actual "model" set in stone, but rather random thoughts of the moment. Plus, Number 5: When in doubt, (re)read the book "Call-to-Action" :-) Absolutely love your articles (and book), Bryan!

Working with eCommerce, and not just lead generation, I usually start with the following 4 bullets when optimizing campaigns and landing pages:

1) The visitor is really after something else. You’re bringing some wrong traffic, most likely from too broad PPC keywords. Make it absolutely clear what it is you’re offering, so you don’t waste the visitors time. Who knows, sometime in the future they might have a use for you. Better make them leave fast, but with a positive impression.

2) The visitor is not ready to “convert” yet. You’re hitting them in a place in their buying cycle that you’re not expecting and not offering a conversion point for on your landing page and/or site.

3) You’re not helping the visitor accomplish his/her “goal”. Look deeper into what it actually is your visitor is after. Don’t tell the visitor what it is you (think you) want them to know, but tell them how your product/service can help them accomplish their goal. And don’t confuse the message with all sorts of irrelevant information.

4) You have trust issues. The Stanford Project Troy suggest is a good place to start to improve on this point.

Disclaimer: This is just from the top of my head. It’s not an actual “model” set in stone, but rather random thoughts of the moment.

Plus, Number 5: When in doubt, (re)read the book “Call-to-Action” :-)

]]> By: Brock Butler http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/comment-page-1/#comment-671481 Brock Butler Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:11:28 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/#comment-671481 Bryan, Our group is a huge fan of FutureNow and has successfully applied your principles to internet-based sales prospecting and pipeline development for business solution providers. May I offer a sales professional's perspective on your post? Is it possible that the number one obstacle to conversion is the fact that our potential customer is not ready to be considered a "lead", with all the intrusion that "lead" implies? In the B2B arena especially, our buyer may be early in his buying process and not ready to engage in a sales process. Conversely, we do not know enough about our suspect to determine whether they are a good prospect or not. Instead of an all or nothing approach, wouldn’t we achieve better sales results if we cultivated, or developed, our suspects into qualified sales prospects, with an identified area of need, who are ready to engage in an active sales process? Perhaps if we better align with our potential customer’s buying process we would vastly improve the only marketing metric that CEOs care about - How many active sales opportunities resulted from his marketing investment? Wouldn’t it be better to reach out, attract, identify and learn about a “prospect community” of potential customers? Our mission now becomes reaching out, attracting and capturing as large a prospect community as possible. Therefore, if we stop thinking of these people as sales leads, then we could set the bar for conversion as low as possible – perhaps just a name and valid email address. Then, if we follow web 2.0 and FutureNow best-practices, we should do our best to offer ongoing value to this prospect community, so they continue to interact with our company. That interaction gives us the opportunity to learn about their needs, buying stage and value to our company - and hopefully to develop the trust necessary for them to engage in our selling process. I urge your community, especially in B2B, to stop focusing on creating leads and start focusing on what matters - developing sales opportunities. Sales professionals hate raw leads. We however love qualified sales opportunities. Jeff Sexton had a good post on thinking of your website as a sales person. Would a sales person be focused on getting a name or teeing up a sales opportunity? Love your thought-leadership, Brock Butler MoreDemand Bryan,
Our group is a huge fan of FutureNow and has successfully applied your principles to internet-based sales prospecting and pipeline development for business solution providers. May I offer a sales professional’s perspective on your post?

Is it possible that the number one obstacle to conversion is the fact that our potential customer is not ready to be considered a “lead”, with all the intrusion that “lead” implies?

In the B2B arena especially, our buyer may be early in his buying process and not ready to engage in a sales process. Conversely, we do not know enough about our suspect to determine whether they are a good prospect or not.

Instead of an all or nothing approach, wouldn’t we achieve better sales results if we cultivated, or developed, our suspects into qualified sales prospects, with an identified area of need, who are ready to engage in an active sales process?

Perhaps if we better align with our potential customer’s buying process we would vastly improve the only marketing metric that CEOs care about – How many active sales opportunities resulted from his marketing investment?

Wouldn’t it be better to reach out, attract, identify and learn about a “prospect community” of potential customers? Our mission now becomes reaching out, attracting and capturing as large a prospect community as possible. Therefore, if we stop thinking of these people as sales leads, then we could set the bar for conversion as low as possible – perhaps just a name and valid email address.

Then, if we follow web 2.0 and FutureNow best-practices, we should do our best to offer ongoing value to this prospect community, so they continue to interact with our company. That interaction gives us the opportunity to learn about their needs, buying stage and value to our company – and hopefully to develop the trust necessary for them to engage in our selling process.

I urge your community, especially in B2B, to stop focusing on creating leads and start focusing on what matters – developing sales opportunities. Sales professionals hate raw leads. We however love qualified sales opportunities.

Jeff Sexton had a good post on thinking of your website as a sales person. Would a sales person be focused on getting a name or teeing up a sales opportunity?

Love your thought-leadership,

Brock Butler
MoreDemand

]]> By: Troy Duncan http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/comment-page-1/#comment-671453 Troy Duncan Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:00:09 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2008/04/25/3-reasons-your-visitors-dont-convert-to-leads/#comment-671453 Although a little dated, Stanford's web site credibility project offers some excellent suggestions to build trust and credibility. Although a little dated, Stanford’s web site credibility project offers some excellent suggestions to build trust and credibility.

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