Remember the good old days when you could advertise in your local Yellow Pages and expect leads to come flying your way? Unfortunately, as my teenaged niece says, “That was so five minutes ago.”
Now when people want to find a local business, they usually turn to Google or another search engine to locate the good or services they’re looking for. In other words, if you don’t have a strong Internet presence, you could be missing out on countless leads.
Use a Quality Lead Provider
While you’re working to build up your business presence online, consider purchasing leads from a quality lead provider. While your sales team is following up with and nurturing these leads, your company can begin working on a website that will capture its own Internet leads.
Web Development is Vital
In order for lead generation to occur, you need a website that is easy to find, entertaining to read, and hassle-free to navigate. If no one in your company has experience building websites, it’s worth hiring someone experienced in web development to guide you. A talented web developer can explain keywords and search engine optimization which makes your site easy for the search engines to find.
To capture Internet leads, you also need an opt-in form on your site. People who are browsing your website use this opt-in form to indicate that they would like you to contact them for more information. Your own opt-in form can capture just as many leads as the opt-in forms of lead producers.
Using Social Media for Lead Generation
Another way to generate Internet leads is to bring your business to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Each of these sites allows you to put a business profile online and send out regular messages to the public with updates about your industry and about your business. It’s considered bad “netiquette” to flood social media sites with advertisements but if you regularly add comments that entertain and inform, you’ll attract a following.
The people who follow your business will feel as if they know you, and if they do come into the market for your goods or services, they will be more likely to buy from you.
Don’t trust the fate of your business to a static add in the Yellow Pages. Put your company out on the Internet, and soon you’ll be generating more leads than you imagined possible.
About Bill Rice