A company’s website is one of its most important marketing assets, so it’s important to spend the time planning, designing, developing the site so it generates user engagement and leads.
Key components of an effective webpage that engages visitors and converts them into leads can be summarized by the acronym: BASIC.
Benefits—Instead of leading with features of your product or service, focusing on the unique benefits such as how your prospect will benefit from using your company, product or service.
Advantage— What is your competitive advantage? What can you offer that your competitors can’t? Why should a prospect choose your product/service rather than a competitor? The answer to this question is the foundation of your brand positioning.
Social Proof— Social proof refers to the influence, actions, and attitudes that others have on our own behavior. If we see that others have had a good experience with a product or service, we’re more inclined to buy. Social proof plays off “the wisdom of the crowd” mentality. A company can use social proof to say “Don’t take our word for it, just ask our customers.” Examples of social proof to consider using include:
- Customer testimonials
- Case studies
- Videos of customers using your product or service
- Industry expert or influencer endorsements
- Product ratings and reviews
- Certifications from authoritative industry groups
Imagery— The quality of your images can make or break your website design, so make sure you’re using high quality, professional photos, illustrations, CAD images, and video that showcase the features and benefits your prospects care about. At the same time, too many high resolution images can reduce your site’s performance and load time. Best-in-class webpages should load within three seconds. Any slower, and visitors may abandon your site, reducing your chances of converting them into leads.
Call to Action (CTA)—After you’ve attracted a visitor and impressed them with your professional design and brand positioning, make it easy for them to take the next step. Use landing pages and offers to capture leads. Some of our clients’ most effective CTAs include:
- troubleshooting guides
- request for free assessment
- market study summaries
- design guides
- request for a product demo
- schedule a visit
Case Study: Michigan Air Solutions
After reviewing Michigan Air’s analytics we discovered they were receiving only 1-2 website leads per month from their website.
The Challenge:
• Out-dated, non-mobile website
• No brand positioning and no differentiation from competitors
• Only 1-2 leads per month
• Lacking compelling content to keep users on the site
• No cohesive digital marketing strategy
The Solution: A Customized Lead Generation Strategy
Develop Personas: We created three main personas which included information about their needs, issues, goals, demographics and phrases used in search engines.
Strengthen Brand Positioning: Positioning is what comes to mind when a prospect thinks of a company and includes bene fits and points of differentiation. We asked why a prospect should choose Michigan Air Solutions over a competitor. This resulted in several strong positioning statements that were used as headlines in their marketing materials.
Redesign Website: We helped Michigan Air stand out from the crowd and build trust with a well designed site that is mobile-friendly, easy to navigate, and clearly states key messages (including brand positioning). We also added an online store for parts and used equipment, creating another revenue stream.
Content Development: We created blog articles, landing pages and offers that addressed users’ issues and needs. Blog articles are also instrumental in helping Michigan Air rise in the search rankings.
Search Marketing Strategy: We identified which keywords the personas are using and created corresponding blog articles, content and landing pages. Those pages were then optimized for the search engines so they will rank higher in the search results. We also created pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns to supplement organic search efforts resulting in a dramatic increase in traffic. We then fine-tuned the ad campaigns to keep costs down and engagement up.
Email Marketing: Instead of blasting out a monthly newsletter, we recommended segmenting the email database and sending content that is more targeted—resulting in higher open rates and website visits.
Social Media: We implemented a LinkedIn strategy that raised awareness and helped the sales team connect with more prospective customers.
The Results
• Website traffic increased over 300%
• Average time on site increased by nearly 90%
• Higher search rankings for target keywords
• Leads increased from 1-2 per month to 40-50 per month
If you would like better results from your website, schedule a complimentary 30-minute call with us. During the call, we will discuss your needs, review your target audience and website. Then provide you with an honest assessment along with some recommendations that you can implement immediately.
