5 Tips to Help You Effectively Use Landing Pages to Generate More Qualified Leads

Landing pages are simple web forms used to gather information from prospects and turning them into leads. Used effectively, they are an incredible lead-generating tool. Used ineffectively, they’re nothing but a nuisance and can actually achieve the opposite.

The following tips will help you leverage landing pages successfully:

Don’t set up a gateway that leads nowhere

A landing page effectively acts as a gateway, asking prospects to enter information in exchange for accessing something of value. But for some reason, many businesses seem to forget that ‘exchange’ bit and expect prospects to simply give out their information. That’s unrealistic. When we give some, we expect to get some. Putting up a landing page without offering an incentive on the other end is like setting up a collection booth next to a wall and expecting people to start lining up.

Don’t build your gateway too narrow

Most people reach your website in the data-gathering stages of their buying process. This means that they’re not ready to make a purchase yet. So if the only landing page you’ve got is under ‘Contact Us’ or ‘Get a Quote’, you’re basically targeting only those visitors who are already seriously contemplating a purchase. But what about the other 90%? What if you were to target them as well by offering tools to aid their research? This could be an opportunity to establish trust and to gradually nurture prospects into viable leads. A much gentler approach, isn’t it?

Here are some ideas for incentives you can offer:

• A free report or a guide
• A free eBook about your industry or space
• A free web event (workshop, lecture, etc)
• A free product trial
• A free downsized version of your product

Keep the incentive proportionate to the price.

We all have an intrinsic barometer to measure value—and nobody likes overpaying. People try to avoid providing personal information because they don’t care to be bothered, and the more potentially intrusive an item of information is, the more leery they’re likely to be. So you must keep your offer proportionate to the information you’re requesting, and enticing enough to win over their reservations. For example, a free report might get you an email address—but a prospect will think twice about forsaking their phone number. A free product trial, on the other hand, might seem more reasonable.

Keep the number of fields to a minimum.

Hand in hand with the nature of information is the number of fields a prospect is requested to fill in before getting on the other side of that form. Each added step is an added opportunity for them to stop and reconsider the whole idea, especially if it’s starting to try their patience. Obviously, content of greater value may warrant more information, but you’d still do better keeping the fields to a minimum. Only ask for information you really need. For instance, if you’re setting up a lending page targeting a very general audience at early stages of research in exchange for a free report, do you really need their age, phone number, etc? Perhaps it would be enough at this point to just get their name and email address, making the form a breeze to fill in, and then use their email address for further lead nurturing.

Don’t forget the importance of courting.

You wouldn’t try to jump into bed on a first date, would you? You’d first take the time to get acquainted, establish trust, and feel comfortable in one another’s company. So you shouldn’t try to make a sale on your first email or phone call either. Ask yourself where the prospect is along the conversion line—what’s their level of trust, knowledge, comfort—and work on the areas that need more attention. If they’re at the research stage, for instance, send them some relevant information or invites via email. Always be there prepared to assist. By providing the nourishment and support needed for their resolution to ripen, you stand a good chance of ultimately being there to pick the fruit of their conviction—and your effort.

Conclusion

‘Ask not what can my prospects do for me, but what can I do for my prospects’

This mantra should be written over the desk of anyone hoping to generate more qualified leads online. The importance of Value cannot be overstated in an environment where establishing yourself as an authority is no less important than closing sales. The value you provide might very well be used by people who never will (or never even intend to) become your clients—but that’s just part of the process, and you shouldn’t let it dissuade you. To the contrary, these users help you too by increasing the buzz around your space and promoting your prominence as a thought leader. So everyone’s a winner!

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