How to Create a Conversion Path for Incoming Leads
71% of B2B marketers use content marketing to generate leads. (Forbes)
The first step that most of us take in elevating our web presence is to increase traffic to our website. This is usually done by optimizing our websites for SEO and/or launching a paid media campaign. However, if you really want to move the needle for your business, traffic alone won’t do the trick.
Your visitors need a clear and easy path toward the next stage in your funnel. This means that your website needs to be designed in a way that is frictionless and user-friendly. It also needs to be full of valuable content that will keep your visitors on site longer.
In order to turn your website into a lead-generating machine, you need to think about how you will convert your site visitors into qualified marketing and sales leads. Us marketers refer to this process as “creating a conversion path” and this post will explain how you can create one for yourself. It’s not as complicated as it sounds!
What is a Conversion Path?
First, let’s get on the same page as to what we mean by “conversion path.” A conversion path is the process in which a person goes from landing on your website to submitting their contact information and becoming a qualified lead.
77% of buyers will provide their basic contact information for high value content, but a strategic landing page will get your content in front of them earlier. (Marketo)
No, most visitors will not find your “Contact Us” page and give you loads of personal information in exchange for a free quote. You need to make it as easy and attractive as possible for them to convert. In fact, you want to make it near impossible for them not to convert. Let’s explore how to do this.
Creating a Conversion Path
There are many different ways to get visitors to convert and the method that works best will vary from business to business.
Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution so you’ll have to learn by trial and error what works best for you. However, there are some initial steps that you can take right now to greatly improve conversion rates and get more traction from your digital efforts and conversion path marketing:
1. Create a High-Quality Premium Content Offer
A premium content offer is something that is more in-depth and has more value than a blog post. It can be an ebook, whitepaper, video, infographic – whatever format you deem is appropriate. The content itself should address a specific but broadly appealing pain point that speaks to the majority of your visitors.
For example, if you are a digital marketing agency, you could create a piece of content around “How to Conduct a Website Audit and Spot Your Weaknesses.” This is most likely a topic that many people who visit your site would be eager to know more about.
2. Gate Your Content Offer Behind a Form
Once you have created your premium content offer, you’ll want to put it behind a form so that people need to give you something in return.
This will involve creating a separate landing page or implementing a pop up form if you have the capability. Just make sure you aren’t asking for too much information.
PRO TIP: I would suggest sticking to first name, last name, and email for the time being. You can ask for more detailed information as they move down the funnel and trust is built.
3. Create Graphical Calls to Action
A call to action or CTA is a graphical strip that links visitors back to the content offer you created. Blog posts are a great channels to display relevant content offers. You can place it on webpages, blog posts, emails, and anywhere else that is appropriate.
CTAs need to be eye-catching and have a minimal copy that describes what the offer is and why visitors should want it. When they click on the CTA, they will be either be directed to the landing page or a pop-up form will appear to collect their information.
4. Create a “Thank You” Email
After your visitor submits their contact information, you need to deliver what you promised. Create an email that thanks visitors for their interest and delivers the content they requested. This email should be triggered to go out automatically once the form submission has been received.
Putting it All Together
Once you have all these different pieces together, it is time to create the conversion path. Put your CTA somewhere highly visible (such as your homepage) and any other web pages where the content might be relevant. Purchasing landing pages inside the HubSpot Marketplace can save your company time and money on landing pages and email templates.
The idea is that once somebody is finished reading your webpage, they will see the CTA and want to click on it in order to learn more. Then they will be prompted to enter their contact information and voila! You now have a brand new lead in your CRM that has expressed interest in your company.
Sound complicated? It’s not, really. There are just some details that need to be ironed out. If it helps to visualize, think about it like this:
Visitor lands on webpage -> Visitor clicks on CTA -> Visitor is brought to a landing page or pop-up form and submits their contact information -> Visitor receives email that delivers the requested content -> New contact is entered into your CRM.
This is how a basic, functioning conversion path will look. Just don’t overthink it, keep it simple, and watch your contact list grow!
Your Work Isn’t Done Yet!
Just because you have a functioning conversion path on your website doesn’t mean you are done. Like most marketing tactics, you will need to tweak, refine, and perfect your approach over time. In fact, you’ll want to create multiple conversion paths for different buyer personas at different stages of their journey. But to do this, you’ll need to spend lots of time collecting and analyzing data to know what works and what doesn’t.
You don’t need to do this all by yourself, either. There are lots of growth marketing agencies that specialize in lead generation and conversion strategies. So if you want some help expanding your digital presence and turning your website into a lead generator, contact a top growth marketing agency today.