How to Build a Lead Generation Website That Converts

How to Build a Lead Generation Website That Converts

Let’s get straight to the point: Every business now has an attractive website with a carefully crafted landing page. Nearly every brand is generating hundreds of leads in no time. However, most are struggling with low conversion rates after lead generation.

That’s why your success will depend on making creative decisions that can make your lead-generating efforts different from the rest.

Your website is going to be one of, if not the most important, aspect of turning leads into sales. Even if you are spending hundreds of thousands on ads, customers need a place where they can effectively connect with your business.

In this guide, we will discuss creating a lead generation website that converts in a few simple steps. By the end, you will clearly know how to stand out from others and turn those leads into profit. 

Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?

What is a Lead Generation Website

A lead generation website is designed specifically to collect information from potential customers, also known as leads. The information collected can include details such as:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Phone number

Typically, website owners dedicate a single page called a “landing page” for lead generation. However, it’s also possible to design your entire website with the primary goal of generating leads.

The whole purpose of a lead-generating website is to turn visitors into paying customers. Such websites achieve this goal by applying various strategies, including: 

  • Using creative forms
  • SEO optimization
  • Creating effective content
  • Including unforgettable call-to-actions (CTAs)

Seems confusing? Let us simplify –

Use Case

Imagine you run an online marketing agency specializing in SEO services. Your goal is to attract business owners who need help improving their website’s search engine rankings. To achieve this, you create a lead-generation website that offers valuable resources, such as free SEO audits, whitepapers, and webinars. Visitors are prompted to provide their contact information in exchange for access to these resources.

Real-World Example: Outgrow

Outgrow, a platform that allows marketers to create interactive content effectively, uses lead-generation strategies on its website. Outgrow’s landing pages offer interactive quizzes, calculators, assessments, and surveys that require users to fill out a form with their name, email address, and company details.

Results and Benefits:

Let us look at the impressive results –

1. Increased Lead Acquisition: 

Outgrow’s interactive content helps them acquire a substantial number of leads daily. By engaging visitors with customized tools, they capture valuable contact information.

2. Enhanced Customer Engagement

Outgrow keeps potential customers engaged by providing interactive and personalized experiences. This engagement helps establish Outgrow as a leader in the interactive content space.

3. Data-Driven Marketing: 

The information collected through interactive content allows Outgrow to segment its audience and tailor marketing efforts based on specific interests and behaviors, resulting in higher conversion rates.

4. Revenue Growth: 

The effective use of lead generation pages contributes to significant revenue growth for Outgrow, as many leads convert into paying customers over time.

Now that we know the results, let’s get down to the best practices tips!

5 Tips to Build Lead Generation Websites with High Conversion Rates

Here are four tips that can be applied to any industry for creating a stellar landing page: 

1. Website Loading Time Matters

A study by Portent claims that a site that loads in 1 second has a conversion rate 3x higher than a site that loads in 5 seconds and 5x higher than a site that loads in 10 seconds. That statistic alone should be enough to understand how important your website’s load time is for conversions.

Former Developer Programs Tech Lead at Google, Maile Ohye, said “Two seconds is the threshold for eCommerce website acceptability. At Google, we aim for under a half-second.”

While the industry standard for website loading time is 5 seconds, aim to get your load time below 2-3 seconds. Talk to your web developer about reducing third-party scripts, minifying CSS, HTML, and JavaScript, and fixing 404 errors. Additionally, consider white label services to ensure that your website not only loads quickly but also delivers an optimized user experience, driving better engagement and conversions.

Aside from those, here are some of the best ways to improve your website’s load time:

a) Size of Graphic Elements

Images and videos can significantly increase a website’s load time if not used properly. The more images a page has, the higher its load time is going to be.

As a result, try to use as few images as graphic elements as you can while ensuring that the image’s file size is not larger than what the display can show. Use .webp format for your images instead of .jpeg or .png to get the best result.

Another method of reducing the size of your images is through compressor tools. Here are some free and paid options you can use: 

b) Good Web Hosting

Sometimes, even if you are not using too many CSS elements on your website, it can still suffer from poor loading speed. It’s mostly the fault of your web hosting.

If you’re using an inexpensive package from a third-party hosting provider, likely, your website is not going to be the most optimized. 

It’s always better to have a decent budget for hosting and going for high-quality hosting solutions offering highly optimized speed. 

c) High Caching

Caching is a process when your website stores copies of itself in a cache to load itself faster. With caching, the server uses fewer resources to load a page. 

You can use caching plugins like W3 Total Cache or WP Rocket to enable caching on your website if it’s not already done at the server level. 

d) Mobile Optimization

Over 60% of website traffic is coming from mobile devices, and that should tell you all you need to know about why your website needs to be highly optimized for mobile. While your lead-generating site with a lot of coding and design elements may load up quickly on a desktop, it may not be the same for mobile devices unless you optimize it.

If a website loads slowly on mobile devices, it will also affect the SEO, resulting in a negative user experience. Fortunately, it has become much easier to make your website highly mobile responsive compared to the past, and you can easily catch a large portion of internet users who are willing to make a purchase. 

2. Create a Stellar Landing Page

Before we dive into this topic, let’s analyze two examples from Google’s depths. More specifically, we will talk about two painting services’ websites based in Atlanta. 

Example #1: HighLevelLLC.com

From a simple glance, you can already tell that this website needs a lot of work. From poor font choices to a messy background and the lack of a clear CTA button – this is an example of what not to do when creating a landing page.

High level construction homepage

Example #2: GAPaintingCompany.com

Example #2 looks much better, with a clean background image, better fonts, and a clear CTA button in the middle. This is how most businesses are trying to present themselves, and you can do even better!

Paint homepage

While landing pages are the least popular in terms of signup forms compared to pop-ups, they are the most successful and have the highest conversion rate. As a result, your website should have an eye-catching homepage that can prevent leads from slipping away. 

Here are the best practices for a quality landing page:

a) Eye-Catching Visuals

Landing pages have a bounce rate of 70-90%, and it’s essential to have exceptional visual elements to keep that number low. 

Here’s an example of using a high-definition picture on the homepage, that showcases the people working for the moving company. Having personalized visuals like these is much better than using random stock photos.

OZ moving and storage homepage

What’s better than a stunning picture on your landing page? A video!

HubSpot conversion rate impact

Image Source: HubSpot

According to HubSpots statistics on landing pages, having videos on your landing page will get you the highest conversion rate, followed by imagery or graphics. 

And it makes sense! Having your own video on the landing page or homepage can give the visitors a much better idea about what you do and who you are than thousands of words. It also increases your authority and professionalism in the eyes of the viewers. 

b) Excellent Copywriting

Even though visual elements should be a priority when building a website, conversion also depends on the written elements.

Good copywriting is capable of capturing viewers’ attention and persuading them to make a decision. Think about it – people are coming to your landing page with an intent. And through persuasive writing, you can target their pain points and close the deal without doing too much. Consider looking up ecommerce landing page examples if you want to learn how to create compelling calls to action and persuasive copy that drives conversions.

Let’s look at an example of a window cleaning company:

c) Good Copywriting:
Just Windows Homepage
Just Windows

Example: Just Windows

Why It’s Good:
  • The headline provides clear and simple information about the company – mentioning they work on both residential and commercial buildings in a short sentence.
  • The first page contains a clear call to action. 
  • The second page provides more information on the company, followed by their services. 
d) Bad Copywriting:
CCS homepage

Example: CCS Cleaning Service

Why It’s Bad:
  • Way too generic of a headline.
  • The subh–eading goes into the details of their services like a blog instead of keeping it short.
  • No clear call to action.

Get yourself a copywriter who can implement cunning and innovative methods of catching the eyes of   your leads and getting them to click your CTA button.

3. Include Interactive Content

Most parts of a website are usually static, where the visitor cannot interact with the elements. 

Interactive contemknt is a content type that readers can actively engage with, from taking part in quizzes and surveys to using a tool or talking with a chatbot. 

So, what is the connection between using interactive content and getting more conversions? Well, let’s look at the stats:

  • 81% of marketers think that interactive content attracts user attention more efficiently than static content. (Go-Globe)
  • 96% of users who start BuzzFeed quizzes finish them. (Digiday)
  • Interactive content gets 52.6% more engagement than static content. (Mediafly)

With the importance of this topic out of the way, here are some examples of interactive content you can have on your website to drive conversion:

1. Quizzes

Quizzes are one of the most fun and easiest types of interactive content you can have. Outgrow, Buzzfeed, Thinkific, and Kahoot are some examples of tools you can use to have quizzes on your website. 

Buzzfeed homepage

Image: Buzzfeed

If you are mostly familiar with quizzes in blog websites like Buzzfeed or the screenshot above, you may be wondering how quizzes can be implemented on a business website.

Well, here’s a scenario:

Let’s say you have a digital marketing website that provides services like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Media Management (SMM). You could have a quiz titled, “Take this short quiz to find out how we can help you.”

The quiz could include simple questions with multiple answers to choose from, and it will let you know more about what the client wants while also engaging the user with an interesting questionnaire. 

2. Chatbots

AI chatbots are very common nowadays, and almost every website uses them to prevent leads from falling away. By providing human-like responses, chatbots help with customer service, giving people round-the-clock assistance. 

Sephora Homepage

Image: Sephora Chatbot

There are two reasons why chatbots are so great with conversion: 

1. Keeping visitors engaged and lowering the bounce rate

2. Qualifying the level of interest of visitors through their questions

Determining the level of interest of a lead is super helpful. It’s an easy first step to qualify the lead and decide if it’s worth nurturing the prospect further. 

Having a chatbot on your website is fairly easy in this day and age with so many third-party services available. You don’t need to hire a developer to get your own chatbot set up, even though it’s a sound strategy for large companies. 

According to Forbes, here are some of the best chatbots that you can use:

3. Tools

Sometimes, free interactive tools can be an excellent conversion tactic. For example, check out websites like NeilPatel.com for the tool embedded on their homepage.

Neilpatel.com homepage

Image: NeilPatel.com

Any interactive tool that can help your visitors can generate leads effectively and drive conversions. From ROI calculator tools to SEO metric tools, interactive tools can make you stand out from the crowd. 

However, compared to having simple quizzes or chatbots, having your own tool is going to be much more challenging. You will have to come up with an idea for a tool and then hire a web designer who can bring that idea to fruition.

4. Don’t Forget about Trust Signals

It’s evident that credibility will always drive conversion. If you can earn the trust of your leads, they will prefer you over others who do not have enough trust signals. 

For example, let’s look at Rankpa.com, a link-building agency that shows the logos of the websites it was featured on, including big names like Search Engine Land and Search Engine Journal. 

rankpa homepage

Image: Rankpa.com

Associating yourself with well-known, trusted brands like this increases your credibility. If trusted sources have featured your website, it’s definitely for a reason. 

This is not the only way of showing your credibility. Trust signals can include many different types of content, from customer testimonials to case studies. However, you should avoid using fake reviews as they are almost always detectable. 

Let’s look at some examples of trust signals that you can incorporate into your website: 

Social Proof

Social proof such as customer reviews are good trust signals when applied properly. When attaching customer reviews, videos are the best method. 

If you don’t have videos, make sure you link to the actual reviews when attaching them to your website. Otherwise, it’s easy to figure out which reviews are not real. 

Trust by Association

Like the example provided earlier, when you associate your company with well-known brands, you instantly gain more credibility in the eyes of your visitors. 

Testimonials

Testimonials from clients also work to get more conversions, especially when you include videos of happy customers. The more well-known the client, the better the testimonial is. 

As a result, if you have worked with a well-known brand, company, or individual, make sure to get their testimonial, preferably in a video form, to have on your site. 

Awards

Awards are also a good trust signal element showing your past achievements and your potential. 

5. Nurture Leads

Making an excellent lead-catching website might land you a lot of customers, but not all of them are going to make a purchase from you. This is where the process of lead nurturing comes in.

Lead nurturing is the process of maintaining relationships with leads with the goal of converting them into paying customers. Not only is this beneficial to increase your conversion rates, but also you can get more out of your existing customers. Nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases compared to non-nurtured leads. 

Let’s look at some of the best ways you can go about lead nurturing:

Customer-Specific Email Marketing

Instead of sending out the same cookie-cutter email to all of your leads, separate them into a few specific groups. You can do this by their age, gender, interest, or anything that can be relevant to your products. Such a targeted marketing campaign will lead to more open emails and conversions compared to mass spamming everyone. 

Leveraging Social Media

Social media is great for lead nurturing as most people get a quick and easy way to contact you directly. Regular posts allow you to grow your social media presence and also get way more leads. 

Following Up With Leads

Again, instead of a mass automated email, sending a specified mail or giving a follow up call after some time is one of the best ways to connect to your customers and nurture your leads. Remember, the follow up needs to be at a specific time that you previously mentioned, as most people are not that big of a fan of cold calling.

Speed Is the Key

Vertigo Media claims that responding to customer queries in less than 5 minutes increases lead conversion by nine times. There can be many reasons, such as:

  • The people provide positive reviews (customer service is an important point that reviewers often mention).
  • Your satisfied customers recommend your business to others.
  • It encourages customers to return in the future.

Creative CTA Examples

Call to Action has one job- encouraging the audience to the landing page. However, generic CTAs like ‘subscribe now’ perform very poorly. Many sites worldwide have been using their own unique CTAs that may make you go wow, just by looking at them. Here are some examples-

1. Evernote

Evernote homepage

Evernote used two vital points on their CTA to appeal to the audience. Firstly, they used a bright green button on a light background, making it more noticeable. Secondly, they added ‘for free’ in the end, which can get more attention from people who don’t want to pay for the service.

2. Canva

Canva Homepage

When you enter the homepage of Canva, your eyes are already pleased with the vivid templates to try. It makes you want to design things, too. The site knows that and used it in their CTA- Start Designing. It’s like they are reading your mind and putting it in words.

3. Huemor

Huemor homepage

Huemor is a site that provides services related to web design. Not only does their homepage feel like a work of art, but the CTA here is pretty creative. ‘Get a Free Website Analysis’ features the keyword, free. Meanwhile, the statistics above are already a convincing factor. Adding in ‘website analysis’ afterward speaks to the mind of the visitor who is probably considering taking the service to beautify their own site.

4. OptinMonster

Optin Monster Homepage

OptinMonster is a lead generation service. Notice how OptinMonster added an underline here on the ‘never return’ part? That will already give the audience the importance of taking their service, or they will lose many visitors from their site that won’t return ever. Moreover, the second part has a more motivational feel. Finally, when you are about to join in, you notice the button- ‘I have a few questions first.’

Here, many use the ‘no, thanks’ on the no-call. However, they used this chance to lead the audience to the contact page, where visitors can ask questions. It’s effective because both buttons here have the potential to convert leads- directly and indirectly.

The Slow but Steady Usefulness of A/B Testing

A/B testing is a standard lead generation strategy where the authorities create two versions of the same landing page. They look almost the same. However, there will be one or two small changes in one version.

Afterward, the authority will set it so that 50% of the leads will see the original landing page version. Meanwhile, the other 50% will find the version with the small change.

The authorities will then monitor the performance of each landing page. They will track which half of the leads are converting more. Once they collect enough data, they may make further changes.

Website owners use A/B testing techniques because it doesn’t require excessive planning. A simple program that makes it a 50-50 probability for the leads to find one of the landing page versions suffice.

For example, each version may include a different Call to Action. One of them may have an additional bar to fill out when registering.

Another example is the placement of things on the page. One version may have the trust signals at the very bottom, while the other may have them on the side.

Once the testing ends, the owners may make a final landing page, taking each version’s most successful or interactive element. This final version should attract or convert all types of leads.

A/B testing program

The issue with A/B testing is that it is very slow. Testing each element requires considerable time, so the authorities must have patience to perform it. Moreover, they must also focus on other strategies while at it.

The Role of Content Marketing in Lead Generation

Publishing valuable content that proves useful and informative for the audiences is a surefire way to attract more drive leads to specific actions. It allows the site to convince the readers in a certain direction or display the expertise of the business owners, which builds trust.

Moreover, one can include CTAs in content, making it even more effective. Usually, many lead generation websites include a direct link to the landing page somewhere in the content pages.

One useful part of content marketing is that it not only attracts new audiences but also retains the existing ones. Satisfied visitors may share the site’s content with others. A review-type or buying guide blog can also help them find the best items or know what to look for when purchasing an item.

Quality content can also boost a site’s SEO, driving more traffic. However, there are some factors to remember here-

  • Your content must be relevant to your business. The visitors won’t be interested in irrelevant blog posts.
  • The content should be valuable and provide the audience with something useful.
  • The site owner must focus on the quality of the content rather than quantity. Otherwise, the search engines may flag them as spam, dealing adverse effects to the site’s SEO.

Effective content marketing programs can also increase content-driven revenue. It is when the site uses the content as a profit center.

Remember that content marketing requires resources and money to create the content. It also requires regular publishing and updating of the content. Moreover, the topic of the content must adhere to the audience’s wants and needs. It should answer their queries. Getting to know your audience through comments and forum posts helps significantly in this case.

Lead Generation Strategies: Comparison Table

The following table compares different lead generation strategies that were proven to work for various major websites:

StrategyShort DefinitionProsCons
A/B TestingThe creation of two landing pages and checking which one works better.
Usually, both pages are almost identical, except for some small differences.
One can check any small to big changes and their effects on the lead conversion of a website.Testing each change is time-consuming. The site owner can perform other, more effective tasks quicker within that time.
It allows the site owner to make changes or test new details on the landing page without making excessive plans.The result of this strategy can be slower than others.
PersonalizationThe brand collects user data to predict the leads’ actions.
Afterward, it uses this information to recommend specific products or services to particular people.
Personalization lets the website know which leads are more intent on making purchases by data collection.The data collection and personalized recommendation require specific technology, resources, and cost.
It works better than non-personalized websites in generating customer interest towards the products.It often discourages leads from exploring newer products or content and only sticks to the recommended ones.
Content MarketingPublishing blog posts, statistics, survey data, or infographics.Helpful blog posts or infographics can provide high value to the traffic, leading them to return to the site to access new information or find answers to their queries.Prioritizing quantity of content over quality can negatively harm a site’s SEO, affecting its lead generation negatively.
It helps the brand show off its expertise and increase the customer’s trust.The website requires extra sections and an easy navigation system for different categories of blogs within the niche.
It helps boost the site’s SEO, generating more leads.It requires constant publishing and updating to keep the audience engaged.
Lead Magnet StrategyA method where the website offers the audience something in exchange for information. It can be a free trial, discount, tutorial, or the last half of an interesting article they were reading.Lead magnet is an excellent method for making potential customers more interested in certain content or products.Asking for too much information or having the audience go through lengthy surveys may disinterest the leads.
It also lets websites collect user data without appearing too persuasive.Breaking GDPR and data privacy policies can have adverse consequences.
If done right, and the leads subscribe to the website, the site can later send follow-ups regarding their new service or discounts.Giving away too many discounts or long free trials can be an issue for the site’s business.

How to Ensure the Security of Collected Lead Data

The website should assure the audience that the data is only collected to improve user experience, personalization, etc. The site admin can describe it in the terms and conditions section.  In order to ensure the data’s safety, you need also to follow these steps-

  • Keep the data under security measures such as encryption or 2FA so no unwanted party can access it. Also, make sure to change the passwords routinely.
  • Do not share the data with anyone outside the business.
  • Ensure the lawful and ethical usage of the data. Following the GDPR properly is enough.
  • Make sure to delete the data if the customer deletes their account.
  • Gathering only information necessary for lead generation and user experience improvement.

How to Measure Lead Generation Success

Tracking the success of your lead-generating website is your next step after you finish setting up the website. Proper monitoring allows you to fix anything that’s not working properly or improve a specific strategy. 

Here are the metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) to keep an eye on to measure your lead generation success:

1. Conversion Rate

Conversion rate is a simple metric that translates to the percentage of leads that convert into paying customers. While simple, this metric can tell a lot about your success.

Conversion rate = number of leads generated / total number of visitors

A lower conversion rate means that you will have to rethink your strategies. While a healthy conversion rate signals that your current plan is in full effect. What counts as a healthy conversion rate?

According to research by Invesp, only 20% of your leads turn into customers. Another statistic by HubSpot says that big organizations generate around 1,877 leads per month on average.

So, let’s do the math. If you get 1,877 leads monthly and 20% of them convert, then your monthly conversion count should be at least 375. Note that even this is possible if you have a solid funnel.

Now, that is true for big companies with a large team. For most businesses, having a lead conversion rate above 5% is great enough. The average rate ranges from 2%-5%.

2. Total Lead Value

Total lead value helps you figure out how much your leads are worth. 

Total lead value = total sales value / total leads

This metric can help you predict sales, allowing you to plan for the future more effectively. 

3. Customer Acquisition Cost

Want to know how much you have spent to get a new customer in your lead-generating efforts? Then, you need to figure out your customer acquisition cost (CAC).

Customer acquisition cost = total marketing spend/number of new customers

You want to keep this number low, as a low CAC means that you are not spending too much to hurt your profits. 

4. Customer Lifetime Value

Customer lifetime value (CLV or CLTV) is the total revenue you can expect to earn from a customer during their relationship with your business.

Customer lifetime value = lifetime value x profit margin 

Lifetime value = average value of sales x number of transactions x retention time 

This metric will let you know who your best customers are. Therefore, you can plan your ad campaigns more specifically. 

Case Study – Hubspot’s Make My Persona

Hubspot's make my persona

Image: Make My Persona by Hubspot

In our guide, we emphasized the importance of interactive content, and this example by Hubspot easily puts that into perspective.

Make My Persona” by Hubspot is a quiz that allows you to identify the ideal customer persona of your business.

After creating your persona, you can download it for free. All you have to do is provide your information on a page like this at the end of the quiz. 

Make My Persona

Image: Hubspot

As you can see, this form collects potential leads’ names, phone numbers and email addresses alongside information about their workplace. 

What makes this quiz such an excellent strategy is that Hubspot provides CRM products, and almost all people partaking in this quiz currently have or will have customers to manage. Their strategy with this quiz precisely targets leads that are highly likely to convert.

Emerging Trends for a Lead Generation Website

Due to the presence of many of the latest technologies online, new lead-generation methods are emerging. Website owners can also use various new tools to help them in different sections of existing methods.

1. Voice Search Optimization

Like search engine optimization, voice search optimization is also becoming more important daily. The concept is to make your website suitable for voice assistants to select or read aloud your website when someone does a voice search.

As more people lean towards using virtual assistants, such as Siri or Alexa, voice search optimization is also gaining popularity. If your site is good in this sector, you can expect more leads, which in turn can potentially convert.

2. Generative Engine Optimization

Generative engine optimization refers to search engines or other platforms using artificial intelligence to gather information from various sources and display it coherently to answer users’ questions.

It is also possible to make your content suitable for Generative AIs. They often focus on informative sentences. The user can then check the sources and enter them directly. Thus, the sites can get more leads.

3. AI-Powered Personalization

New artificial intelligences are regularly created online for various purposes. One such usage is to establish a personalization method for lead generation and increasing conversion rate.

When a user enters the website, the artificial intelligence in charge of personalization tracks their activities. Then, it suggests products, content, or services based on their activities, previous purchases, comments, or information that the user has provided.

For example, if a user reads content related to beginner’s guides to SEO, the AI will show other similar guides and webinars at the start. However, after a while, it will predict that the user has already learned enough and will automatically move to more intermediate-level content for its suggestions.

AI-powered personalization works better than normal personalization methods.

Final Note

In the present day, where most websites follow a basic quality rule, the best way to secure high conversion rates is through uniqueness. You need to set yourself apart from the rest of the crowd to be noticed.

That’s why using interactive content, as mentioned in this guide, is an excellent strategy to be the odd one out (in a good way).

Also, a good news for you all – Outgrow offers a free 7-day trial without the need of adding your credit info!

What else do you need? Start creating and converting now!

Author bio:

With a knack for research and journalism, Shariful Hoque began his writing journey in 2019. Over the years, he discovered a passion for marketing and SEO, collaborating with numerous businesses to deliver journalistic integrity and insightful perspectives.

FAQs

Currently, there are three lead generation types that people consider to be the standards. They are-

  • Market qualified leads (MQLs)
  • Product qualified leads (PQLs)
  • Sales qualified leads (SQLs)

A successful lead generation and conversion process should involve the following steps in order-

  • Awareness about your site and service’s presence
  • Generating interest
  • Assessment of the leads
  • Engagement
  • Sales and purchase

Once the lead converts to customers, the company provides them with retention, customer support, upselling, onboarding, etc., services. It is also important to encourage them to make future purchases.

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