5 Easy Ways To Get More Leads Through Your Website
One of the most basic customer journeys is this:
- Google a service or need.
- Look at the list that pops up.
- Click on the list of websites to discern who is best suited to their need and desirable to work with.
- Reach out to that business.
Another common customer journey is:
- Mention you have a service or need to a trusted friend.
- Get a recommendation directly from that trusted friend.
- Look up that recommendation’s website to confirm that they can do the job and are desirable to work with.
- Reach out to that business.
So, while SEO and building a good reputation for your work are the first steps in getting leads to your business, we’re going to work on the most important part of capturing a lead: building a website that makes it easy to get more interested potential customers reaching out to you.
Getting potential leads to determine that you’re good at what you do and the right fit for them has a lot to do with your website design as well as the photos and copy you use. So, please, please, please take the time to make a great website that speaks to your specific audience! If you need help with this, check out my website templates or reach out to me to create a custom website for you. I make it my job to help you show yourself and your business in the best possible and most authentic way!
Now that you have a gorgeous website, we need to dig into the nitty gritty of how to make it as easy as possible for those highly interested potential clients to reach out to you. Here are 5 easy ways to get more leads through your website.
1. For heaven’s sake make your contact form simple.
I love data. I think all business owners do. And, man, is it tempting to have a 20 question contact form where the person reaching out can tell you how they found you, exactly what they want from you, what they want to spend, when they want everything by, and basically give you a road map to propose exactly the right sale to them. But, y’all, if you have that massive questionnaire as a contact form, I guarantee you you’re missing out on leads.
We live in an age of heightened internet security and small attention spans, both of which are deterrents for filling out a massive contact form. You are missing clients if you’re requiring them to fill out a ton of questions. Period.
Here is what you must require: name and email address. Maybe a phone number if you prefer to qualify leads by giving them a test. Any other required fields on a contact form is going to create barriers for your potential customers. If you want to add a couple extra questions, you’re welcome to. But try to limit it to no more than 5 fields beyond the required ones.
Caveat: If your business is booming, and you’re trying to weed out people who don’t fit your ideal client base (usually because of budget or project scope), then adding required fields is a great way to limit your leads to only those who fit what you’re looking for. But that is the only time I’d recommend a small creative business adding more required fields.
2. Put your freaking email address on your website.
I had a retainer client for a long time tell me that he “didn’t do emails.” As he, and all business owners learn, that’s not really an option. You can and should have boundaries about when you work as an entrepreneur, but in no way can you “not do emails.” How else will you book any clients or make any sales?
All that to say, please put your email address on your website. Trying to funnel everyone through your contact form is a nice idea, but it could lead to your missing an opportunity. For instance, when media outlets want to feature your work, they will check out your site and look for a direct way to contact you. If it’s not there or not easily found, they will move on to the next business to feature. Or, a client may feel like the scope of their project is close but not a perfect match to your current work and want to set up a conversation. They don’t want to fill out a form not really suited to their needs. So put your freaking email on your website.
I recommend your email address going on your contact page and your website footer. Be reachable. Be available for opportunities.
3. Offer a free consultation.
Offering a free consultation is a great way to give really interested potential clients a method of skipping the email step and getting right to the point. It’s also the best way for you to make a sale. You have an invested audience and you can walk them through what you offer. Ideal!
While Calendly and other third party apps used to be the only way of doing this, you can now use your professional Google account to do this! Your web designer can connect your calendar to the backend of your website, allowing potential clients to set their own appointments.
I do recommend only offering this at limited times during your week, otherwise you’ll be interrupting your workflow constantly. Also, mention up front that it’s a brief consultation, and set it so that they can only have an appointment that lasts between 15-30 minutes. That way you can protect your time while still giving them your focus and attention.
4. Offer a lead magnet to get email addresses.
Lead magnets take a little bit of upfront work on your part, but in the long run they can really grow your leads. If you offer a lead magnet (or freebie) that is uniquely interesting to your specific audience, you’re going to get a list of email addresses for potential leads.
Once you’ve got those email addresses, you have a captive, interested audience to sell directly to. You can’t just let those email leads sit there doing nothing though! You need to start showing your value to them. Think of these leads as a long sale, people who need a lot of touch points with you to build trust. But the good news is you can sell to all those people at once.
Start off with a nurture sequence for your email list. Meaning that as soon as someone subscribes it sets up an automated workflow. This will start with the email that delivers them the promised lead magnet. Then, send an email every couple of days (no more than 5 total though) that builds on that initial interest and explains how what you offer can help them achieve that. This will help keep your business in their mind.
In addition to the nurture sequence, they’ll also start getting your weekly or monthly newsletters. Overtime, you’ll hopefully become a trusted resource for them, and when they’re ready to purchase will be ready to work with you.
5. Be sure to have an FAQ page.
Truthfully, an FAQ page is an indirect route to getting more leads. Adding your email address and simplifying your contact form are direct, clear ways to get your clients to come to you. But an FAQ page helps a specific group of potential clients, the reluctant ones.
We’ve all been a reluctant potential client before. You know you need something, but you’re hesitant. Maybe it’s the cost or you can’t determine the right provider or you don’t know if what someone is offering is the best thing for you. Whatever the hesitation is, it creates a barrier between you and reaching out to a business.
Enter the FAQ page or section. Here you as a business can help make it easier for a reluctant customer to reach out to you. By addressing the most likely reasons someone *wouldn’t pick you, you can help them choose to pick you. It’s a really thinker of a section, and one that I would recommend you put real thought into.
I recommend addressing price: Why are you priced this way? Do you offer payment plans? Also, outright address the problem you solve so that reluctant customers can remember that they also have that problem and you can fix it. And if you’ve been in business for a while and get recurring questions in your initial consultations, this is a great place to put those along with your answers. By facing head on why people may walk away can actually help people determine to work with you.
I firmly believe that your website should be a little workhorse for your business. It needs to be converting clients constantly, even while you sleep or get your nails done or go watch your kid’s game. That’s why I put so much effort into website design and strategies. I want your business to grow with website leads.
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Quietly doing good work in my own little corner of the internet.
Having been a visual artist for over 10 years, I know that every part of a brand (even the parts that are often unseen) deserve to be expressed with honesty and beauty. I am happiest standing behind the scenes, creating every design and detail for focused and intentional business owners. I created EP Design to stand beside visionaries and thought leaders who are fueled by joy.
