Capture leads more easily with these 7 website optimizations

This guide outlines 7 simple website optimizations that will allow you to capture leads in greater numbers.

Leads are the lifeblood of any small business. Whether you’re running a boutique store, an international ecommerce site, or anything in between, without a steady supply of new customers, you’ll quickly find yourself in dangerous territory if you do not have the ability to capture leads.

A company’s website is often its main point of contact to capture leads. And making just a few small and inexpensive tweaks can result in a significantly higher lead conversion rate. Most of the time, you won’t even need to hire a developer.

7 website optimizations to capture leads

In this guide, we’re going to look at seven simple ways you can capture leads through your site without breaking the bank.

1.  Let customers schedule appointments online

If you work in the services sector, many potential customers will arrive on your site with the intention of booking an appointment. Others will visit to acquire more information but be persuaded by your copy.

Not all customers, however, will want to contact you directly via email or phone. Some will likely also want to book outside normal business hours, when a member of staff isn’t available to talk to them.

That’s why it’s good practice to offer an online booking portal. Scheduling software from providers like vcita, for example, allows customers to choose an appointment slot without any input from you. It’s a win on both sides: your team members save time and your site visitors are happier.

2.  Cut down the length of your forms

Studies show that shorter forms usually lead to higher conversion rates. Visitors to your site shouldn’t have to deal with lengthy, complex forms just to get in touch or join your mailing list.

When putting together forms, only include fields for essential details like names and email addresses. It’s usually a good idea to opt for streamlined, single-column forms and avoid cluttered designs.

Also, consider enabling real-time validation. Correct entries are marked with a green tick whereas incorrect entries are highlighted with a small red cross. This eliminates the frustration felt by users when they have to scroll through entries to find mistakes after a failed submission.

3.  Offer a lead magnet in exchange for email addresses

Mailing lists and email databases are important for a number of reasons. They enable small businesses to promote new products and offers, send out important updates, and conduct market research.

Yet many company owners and managers aren’t actively collecting email addresses. This is a big mistake. A mailing list is a valuable asset and building one should be a priority.

A lead magnet is an incentive that encourages leads to hand over their email address. Examples include eBooks, discount vouchers, entry into prize draws, and more. They don’t cost a lot of money, but they can have a big impact on a company’s lead capture rate.

4.  Start A/B split testing

You’ve probably already heard about “A/B split testing”. Marketers talk about it a lot. But have you ever considered doing it yourself?

People often think that A/B split testing is a complex task that requires specialist expertise. In most cases, however, this is completely false. Running simple split tests is a straightforward process, made possible by easy-to-use and inexpensive software.

A typical site usually has an array of split testing opportunities. These include headlines, colors of CTA buttons, form-types, videos, images, and more. It’s possible to run several split tests at once, so the sky’s the limit when brainstorming alternatives.

5.  Use testimonials, social proof, ratings and reviews

When a typical lead lands on your site, they’ll usually be looking for information. They might already know a little bit about your business, or they might not know anything at all.

In both cases, positive reviews and testimonials will help create a positive impression, prompting leads to get in touch with you or hand over their contact details.

Just remember not to overdo it with testimonials. Most web users have limited attention spans and won’t take the time to make sense of large blocks of text. Pick three or four of your best testimonials, third-party ratings, awards, or well-known clients, and showcase them prominently on your homepage.

6.  Offer multiple contact options

Many small businesses make the mistake of offering only one contact option, such as a phone number, an email address, or a message submission form. This approach will cause some potential leads to fall away unnecessarily because they can’t reach you via their preferred channel.

Offering a phone number as well as an email address is relatively easy. But you should also consider letting leads contact you through live chat. In most cases, adding this functionality to your site is a straightforward process.

Outsourcing customer service to third-party support teams also allows you to collect client details outside of regular working hours and is well worth considering.

7.  Keep your site design clean and simple

You likely want visitors to your site to do one of three things: make a purchase, book an appointment, or pass over their contact details. Anything that distracts them from this preferred action should be cut out. Opt for a minimal design that’s free of unnecessary clutter.

Conclusion

Site optimization is usually straightforward. Fundamentally, it’s about making lots of small changes that will all add up to impact your lead-capture rate significantly.

Don’t overlook site optimization. Taking the time to perfect your site will pay off in a big way. You’ll only wish you had done it sooner.