Conversion Rules: How to Generate Leads with B2B Sites

Qualified leads are arguably the most important KPI (Key Performance Indicator) for B2B companies.

 DemandBase study confirms corporate websites provide more leads than other online sources. According to the report respondents claimed that leads came most from:

• Corporate websites - 64%
• Email marketing - 14%
• Pay-per-click - 7%
• Social media - 3%

Conversion isn’t about slight of hand tactics, tricking people into filling out forms. It’s about getting to the point - communicating clearly why people need your product or service as well as creating compelling content that people find valuable.

Here are a few ways to generate leads for B2B sites:

• Include a strong call to action on every page i.e. a form, the shorter the better
• Include sharing widgets to increase reach and viral marketing effectiveness (see a viral marketing example we did for Better Homes and Gardens)
• Create content that is compelling enough to increase conversions

OK that last one touches on the hard part again. What types of content are compelling enough to convert people?

• Calculators: People love the instant gratification and relevant information from calculators. Many B2B companies have products/services that lend themselves to calculations.
• Demos: Ask visitors to provide an input that you can then show results. This works well with technical, medical and science based companies where things are measured. For example, see an interactive periodic table of elements we created for a testing company.
• Content: explain in non-marketing language what exactly your product or service does and why it is better than competitors and then provide a simple form for people to get in touch with you (preferably asking them to provide the specific problem they are trying to solve)
• Interact: Allow visitors to interact with your site in a meaningful way. This is similar to the calculator/interactive demo idea. See an example on our site called a website Evaluator.

In summary, compelling content and interactivity are the basis for conversion. In this age of social media and SEO, don’t forget the importance of conversion and all the valuable leads it provides.