One of the easiest types of leads that you can obtain is the Internet lead. You can just create a mailing list, and all those who signed up can be your potential customers. You can also create a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign, and a number of those who clicked on your ads can be your prospects.
However, with Internet leads comes a number of challenges that you need to overcome. When you know what to do with them, you can expect getting the right sort of leads for your business. You can then boost your profits and return for your investments.
1. Web traffic does not result in leads
It is a common misconception among online marketers that traffic means leads. So if you have 100,000 people clicking on your Web page, you assume that you also have the same number of people as your prospects. This not always the case. After all, there are a lot of reasons why Internet users will click on your Web site. It could be that they accidentally clicked on your ad while surfing the Internet. It could also be that they got interested on the freebie, not on the products and services that you are offering. These types of people may not be the ones that you are looking for. Their level of interest is something you cannot bank on.
Is then to separate the leads from the mere traffic. That is where lead analytics come in. There are already several programs that can help you out with that one. What they normally do is they feed you information that can help you determine user behavior. If they have been clicking on your Product page, for example, then it could mean that the Internet users are interested with what you are offering. If they have been coming back several times on the same page or even clicking on your Contact Us page, they may want to make a purchase or inquire more about the product.
2. Buying Internet leads does not give you quality leads
There are two ways on how you can obtain Internet leads. You can get them on your own, through free and paid marketing services, or buy them from lead-generating companies. The latter provides you the convenience of using the leads right away. You also feel secured, knowing that they have been properly selected by the firm.
Nevertheless, you must not feel too dependent on them. A lot of these bought leads may not really be good for your business for a lot of reasons. First, they may not be the prospects that you are looking for. You may end up having a very small percentage of qualified leads out of them. This means that you are not really getting the best return out of your investment. Second, you may end up having recycled leads. They may have been offered to other companies—worse, to your competitors—and got rejected.
3. You still need to track them
One of the hardest things you have to do with Internet leads is tracking. Just imagine how many e-mail accounts an Internet user can make in an hour. There is a huge chance that the e-mail address that he or she has given you may not be the e-mail address he or she is primarily using.
This is then where lead nurturing can be very helpful. When you know how to nurture your leads, it will be easier for them to stick around with you. They would inform you should they change their active e-mail accounts.
Get over the challenges of Internet leads, and you can make the most out of them later on.
Joshua Conklin is an authority in the lead generation space. Joshua has more than 14 years of experience at developing strategic marketing platforms for the nation’s tops lenders and brokers nationwide.
