You’ve got the awesome website design and you’ve got the traffic, but now it’s time to turn those numbers into sales.
Many building material manufacturers master the first half of the equation, but when it comes to generating leads through their website, they come up short. Why is that?
The issue is that business owners often focus on search engine optimization (SEO) as the end-all, be-all of their marketing strategy. They think traffic automatically means more sales. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.
They are missing one very essential component: conversion rate optimization (CRO).
If you are already working with an SEO expert or agency, you are already ahead of the curve. Now is the time to develop a strategy for optimizing your website for conversions (i.e. generating leads).
Is Your Website Turning Traffic into Leads?
While an entire post could be written on CRO and lead generation alone, we have broken down the top 12 ways for building material manufacturing businesses to generate leads through their websites.
That is, we have only included strategies that are relevant to your business and are likely to be the most effective in turning your traffic into clients or customers.
Time to turn your website into a lead-generating machine.
12 Website Lead Generation Ideas for Your Website
If you’re ready to start turning your SEO and marketing traffic into new customers or clients, you’ll want to incorporate some lead generation tactics into your website.
Use a couple or use them all – just make sure that you are keeping your target audience in mind and are giving them what they want and need. Keeping them happy is your #1 goal and will mean even more sales for you.
1) Include Content Upgrades
Content marketing for building materials supply companies can be highly effective at increasing traffic, driving social shares, attracting links, and much more. But is your content working to generate even more leads and revenue? If not, it may be time to double down on your content strategy with something called content upgrades.
A content upgrade (otherwise known as an “opt-in bribe”) is a lead magnet that’s incorporated into your content, with the purpose of enticing users with another piece of content in exchange for their email address.
Content Upgrade Ideas for Building Material Manufacturers
This upgrade has to be something irresistible – something they really want or need – so much so that they are willing to hand over their precious information.
Say you have a blog post that covers the “10 Best Granite Kitchen Counter Top Styles”.
Someone who comes across this post may be looking for ways to update the look of their kitchen.
Therefore, some good content upgrades may be:
- A downloadable cheat sheet on how to snag the best deals on granite countertops
- A free checklist for how to hire a kitchen remodeling contractor
- A guide on the 20 most beautiful kitchen designs
- A video of an exclusive interview with a kitchen design expert
The ideas can go on and on. The key here is to create something that they can’t find anywhere else and that will provide immense value to their experience. Then, you add an opt-in form to your website for them to enter their email address and then receive the content upgrade in their inbox.
This is a great way to grow your email list and add new leads to your email marketing campaigns.
Bautex, a wall materials manufacturer, put this in action in one of their blog posts, “88 Ways an Architect Can Simplify Their Life.”
They included a content upgrade for download called “The Ultimate Guide to Growing Your Architectural Firm’s Online Presence.” No doubt they are using this freebie to attract more subscribers and generate leads for their business.
2) Offer a Free Consultation
Many business owners are wary of giving anything away for free. While “tire-kickers” do exist, offering free consultations can be a great way to get your foot in the door and generate warm leads for your business.
A lot of the users that come across your website will be at the Research step of their Buyer’s Journey. That means they are looking for more information about a given service or business before they make their decision on what to buy or who to hire.
Inform, Help and Ask Questions
Offering a free consultation is an opportunity for you to showcase your expertise and represent your brand. It could be the conversation that convinces them that you are the right business for them. It also allows you to offer to send them more information, schedule a follow-up call, or even send them a proposal.
You can generate leads through your website by adding a “Call Now for a Free Consultation” button at the top of your site, including calls-to-action within your content, or directing users to a landing page.
Some free consultation calls-to-action include:
- “If you are x, we can help you determine whether we are a good fit for you”
- “Call now to speak to an expert”
- “Get a free custom quote”
- “Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation”
That way, users don’t feel pressured into a sales conversation and can ask you questions about your business. At the very least, you come away with their name and phone number so you can reach out again if it seems fitting. Follow the flow of the conversation and make sure you are addressing their needs and concerns.
Check out SlotDrain and this 2Fold Doors landing page for examples of free consultation calls-to-action.
3) Create a Downloadable Product Brochure
While many companies include their entire product brochure on their website for free, this is a missed opportunity to generate leads.
Much like a content upgrade, creating a downloadable product brochure for potential customers is a great way to offer users something they want in exchange for their email address.
You can direct users to your downloadable product brochure through:
- Blog posts
- Content marketing pieces
- CTA buttons on your web pages
- Links in product descriptions
- A “Request More Info” button
Whether you add an opt-in to your Resources page or create a landing page to take users to when they click on products on your site, you can put your product brochure behind an email wall so that users can get the brochure delivered right to their inbox.
That way, your potential customers get all of the information they want, and you can add them to your email list.
4) Set Up On-Site Retargeting
In a time where business is becoming more and more about branding and standing out from the crowd, adding a personal touch can make all the difference.
To get users to take notice – and even better, remember you later – you should create the best experience possible for them on your website.
That means incorporating copy that speaks directly to them, including offers that meet their needs, and adding personalization wherever possible.
That’s why software like Convert Flow helps business owners engage with users in a personalized way through on-site retargeting.
How On-Site Targeting Works
On-site retargeting allows you to send personalized pop-ups to users (new and returning) based on how they engage with your site.
For example, if a user checks out one of your blog posts, “10 Coolest Bathroom Tile Designs,” Convert Flow will show them custom CTAs or send them content that’s related to the topic. This can not only direct them to one of your content upgrades but encourage them to contact you.
Further, users get this experience if they return to your site later on, giving them the sense that you care about their needs and experience. This small gesture can really help your business stand out from your competition.
5) Add “Slide-Ins”
Regular website pop-ups are going out of style. As described above, users are looking for a helpful and engaging experience – not one that’s generic or intrusive.
While the standard pop-up tends to hop into view when a new user enters your site (often to be closed right away by the website visitor), slide-ins are much less intrusive. They also have a higher rate of engagement, making them more effective at generating leads.
Slide-In with Your Audience in Mind
As with any pop-up, though, you want to be sure that the message that comes into view is relevant to what your audience wants and needs. A boring “Join our email list” message is not going to be very enticing.
If, however, you mention signing up for a free 5-day email course, getting an ebook on “100 Best Master Bedroom Design Ideas,” an event invite for a free webinar or the like, users are more likely to engage.
Every lead magnet should be created with your potential customers in mind. Then, you track analytics to see what is working and what isn’t. This will improve your lead generation success over time.
6) Enable Exit Pop-Ups
Speaking of non-intrusive pop-ups, do you have exit pop-ups enabled on your site?
If not, you may want to consider sending users a friendly exit message.
An exit pop-up is triggered right as website visitors go to leave your website. Sending them a quick message can be your last chance to grab their attention and get their information so that you can follow up with them later.
“Didn’t Find What You Were Looking For?”
Again, you want to consider what information users may be interested in after viewing your site.
The fact that they are leaving may mean they didn’t find what they were looking for.
While your website should already include everything users need to know about your services, giving them the opportunity to get more info or ask you questions could be the difference between a new lead or a prospect lost.
Your exit pop-up could say something like, “Didn’t find what you were looking for? Check out our Resources page” or “Got questions? Call now to speak to an expert for free.” If they are, in fact, looking for more information, this gives them the chance to reach out to you.
7) Follow Up with “Anonymous” Users
Do you ever go into your analytics to see how many users visited your website? How many of those actually turned into leads? How many of those simply disappeared without a trace?
It can be frustrating to see your traffic numbers climbing up and your conversions staying the same – or worse, decreasing. That’s what conversion optimization needs to be as much a part of your marketing strategy as SEO is.
With software like Leadfeeder, Leady, and Snitcher, you can trace those “anonymous” visitors. Even better, you can follow up with those users manually and turn them into solid leads.
These tools track who visited your site and the pages they visited. You can also gain valuable information on what they were interested in and how to contact them.
That way, you aren’t wasting valuable traffic and are able to follow up with them with additional resources and information.
8) Install a Chatbox
Chatbox technology is making waves in the digital marketing space. They are personalized, fast, and effective at generating leads through business websites.
If you have ever visited a website to have a message box pop-up, chances are, that was a custom chatbox. Chatboxes give the impression that the business is live and available to chat with users in real time.
Send Users a Personalized Message
Apps such as Tawk.to even send the messages directly to your business devices so that you can respond to visitors right away. However, if it is outside of office hours, the chatbox collects their name, email address, and even their reason for the inquiry so that you can follow up with them later.
These apps include generic “Hello! Welcome to [business]” messages, or you can completely customize your message, You can even send users links to blog posts, resources, or a “free consultation” landing page. The options are nearly endless.
Adding that personal touch to your site creates a better user experience and increases conversions. It also allows you to respond to users faster and send them the information they need to help them decide to hire you.
9) Set Up Call Tracking
One of the biggest complaints that building supply manufacturers have with their marketing agency is that they can’t trace where their leads are coming from – or whether the leads they are getting are actually a result of their marketing efforts.
Setting up call tracking on your website helps fix this problem by tracing where calls are coming from, all while documenting the caller’s name, location, and phone number.
No More Missed Calls
If you list your phone number on your website, you can use tools such as CallRail to replace that number with a tracking number. This tracking number can be unique to the web page, landing page, or call-to-action, which helps you determine what page the user was on when they decided to call you.
For example, if you know that a user called the number from your exterior wall building materials page, then you can speak to them about related services. You can follow up with them with resources related to exterior wall building supplies, perhaps by mentioning a product brochure or a special offer.
Also, if you ever miss a call and they don’t leave a voicemail message, you still have the information you need to call them back. Some states even allow for you to listen to past calls, which can help you improve your processes for collecting call info, how your front desk person answers calls, and more.
10) Generate Phone Leads
Does your website do a good job of encouraging users to call you to begin with? While call tracking will help you trace the call, if you aren’t making an effort to engage with users on your site, you may be missing out on calls altogether.
Callpage.io can help you generate 75% more sales call leads through your website. Their technology presents users with a CallPage button, prompts them to enter their phone number, connects them with one of your consultants, and gets them on the phone with you right away.
If no one at your business is available to take their call, their information will be added to your account so that you can follow up with them later.
You can enable CallPage to present visitors with a message when they enter your site, visit pages on your site, or go to leave your site. You can message users to ask “Do you want us to follow up with you?” which encourages them to input their information.
Again, another opportunity to generate leads through your site and not leave money at the table.
11) Above-the-Fold CTA
Are you making is super clear to your website visitors how they can contact you?
While you may have a “Contact” page, you could be missing out on leads if this page is hard to find or isn’t super obvious on the homepage of your website.
That’s why it is best practice to have a call-to-action “above-the-fold.” That means that the button to “Give us a call” or “Schedule a free consultation” is prominent before the user scrolls down the page.
It is also best to get a bit creative here and make sure that your messaging is uber-targeted to your audience. “Contact us” is generic, and doesn’t make it clear how users should contact you or why. Adding a button to “Speak to an Expert” or “See Our Product Catalog” is much more engaging. This tells users what to do right away so they aren’t roaming around your site trying to find the best way to reach you.
12) Site-wide CTAs
That all being said, having one above-the-fold CTA is rarely enough. You want to offer users multiple opportunities to contact you. You also want to tailor these CTAs to where they are at in their Buyer’s Journey.
For example, while your above-the-fold CTA is typically related to what most users are looking for (a way to buy products or contact you), other CTAs may offer to send users more information, encourage them to sign up for your newsletter, or download a freebie.
This is effective because, while some visitors will be ready to buy, others need a little more encouragement. Knowing this, you can sprinkle CTAs throughout your website that addresses the questions of visitors at the Research stage.
Some ideas for site-wide CTAs are:
- An opt-in to join your email list for free building tips
- A sign-up for an upcoming webinar
- A contact form added to the bottom of the page for general inquiries
- Including your phone number within web pages and blog posts
- A callout to download your content upgrade
Generate More Leads for Your Business
At Lead Generation Experts, we are all about lead generation – obviously. We know that it’s not enough for building material manufacturers to simply get traffic to their websites.
What really matters is turning that traffic into leads and sales.
By optimizing your website for conversions, you make the most of your SEO and marketing efforts. That way, you can track whether website visitors are actually engaged with your site and how much money your business is generating through your website.
