Many of our website and SEO consultations start with “There’s a problem with my website.” Sometimes the client has analytics tracking clicks and traffic or is looking at their page ranking – but even more often is that they do not see leads generated from their site. Getting to that root cause opens up questions and opportunities: as often as not finding out if it’s a marketing problem or a website problem comes down to three things.
1. Where Do You (and Should You) Get Your Leads?
For many businesses, their website is where they traditionally generate their most consistent leads. If leads are drying up, the website can take a lot of the blame. Rebuilding that website, especially using enhanced SEO, is often seen as the easiest way to recoup that loss, but it’s important to think about the possibility your traffic is changing due to:
- Google Ads Competition: You need to acknowledge that Google Ads can make other businesses appear above you in Google Search. And the same can work for you for new leads.
- Users Changing Platforms: If your loss has been going on for a long time, users might be migrating to another platform, such as social media. Meet them there.
- How You Handle eCommerce: In the world of Amazon, people expect buying your things, be they products or services, to be easy. You may need to rebuild how you sell to meet the changing marketing, including setting up your own eCommerce.
2. Older Websites and Mobile View
For more established businesses and older owners, how smartphones have changed the digital landscape may have snuck up on you. While you and your business still use desktops as your primary tool for buying decisions, smartphone usage has exploded as a primary and sometimes only way new customers navigate the web to find your services.
If you have an older website, chances are it’s not set up for mobile viewing, which can quickly deter users from your site. Take a look at your website from the side of a smartphone and see where the snags might be. Need some more stats? Check out our blog on how marketing to mobile devices is a must-have.
3. Tracking Down Your Lead Generation with Website Analytics
If your lead generation is drying up and you think your website is the culprit, it’s important to get under the hood to see what is changing. If you haven’t yet, we recommend installing Google Analytics on your website – here’s a helpful guide we’ve got on setting it up, as well as how to start reading your Analytics.
From there, you can track the user experience. Here’s where you should be looking for changes in lead generation:
- Where is your traffic coming from? If you’re seeing upticks from social media, Google, or referrals, focus on those with your marketing.
- Where are users leaving your website? If you’ve got users who leave your website after visiting your contact page – you might still be getting leads from your site, but now more by phone.
- Are your CTAs and forms working? If users are visiting pages with information (products, about, etc.) and leaving, you may need to include Calls to Action (CTAs) that guide users. Also, troubleshoot your forms to make sure they are working properly.
If, after this, you need a second opinion (or don’t have the time), reach out to us at Vision. Not only can we help you kick the tires on your website, but we can also help you find and target your ideal clients – which may not be where your current marketing is focusing. Contact us today to start talking.
