Insights

Your company website is your number one marketing asset and number one sales tool. It’s what brings in your leads online. Now, speaking of leads, did you know that 90% of B2B buyers start their journey with an online search? Showing up in their search results is only half the battle. Once you get these users on your site, it’s time to convert them into leads — and that’s often the tricky part. If your website isn’t delivering the amount of leads that you think it should, you’re not alone. In this article, we’ll show you why your website might be underperforming and what you can do about it.

Reasons Why Your Site Isn’t Driving Leads

1. Poor Website Design and User Experience

Your website’s design and user experience play a crucial role in engaging and retaining visitors. If your site is not user-friendly, has a confusing layout, or takes ages (longer than three seconds) to load, visitors may hit the back button faster than you can say, “conversion.” A study by Google shows that the likelihood of users bouncing triples when page load speed takes three seconds or more.

In addition to load speeds, a well-designed website with intuitive navigation can make users more likely to stay and explore further. Websites with clean layouts and great page speed not only see higher engagement but also higher lead conversion rates and better search rankings.

2. Unclear Value Proposition

Think of your website as your business’s elevator pitch to your online visitors. You’ve got to convey your value proposition swiftly and clearly. Visitors should quickly grasp what your business offers and why they should engage with you. A Nielsen study concluded that in order to earn several minutes of user attention on your website, you must clearly convey your value proposition in ten seconds or less.

3. Inadequate Content

You’ve probably heard the phrase “content is king.” That phrase might be cliche, but it’s also still true. If your website lacks valuable and relevant content, visitors won’t stay or return. Your website should aim to answer the critical questions your users have to move them from one stage of the buyer’s journey to the next. That’s where content strategy comes in. Consider creating high-quality blog posts, whitepapers, case studies, and other resources that precisely address your current and prospective customers’ pain points and questions.

4. Lack of Calls-to-Action (CTAs)

We may be dating ourselves here, but have you ever gone shopping at a big department store like Macy’s only to find yourself looking around for a checkout counter? Ever felt like dropping a big armful of merchandise because there’s no one around to help and no clear direction on where to go? That’s what happens to users on your site if you don’t have clear and compelling calls to action (CTAs).

Make sure your website has strategic CTAs that guide users toward lead-generating actions, like downloading a resource, signing up for a newsletter, or requesting a quote — and make sure the forms on your site are as simplified as possible to make for a smooth user experience and higher conversion rates!

5. Ineffective Landing Pages

Landing pages are like the dance floors of your digital party. If you’re luring guests with a salsa playlist, but they walk in to find heavy metal blaring, they’ll probably head for the exit. If you’re running online campaigns or promotions, your landing pages should be optimized for conversions. A mismatch between the ad or link that brought users to your site and the landing page can deter potential leads.

Consistency between your marketing campaigns and landing pages is critical for a cohesive user experience. Well-optimized landing pages that align with your campaign messaging can significantly boost conversion rates and ensure that visitors find what they expect.

6. Weak SEO and Content Strategy

Remember when we said that 90% of B2B buyers start their journey with an online search? SEO is what puts your website in the rankings on Google, Bing, or whichever search engine they are using (we’ve been told Yahoo! is still a thing). Add in a strong content strategy, and you’ve got a one-two punch that funnels users toward conversion (i.e. turns them into leads) once they land on your site. Without either of these components, you won’t show up when users are searching, or you may disappoint them if they land on your site and don’t find the content they need to advance them to the next phase of their journey.

7. Missing or Unoptimized Forms

If your website uses forms to collect lead information, ensure they are easily accessible, user-friendly, and as short as possible (think Of Mice and Men, not War and Peace). Overly complex or lengthy forms can discourage potential leads. Keep it simple and straightforward. Use well-labeled form fields, and don’t make users jump through hoops to get in touch.

8. Not Targeting the Right Audience

It’s essential to understand your target audience and tailor your content and messaging to their needs. If your website doesn’t resonate with your ideal customers, it won’t generate leads. 

A well-defined target audience is the cornerstone of successful lead generation. Tailoring your website’s content, design, and messaging to align with the needs and interests of your ideal customers ensures that your efforts are more likely to convert visitors into leads.

9. Technical Issues

Ensure that your website is free from technical issues like broken links, slow loading times, and security vulnerabilities. Technical hiccups can drive potential leads away. Now, speaking of technical issues, did you know that 80% of interactions between buyers and sellers are expected to happen online by 2025? 

A technically sound website is essential for providing a smooth and secure user experience. Technical issues, such as broken links and slow loading times, can deter visitors and hinder lead generation. Staying ahead of technical challenges is vital for ensuring that your website remains a valuable asset for lead generation.

No-Code Ways to Improve Conversions on Your WordPress Website

Here are some straightforward techniques to enhance your website’s lead-generation potential:

1. Optimize Your Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons:

To make CTA buttons more effective, ensure they stand out by using contrasting colors. The text on your CTA buttons should be clear and action-oriented, encouraging users to “Get Started” or “Request a Quote.” Additionally, strategically place CTA buttons at key locations on your pages, such as at the top, in the middle, and at the bottom.

2. Improve Page Loading Speed:

A slow-loading website can be a conversion killer, often resulting in higher bounce rates and fewer lead conversions. To address this issue, you can utilize WordPress plugins like WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache to speed up your website. Optimizing images to reduce file sizes and implementing a content delivery network (CDN) can also significantly improve your site’s loading speed.

3. Simplify Forms:

If your website includes contact forms or lead generation forms, it’s crucial to keep them as user-friendly as possible. Long and complex forms can discourage users from filling them out. Instead, request only the essential information needed for your lead-generation goals. Use well-labeled form fields and clearly indicate any required fields. Consider employing user-friendly WordPress form plugins like WPForms or Contact Form 7 to create and manage forms with ease.

4. Leverage Testimonials and Trust Signals:

Building trust is crucial to persuading website visitors to take that critical step towards becoming leads. Showcase customer testimonials and reviews on your website as social proof of your product or service’s quality. Additionally, highlight any industry awards, certifications, or partnerships your business has earned to establish your credibility further. If your business has been featured in the media or press, display logos or mentions from these reputable sources to enhance trust.

By implementing these techniques on your WordPress website, you can create a more compelling and conversion-friendly online presence that attracts and retains potential leads. 

Additionally, you can make use of WordPress plugins to implement some of these improvements:

SEO Plugins: Plugins like Yoast SEO can help you optimize your website for search engines, making it more discoverable by your target audience.

Opt-in Forms Plugins: To capture leads and grow your email list, you can use plugins like OptinMonster or ConvertPro to create eye-catching pop-ups, slide-ins, and other opt-in forms.

Analytics Plugins: Implement tools like Google Analytics or MonsterInsights to track user behavior and gather insights about what’s working and what needs improvement on your site.

Social Sharing Plugins: Make it easy for visitors to share your content by using social sharing plugins like ShareThis or Social Warfare.

Performance Optimization Plugins: Plugins like WP Super Cache, WP-Optimize, and Autoptimize can help improve your site’s performance and loading speed.

GBG Audits to Boost Your B2B Website’s Performance

Need help figuring out where to focus? Our team offers several highly automated, strategic website audits to help you focus your sales and marketing resources where they’ll make the most impact on your website. Here are a few examples of audits we perform for manufacturers and other B2B organizations:

Content Gap Audit: Are you equipped with the content assets you need to move prospects from one stage of the sales funnel to the next? A content gap audit identifies the key assets needed to support the customer journey and then compares that with your suite of existing sales enablement materials, website pages, and other collateral. The output of a content gap audit is a content creation plan to ensure you have persuasive assets at the ready for each stage of the customer journey.

Technical SEO Audit: Getting to #1 on Google isn’t easy — and there’s a lot more to it than having great content that includes the right keywords. Google also prioritizes sites that adhere to technical SEO best practices. Technical SEO errors are often hard to detect just by looking at your website as a visitor. Our technical SEO audit can uncover hidden errors, and we’ll provide a recommended plan for how to address and fix the issues that could be hurting your rankings.

Website UI/UX Audit: A comprehensive website UI/UX audit can be a game-changer for your manufacturing company’s online presence. By evaluating the user interface and experience, we can pinpoint areas of improvement that will streamline navigation, enhance user engagement, and ultimately boost conversion rates. This data-driven approach will empower you to make informed decisions, ensuring your website becomes a powerful sales and marketing tool, delivering a measurable return on investment.

Discover Your Marketing Potential

Your B2B website is your most potent asset for generating leads, but to make the most of it, you must ensure it’s optimized for success. From enhancing your CTA buttons to simplifying forms and boosting page loading speed, these practical strategies can make a significant impact on your lead-generation efforts.

Now, take the next step. See if we’re a fit for your marketing journey, take our marketing assessment. It’s time to unlock your full marketing potential and propel your B2B business to new heights. Don’t wait – get started today!