If your site isn't generating leads check your offer

Most of the people I see on a day-to-day basis are obsessed with traffic. All they want are more visitors to their site. I hardly ever meet somebody who understands that getting visitors to a website is the easy part.

The real challenge is trying to turn a visitor into a lead. A lead is a person who is ready to say 'yes'. The question is 'yes' to what?

Consider what you're asking visitors to your website to say 'yes' to? In many cases, the copy on a website doesn't ask visitors to say 'yes' to anything. This happens when the copy on a site...

• Talks about products and services
• Talks about the company and how great it is
• Talks about features and benefits

What most web copy doesn't do is make the visitor an offer. Take a look at the following example...

Since 2000 our entertainers have performed at hundreds of wedding receptions all over the UK, Europe and the world. We've performed at...some of the most wonderful wedding locations and venues around the globe, ranging from...fairytale castles to grand reception rooms...

This copy invests several paragraphs in making absolutely sure nobody can miss the fact the company has performed all over the world, and in some of the best venues. It does this in paragraph 2 of the site's home page (the wrong place to establish credibility with a potential client).

At no point does the copy on this web page make the visitor an offer. It simply invites the visitor to click a link and fill out a contact form. That alone makes it better than 80% of business sites out there.

But what specifically is the company offering to its target market? The product might be wedding reception entertainment, but is that what Brides or Parents set out to buy? Not in this company's well-heeled target market they don't.

What's missing from the copy is the following...

• A true flavour of the product on offer. I've experienced their entertainment first hand, and know this copy falls far short of providing a even the smallest taste of what they have to offer a bride and groom
• Some specific reason to call the company

The true heart of any lead generation offer lies in this last point. It's the offer that gives a potential client a reason to contact your company.

It's important to understand that an offer is not a sale. It only needs to get a potential client to phone you, or fill out a form and ask you to phone him/her back. Here's an example of how the above company might construct an offer to their target market...

Which of the following would you like your guests to remember when they think about your wedding reception?

[ ] How stunning you looked
[ ] How tasty the food was
[ ] How much fun they had
[ ] The unexpected surprise you spring on them

Wouldn't you love to catch your guests off-guard, and spring a massive surprise on them. One they'll love and talk about for years?

That's what we do. Our wedding reception entertainment is unique, and designed specifically to catch your guests off guard (in a good way). Imagine the look on their faces when it happens. Every eye in the room will turn to you, to see how you're reacting.

Even better, the very nature of our performance immediately has everybody engaged. Before long, your guests will find themselves laughing, clapping and cheering. Within minutes, everybody will find themselves up on their feet and dancing!

The nature of the surprise, and the party that follows, is tailored to your specific requirements (i.e. it's built around you and your husband/wife). So we need to talk about it together, and create something perfect just for you.

Simply fill out the form and tell us when you want us to phone back.

The difference between the two is obvious, isn't it? In this case, the offer is somewhat subdued. It's appropriate for the target market (the product isn't designed for the budget conscious). Instead of talking about how great the company is, the copy focuses on how the product relates to the bride or groom (e.g. Every eye in the room will turn to you to see how you're reacting).

The offer is very subtle in this case. It offers to provide the service of creating something unique with the bride and/or groom. To do that the visitor and the company have to talk.

I didn't mean that!

Human beings do it all the time. We say one thing, and mean another. Of course, it's not usually a problem. Whether intentional or not, there are times when every one of us has fallen fowl of the ability to assemble words that can be taken the wrong way.

It can even be funny. Consider the unintended humour in these signs (all seen by me in various places around the world)...

• No standing at any time (a no parking sign)
• This door is alarmed
• Do not use lift (elevator) in case of fire
• Cyclists use left shoulder
  

Unintended humour can also be a problem if it crops up in your advertising. Especially if it has you insult your target market, or lead to a PR blunder.

The only way to avoid such mistakes, is to have several people check your copy before it goes. And these people must be in your target market. That way, you avoid making a mistake through ignorance (e.g. not knowing a particular word has a different meaning among your target audience).

You'll also help your cause if you make sure every sentence you write contains only one sentence. Keep your eyes peeled for sentences that feature semi colons, or more than 2 commas.