The purpose of your website is not to look pretty. It is to attract traffic and convert that traffic into a lead or prospect. (Now, if looking pretty converts more traffic into leads, then being pretty is part of the strategy, but it’s not the purpose of the site. And yes, “ugly” can improve conversions in some cases.)
When I started this website, I knew from the beginning I would generate leads. There wasn’t an initial monetization strategy for the site, other than knowing training courses and other products would be available in the future. However, to prepare for the future, I created an offer right away with an opt-in form. You see the offer throughout this page. (By the way, opt in! You will see what I do up close.)
Even if you don’t have something sell today, generating leads to build a list means you can monetize the list in the future. You build your “future bank” – the resource you can tap into in the future to make money.
The best lead generation offers actually pretty easy to put together.
Sometimes, it’s as simple as grabbing a MailChimp or ConverKit account (both are free to start), putting together a two-page guide or discount code, and nailing a form to your website’s walls.
You may prefer to create a more robust offer – an irresistible offer.
And, yes, even if something is free, you do need to “sell it,” so creating the right offer is critical.
Here are 5 types of offers you can set up in minimal time with maximum impact:
All of these offers rely on using simple software systems, such as an email service provider and/or an e- commerce platform. I’ll share some of my favorites with you in this article!
#1: Free Training Course
Training courses can be as robust or minimalist as you like… and that’s the problem.
There are countless training course options for you. Any number of software programs ranging from Kajabi to Podia to Thinkific will handle delivery of your training course.
My advice is…
Don’t force yourself to use a training course platform until you are selling courses.
Your training course can be as simple as a few videos and worksheets collected on a hidden page on your website. The first form of training course I offered on this site was my Site Builder Checklist. It is hosted entirely on a Google Doc, so I can easily update it. People can bookmark the URL to return in the future. This requires next to nothing other than time.
Think about what your audience wishes they knew how to do.
Then, create the course to scratch the itch.
Wondering what materials to use in your training course? Here’s a simple outline:
- Three videos, each 10-15 minutes in length
- 1-3 page “workbook” for each video
- Equipment list or recommended reading list
Your training course doesn’t need to cover everything. Make an outline for each video focusing on the essentials. Design the materials with a specific end goal, such as showing off equipment you sell or getting people to think, “Wow, this is good… I’ll bet the paid courses are even better!”
#2: Discount Code
This is an easy one. Set up a promo code with a “one-time use” rule, then create pop-up offering the discount code in exchange for an email address.
Here’s an example from Kelly Slater’s clothing company Outerknown:
The discount code is practically a standard for online retailers these days. Depending on your view, this could be good or bad for you. It’s good because it’s a convention people understand, and your website lead generation benefits from using conventions. On the other hand, it’s bad because it’s standard, and visitors may glaze over when they see it.
My advice?
Test a discount code that is significant enough to really attract a customer.
Your hardest challenge is breaking the “First Purchase barrier,” which a discount code can facilitate. Once someone purchases the first item, you have a big opportunity to get further purchases. An existing customer is far more trusting than just another visitor to your site. So, if you have to use an aggressive promo code to secure a purchase, the economics can work out heavily in your favor over the long run.
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#3: Email Newsletter
Email newsletters are easy, just like discount codes. Well, at least they are easy to offer. The hard part is keeping up the deliverable. If you promise a weekly email, then you need to deliver a weekly email. Done right, this is a phenomenal option allowing you to maintain long-term contact with current and potential buyers.
In even better news, the email newsletter industry is booming.
Companies like Morning Brew are built entirely around email newsletters, and there are similar entities springing up regularly.
The best email newsletters promise value and intrigue. It’s not just about product updates or notifications about sales. Yes, you will send those materials to your audience, but the promise behind your email newsletter needs to be bigger. I see major brands, like Search Engine Journal, fail to put their best foot forward.
Take a look at their newsletter sign-up form in the footer:
SEJ relies on affinity toward their content and/or position in the industry to get people to sign up. This may work to a degree for them, but it keeps potential subscribers at arm’s length.
For comparison, here is what Morning Brew has on its home page:
There’s a bigger promise behind the newsletter. Obviously, Morning Brew is a company built first around email newsletters, so they naturally have a stronger call-to-action. Of course, you should follow examples from people and companies who are playing the game as strong as possible.
#4: Exclusive Video
Did I say the other options are easy?
Okay, this may be the actual easiest, because creating video is darn simple these days. Grab an iPhone and a basic tripod or gimbal (or a friend willing to hold the phone for you) and you have a video. The video may look rough around the edges, but it will exist.
The hard part about video is getting people excited about it, because video is commoditized. YouTube is free. The streaming platforms are darn inexpensive (even if they are inching costs up every year).
When you put video behind a wall, such as an email opt-in form, the video needs to deliver on a BIG IDEA.
This point is critical…
Video itself doesn’t sell the opt-in, but big ideas that just happen to be in video form do.
Additionally, video is helped when you have a reason for it being behind a wall. Many video campaigns feature content akin to “This Beauty Secret Was Outlawed for 57 Years… Even Though it is 100% Organic and Natural.” (That would be a cool headline and product, wouldn’t it?) The idea is to have something you can’t say out in public, often out of fear of backlash. You create a hidden club of people who are interested in the truth – an insiders circle.
If you can’t create a video worthy of being behind a wall, I would not go this route. You are better off with one of the other options, because tricking people into watching a lackluster video will create massive distrust.
Of course, a “worthy” video doesn’t have to be pretty.
As a matter of fact, videos featuring “secrets” can be fairly grungy. The raw appearance can aid in the belief that the information you share must be hidden from others. You can also play it as something you “unearthed” from an archive.
If you want to make the video look nicer, follow these tips from Peter McKinnon!
#5: Industry Data or Report
Real estate maven and Shark Tank investor, Barbara Corcoran, published real estate data in the 1970s under the banner of “The Corcoran Report.” While much of the data was available to those willing to look it up, Corcoran made it easy to find all the data in one place.
The data doesn’t need to be special or even hidden.
Today, there is plenty of information on the internet. However, sorting through all the articles, databases, videos, etc. to gather all the data is exhausting.
You can do your prospects a favor and consolidate the information. Best of all, you can curate the data to support whatever good or service you sell. (Obviously, use real data. Don’t make it up, you scoundrel.)
Clio, a legal software company, publishes an annual “trends report” featuring data about the legal industry and law firms. Every year, this report becomes more and more popular, as curiosity about what changed in the last year drives lawyers to request the report. In the process, Clio gets more leads for its software offerings.
This option is particularly valuable for B2B enterprises, but don’t rule it out for B2C. You can weave the the data into a video and/or training course.
Make the Offer Worth the Opt-in
It’s not simple enough to have an offer. For lead generation to work, the offer must outweigh the consequences – i.e. giving you their information.
What is a fair trade for someone’s info?
Actually, what is an unfair trade in favor of the lead or prospect?
I like lead generation offers that do one or more of the following:
- Create the fear of missing out (FOMO) – Discount codes available only to first-time site visitors or training courses available free only for 24 hours are examples on how to generate FOMO. The fear can be real or perceived, of course. Ultimate Guitar, for example, has a new countdown every day for its discount offer!
- Present a massive opportunity for growth – The word massive is intentional, because a small opportunity won’t attract attention. For example, if you want more leads for a gym, the lead offer could be “Shed Five Pounds of Fat in 10 Days!” Okay, so that’s the opposite of growth, technically… but you get the gist! It’s a big promise.
- Quickly solve an acute problem – I like offers working with this premise. They tend to perform well if you know your audience. For example, a health and wellness company could offer, “Discover ONE change to make in your daily routine that takes 3 minutes or less to get a PERFECT night of sleep.” Sounds nice, right? If you have a hard time sleeping well, you never stop searching for solutions to that problem.
As always, the most important step… is to IMPLEMENT!
Charley
I help small business owners, freelancers, and marketing DIY'ers get an edge up against the 800-pound gorillas in their markets. Like your business, this site is a DIY project showing you how to do what I've done in other businesses, including a law firm and a major coaching group for law firm owners.
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