The Difference Between a Brochure Website and a Lead Generation Website

In our conversations with business owners, we often hear about a familiar problem: They have a trendy website with all the best features, but it doesn’t generate sales.

It’s a common predicament. What was meant to be a powerful marketing tool ends up as, essentially, an online brochure.

Today, we’re exploring the distinction between a brochure website and a lead generation website and challenging you to assess where your own website falls on this spectrum — and what to do about it.

What Is a Brochure Website?

Brochure websites are essentially expanded business cards. Their sole purpose is to provide basic information about your company.

While they legitimize your business, they don’t actively contribute to your marketing strategy. Typically, these sites consist of a few pages:

• About Us: Company history, values, mission, and team
• Contact Us: Phone number, email address, and contact form
• Locations: Physical addresses and maps
• How It Works: For businesses with complex processes or systems
• Pricing: If pricing isn’t straightforward
• Portfolio: Samples or external links

However, these self-centered websites pose several challenges:

Poor Search Engine Performance: Google values consistent, quality content, but brochure websites typically lack a content strategy, making it challenging for them to rank well.

ROI Can’t Be Measured: Brochure sites can’t calculate their ROI since they don’t drive specific conversions.

Poor Audience Targeting: Brochure sites focus on the business rather than the value visitors are seeking. They’re rarely designed with the audience in mind.

No Funnel Activity (Meaning No Sales): Brochure websites don’t guide users through a marketing funnel, resulting in aimless wandering and high bounce rates.

What Is a Lead Generation Website?

A lead generation website is about the site visitor, not the business. It actively encourages users to progress through your marketing funnel and become customers. Here are the key elements:

• Optimized Copy: Content optimized for both users and search engines, using keywords strategically to rank higher
• Calls to Action (CTAs) on Every Page: Directing users to take the next step in the conversion process, whether it’s contacting you, subscribing to a newsletter, downloading a lead magnet, or following you on social media
• Lead Magnets: Offering something of value (e.g., an ebook or a special promotion) in exchange for an email address to add to your subscriber list
• Landing Pages: Tailored pages — each with a specific purpose — that urge users to take a single action (e.g., subscribe or purchase)

To build your own lead generation funnel, map out the actions you want users to take on each page. For instance, blog pages can encourage users to subscribe in exchange for valuable content.

Tools to Create a Lead Generation Website

Want to turn your brochure website into a lead generation website that draws perfect-fit prospects into your sales funnel? Use the following tools:

Optimized Copy: Use language that resonates with your audience and includes relevant keywords. Prioritize people over search engines.

CTAs on Every Page: Ensure every page guides visitors toward the next step, whether that be subscribing to a newsletter, downloading an ebook, or calling your business.

Lead Magnets: Create valuable incentives to collect email addresses.

Landing Pages: Tailor landing pages to your audience and the specific action you want them to take.

Beyond the Website: Lead Generation Continues

Your website is just the beginning of your marketing funnel. Leads collected on your site should be managed through a CRM tool or email marketing application. Since these leads probably aren’t ready to buy at the outset, nurture them with additional (valuable) content and approach them for sales when they’re ready. This may seem like a lot of work initially, but it scales seamlessly as you attract more users.

If you’ve already built a lead generation site, consider A/B testing for further optimization. Small tweaks can make a big difference in conversion rates.

Remember, your website should be customer-focused, packed with value, and strategically designed to actively collect and warm up leads, even while you sleep. Brochures are advertising, and nobody seeks advertising. To be an effective part of your marketing strategy, your website must evolve into a lead generation powerhouse.

Of course, this is easier said than done. If you don’t have the time to commit to building the perfect lead generation website, consider partnering with a team of experts. We’ll handle your web marketing so you can get back to what you do best — running your business.