Stop Losing Website Visitors: How to Use Lead Magnets to Build Credibility and Grow Your Client Base

What are you doing to capture website visitors into leads? One of the biggest challenges I see as I go around to business owners' websites is the big call to action in the center that says "schedule a call with me." I believe that's the wrong call to action for the center of your website. There should be ways for people to schedule a call with you, but it should be in a less prominent place, like the top right-hand corner. People are researching you, looking for information, and wanting to take the next step in the process. Most people visiting your website are not ready to schedule a call with you, so they look at that call to action and bounce off your website, going somewhere else. This means you're not getting as many opt-ins as you could be.

So, what's a strategy to convert more of those visitors into leads? You need to use a series of emails, videos, and other content to build your credibility and educate and nurture your prospects. The best way to convert a website browser is to have a well-structured lead generation magnet on your website. This gives visitors the information they're looking for when they're not yet ready to do business with you.

Less than 3% of people in the market are ready to do business with you today, so you're missing out on 97% of potential clients if your primary call to action is "schedule a call with me today." Instead, offer something of value that will nurture and educate them and build your credibility. A lead magnet, such as a book, video, white paper, or ebook, can answer the questions in your prospects' minds and lead them down a path to solve their issues.

Obviously, I think the best lead magnet is a copy of your own book. This is what we teach our clients: put your book on your website, give it away for free, and get people to opt-in and join your list. Your list is your number one asset in business. If you rely solely on social media platforms for your marketing, you're at risk because these platforms can change their algorithms or policies at any moment. But when someone is on your list, you own that list, and you can market to them directly.

To convert website browsers into buyers, ensure you have something that interests them on your website. It doesn't have to be a book; it could be a video, white paper, or e-book. The key is to answer the questions in your prospects' minds and provide information that leads them toward a solution. This approach opens up more opportunities for you to serve them.

Most business owners I talk with are losing a lot of potential clients because their website doesn't offer anything compelling to opt into. Visitors are not ready for a conversation, so they leave and often don't come back. The best thing you can do is put a great lead generation magnet on your website and make the opt-in process simple—just an email and a first name. You're trying to build a relationship, get them to know, like, and trust you. Your credibility needs to be transferred over a series of emails, videos, and resources, so when they're ready to make a decision, you're the only one they want to talk with. This puts you in a very strong position.

In your marketing, look at your website. If your main call to action is "schedule a call with me," change it to something like "download my free copy of [lead magnet]" or "watch my video on [topic]." Let visitors take an easy next step. Always have a place where they can schedule a call with you, and include opportunities for them to do so in every follow-up email after they opt into your lead magnet. But don't use the center of your website for that call to action—it's too valuable. Instead, use it to answer your prospects' questions and solve their problems. This will build more trust, gain more clients, and help you grow your business by converting website browsers into buyers.

To take this strategy a step further, consider creating a book as your lead generation magnet. At Paperback Expert, we assist business owners in becoming authors without the need to write themselves. Many business owners find it challenging to write a book due to a lack of experience or time. Our Speak-to-Write method involves interviewing you to extract your insights, then transcribing and transforming your spoken words into a written manuscript. This can be a powerful tool to attract and nurture leads, helping you to build relationships and convert website visitors into loyal clients.