Everything You Need To Know To Build a Lead Generation Website That Actually Works

Business websites aren’t just for sharing products and promotions with customers. Lead generation websites collect quality information about people who are browsing your site. Those leads fill up your sales pipeline, giving you a steady stream of potential clients or customers who know all about your business and are ready to purchase.

More than likely, you already have a business website. Websites are crucial for building a digital presence, sharing content, and reaching new audiences. But if you want to convert your website visitors into customers, lead generation websites could be the perfect addition to your marketing strategy. 

In this article, we cover everything you need to know about generating leads through a dedicated website, including:

• The five benefits of lead generation websites 
• Where find the right lead generation site to grow your business
• Red flags you want to avoid when it comes to lead gen
• What to make sure your lead gen website includes to convert visitors to customers

Related Article:
These Email Marketing Mistakes Might Be Costing You Money

Why should you consider investing in a lead generation website?

Before we explore the benefits of lead generation websites and how to create (or buy!) one for your business, let’s define some terms. 

What exactly is a lead generation website?

Lead generation websites are designed with the intent of turning visitors into leads. The site shares the story of your business and details of your products, but it also features calls to action (CTAs) to gather customer information.

Visitors share their contact information in exchange for something they find valuable—a copy of your eBook, a sample of your product, access to a webinar, or a coupon. Once a website visitor shares their contact information with you, you can contact them and move them along to the next step in your sales funnel. 

An example of an effective lead generation website is the Stitch Fix style quiz. Visitors share their style, budget, and size in a style quiz. Visitors save their answers by sharing their email address, which Stitch Fix uses to contact them about personalized pieces of clothing and curated boxes. 

Your lead generation website goal might be to connect with individual consumers. Or, you might want to promote and sell your products or services to other businesses or organizations. This marketing strategy is known as business-to-business marketing, or B2B marketing. Typically, B2B lead generation involves more complex sales funnels than business-to-consumer (or B2C) marketing.

Another business opportunity involves creating a site that generates leads in a specific niche. Instead of generating leads for your own business, you create a list of quality leads that other businesses are interested in. Then, you can sell the site to an entrepreneur interested in quality contact information for potential customers. 

The benefits of a lead generation website

Regardless of whether you’re building a lead generation website for your own business or creating a lead gen site you’re planning on selling later, lead generation websites can be a great way to connect with potential customers. 

Benefits of a lead generation website include:

• Expansion into new markets with new customers
• Increased business revenue
• Better lead quality
• The chance to build your credibility 
• Data and analytics to help you get to know potential customers 

Lead generation helps you connect with new customers 

When you launched your business, you spent time defining your audience. You more than likely know the age, gender, income, location, and interest of your ideal customer. You’ve spent time researching your audience and you know where they spend their money and time. 

While finding and marketing to your target audience is crucial, there are other groups of potential customers you can connect with, too. Lead generation allows you to expand into new markets and connect with new prospects. They might be at the very top of your sales funnel, but with intentional communication, they can become dedicated customers. 

When you create quality content that potential customers value, you’re able to open up the communication channels. Lead generation websites allow you to start conversations with potential customers and build your position as a leader in your industry. 

Lead gen allows you to build your social media following, your email marketing list, and eventually, your customer base. 

Effective lead generation can boost your revenue

Building a quality lead generation website takes time. You have to pay attention to how customers respond to messaging, offers, and content. But when you create an effective lead generation website, you can  connect with website visitors easily and convert them to paying customers. These paying customers can boost your business revenue.

It’s worth putting the time in at the beginning to automate your customer interactions through lead generation websites. With an effective lead generation system that moves customers down the sales funnel, you’ll be free to focus on other aspects of your business that can build your revenue—like cross selling or launching a new product. 

But lead generation isn’t just about growing your revenue through new customers. Intentionally growing your brand recognition also can lead to more business opportunities. Maybe after reading your ebook, a business invites you to collaborate on a project together. When you connect and collaborate with other businesses, you get the chance to introduce your business to their audience, too. 

You’ll see higher quality leads

Lead generation websites have the potential to generate high-quality leads for your business. You can design a website that targets specific audiences with content and offers that are relevant to their lives.

Because visitors have to exchange their contact information for content that they find valuable, you have contact information that helps you personalize your communication and tailor your marketing to a customer’s needs.

In order to increase conversion rates with your lead gen website, it’s crucial to put in the time to create relevant and creative content, focus on website optimization, and build relationships with your visitors so that they convert to customers. 

A well-designed lead generation website increases your credibility

Let’s say that your business offers puppy training classes for customers to work through at home with their new pet. There are endless resources available online for new dog owners, so what makes your business stand out in the crowd?

Maybe after a quick Google search, someone lands on your lead generation website. It’s well designed and easy to navigate. And best of all, it answers a problem they’re experiencing. They’ve learned more about you as a dog trainer, and you’ve sent them an eBook with tips for their puppy’s first day at home in exchange for their email address.

Your lead generation website has increased your credibility and built trust with a potential customer. Not only have you provided valuable content, you’ve demonstrated your expertise in your field. Now, that website visitor is much more likely to choose your business over the thousands of dog training options from your competitors.

Lead generation websites give you an accurate picture of potential customers

Lead generation websites provide you with valuable data that can help you create successful marketing campaigns. 

You can track visitor behavior to see what information and offers resonate with them. You can also keep an eye on conversion rates to track campaign success. When you unpack visitor analytics, you can see what areas of your lead generation websites are working and where you can improve. 

Where to find the right lead generation website for sale

Maybe you’re interested in purchasing a lead generation website. Or you might be in the market for buying a business that features a high-traffic, high-conversion lead generation website. Either way, the best way to find a website as a buyer is to look around the online marketplace.

Once you’ve defined your business purchasing budget, the most common ways to find a content site for sale include:

• Online marketplace platforms
• Your own business network
• Business brokers

Online marketplace platforms

If you’re in the market for a small business or lead gen website and working with a website broker isn’t part of your plan, online platforms are a great place to browse listings.

You’ll start by sorting through the platform and saving listings that pique your interest. Then, you’ll communicate directly with the sellers and evaluate the quality of their generation websites—we’ll walk you through the qualities you’re looking for in the next section of this article. 

You can find great deals on lead generation websites and businesses through online marketplaces. However, the caveat is that you won’t always know who you’re working with. When you’re interacting with sellers, take the time to do research and conduct proper due diligence. 

Buying lead generation websites through your own business network

Your own business connections are a great place to look when you’re wanting to purchase a lead generation website. If you’ve spent time building businesses, you more than likely have a strong business network with diverse connections. Friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and business partners might be selling a lead gen site or blog. 

While personal connections can open doors to great business opportunities, the negative side to this deal is that you’re navigating the sale process alone. And when you’re buying a website from a friend, family member, or business connection, your personal bias can keep you from getting the best deal. 

Browsing website broker listings

Working with a qualified website broker or business Advisor is another way to purchase a website.

You might be interested in purchasing a pre existing lead generation website made specifically for your niche. For instance, an online entrepreneur might have already created a home renovation and construction lead gen site for your geographical area and then sell it to homebuilders through a website broker. 

When you purchase a website and the seller is represented by a website broker, you can be confident that the business has already been evaluated. The business Advisor has already reviewed all the financial documentation and website details. 

It’s still crucial to conduct due diligence during the purchasing process. But when you buy a business or website through a broker, you’re not going at it alone. And if you’re interested in adding multiple businesses or websites to your portfolio, there’s a good chance the website broker has additional listings you can discuss. 

Avoid these lead gen red flags

There are multiple components of a website that you need to review and verify when considering a purchase. When you’re looking through lead generation websites you want to avoid these red flags:

• The lead gen site has incredibly low traffic
• All of the visitors come to the website from the same source
• The site uses media or reviews without proper permission 
• The previous owner doesn’t have well documented processes and systems 
• Website metrics don’t paint a picture of conversion success
• The leads generated by the website are low compared to competitors 

Low (or no!) traffic

The purpose of a lead generation site is to convert website visitors into customers. But if the website doesn’t have visitors, there’s no one to move along the sales funnel. A lead generation website that doesn’t have great traffic isn’t going to do the job you need it to do.

Taking a close look at the traffic metrics of a website is a vital step. You can use tools like Google Analytics to get an in-depth look at exactly how many visitors the website has and their behavior once they’re on the site.

The same origin story for every visitor

If a majority of website visitors come from the same source, this is a potential red flag for a lead gen site. In an ideal world, the current owner of the lead generation site has a diverse and robust content marketing plan in place. Website visitors should be coming to the site from a variety of origin points—social media campaigns, email marketing, and search results.

Another related red flag is the ratio of organic to paid traffic. Digging into traffic sources will give you a good idea of what is working and what isn’t working in the current business plan. If you’re still interested in purchasing the lead generation website, you can put together a marketing strategy for after the acquisition based on the current situation. 

Out of date licenses

Another red flag is when a lead generation website is operating with undocumented or outdated licenses, permits, trademarks, or intellectual property. If you’re purchasing a website that requires a trademark license and the seller can’t provide documentation, this could lead to large issues down the road.

Does the current website generate leads using images, audio, video, or customer reviews that they’re using without permission? Finally, if the lead generation website is also a place where customers can purchase products or services, make sure that the specific licensing requirements are met. 

A lack of process and system documentation

Imagine stepping into your office the first day after you purchase a lead generation website. From day one, is the website generating leads for your business? Do you know how to operate the website and have access to all of the metrics?

When browsing lead generation websites, be aware of the systems and processes currently being used by the owner. If they have a great system for documentation and are operating within a system, it’ll be much easier for you to step in and see success from the beginning. 

If the current owner doesn’t have a working knowledge of how the website works or is the only subject matter expert around the website, transitioning could prove challenging. 

Dismal website metrics

When you look through Google Analytics or go through the website hosting’s services, you should be able to see a clear picture of the website’s performance. 

Even if you’re okay with purchasing a lead gen site that is in need of some rehab, you’re still looking for a website that has the makings for future success. A few areas that you’ll want to examine include:

• SEO rankings
• Bounce rates
• Visitors session data
• Top website pages
• Domain name and history 
• Costs associated with maintaining the site
• Page views
• Unique visitor numbers
• Conversion rates
• Broken links 
• Outdated pages
• Current customer reviews and comments

Low leads compared to competitors 

Who are the competitors for your business? What lead generation websites are you up against when it comes to your specific market? Take time to see how the lead generation website you’re interested in purchasing lines up with your competitors.

A website where competitors have an obvious advantage of your business could mean that you’re working uphill after acquiring the site. If the site isn’t defensible and the ways to improve the defense are challenging, out of your wheelhouse, or out of your budget, that particular website might not be a good fit for your lead generation strategy. 

Creating a lead generation website that converts visitors to customers

Whether you’re purchasing a lead generation website or building your own from scratch, there are a few qualities to make sure are included:

• A clear and memorable call to action
• Landing pages that build trust with potential customers 
• In depth customer behavior analytics 
• Regularly updated content for a smooth visitor experience
• Your lead strategy is consistent throughout the entirety of the site

A clear call to action

Your lead generation website should communicate what your business has to offer and why your products or services are valuable to customers. 

A key component of any lead generation site is a CTA. Your CTA can be anything from filling out a contact form for more information, signing up for your business newsletter, or scheduling a consultation call.

To ensure that your CTA effectively drives conversions and helps you achieve your business goals, make sure that it is clear, concise, and action-oriented. Test different variations of your CTA to see what connects with visitors the most. Use action verbs like “download yours today” or “unlock your eBook now” to create a sense of excitement around your products. 

Regardless of what you offer visitors, make sure your CTA encourages them to take the next step in connecting with your business. 

A landing page that builds trust with potential customers 

Your lead generation website is your first impression with a potential customer. It’s important to cultivate trust and recognition. This is where you’re sharing about your business and your products without a hard sale. Website visitors might be multiple steps away from actually making a purchase. 

However, if you nurture your leads well, those visitors can convert into paying customers. But they need to know your business is trustworthy and that you are a subject matter expert in your field.

You can foster trust with visitors by sharing customer reviews and creating an engaging “about us” section of the site. Visitors can learn about what customers think of your project through customers or influencer marketing and get to know the story behind your business. 

If your business has certifications, awards, or partnerships with other companies visitors might recognize, your lead generation website is a great place to share that information. 

Learning about customers through in depth analytics

A lead generation site is a space for visitors to learn more about your business, products, and services. But it’s also a place where you can learn more about visitors and what could convert them into customers.

When building or buying a lead gen site, ensure that the site has the capacity for in depth analytics. You can also utilize additional tools like Google Analytics to see visitor behavior on your site. After you know how a visitor interacts with your site, you can use that information to optimize your marketing strategy over time. 

Updating content regularly

Nothing tanks your credibility like an out of date lead generation website. If someone shares their contact information only to find that the link to their download or eBook is broken, they’re checking out before you even get the chance to nurture a customer relationship. 

Take the time regularly to update your content, check for broken links, and see the sight from a visitor’s perspective. You can also regularly update your site through search engine optimization
(SEO) to regularly improve your site’s visibility in search engine results and attract even more visitors. 

Consistent lead strategy throughout the site and follow-up communication

If the branding on your lead generation website doesn’t match the email that visitors receive later, they might not recognize your business. That can lead to automatic unsubscribes from your email marketing list.

To ensure that your marketing language is consistent, use the same language and design on your lead gen website and any follow up marketing materials. This consistency creates a user experience that builds familiarity and trust for your brand with visitors. 

Conclusion

Lead generation websites can be a powerful tool to convert visitors to customers. By capturing contact information from visitors, you can follow up with leads and nurture relationships that will eventually boost your sales. 

A website’s ability to track visitor analytics and monitor how effective your marketing strategy is also allows you to continually improve your lead generation site and your overall marketing efforts. 

By including elements like clear CTAs, consistent marketing language, and visitor analytics, you can create a compelling website that drives leads and helps you reach your business goals.