Internet Lead Management, Getting The Most From Web Visitors

Consumers are so connected to the Web these days you would think that we have been Internet marketing forever. Obviously, that is not the case. This segment of marketing is young and evolving.

As a result, there are a lot of technology vendors that are trying new and innovative ways to convert Web visitors into customers--fancy web designs, flashy banner ads, pop-ups, pop-unders, calls to action. However, some of the most effective ways to get the most from your Web traffic is good old fashion sales discipline, enforced by a lead management system.

Respond Fast

When you generate an online customer inquiry, whether it is a phone call or a contact form submission, make sure it is immediately distributed and contacted. This means avoiding the dreaded email back-end to most web contact forms.

Simply emailing a Web contact into a central email account or forwarding it to one or more people in you sales organization is a recipe for disaster. Here are the typical results:

• No one does anything. Stats confirm this is the fate of 60-70% of Internet leads.
• The lead is delayed while someone figures out where it "belongs"
• Multiple eager people jump on the same lead and barrage the customer
• Make one attempt or contact, when it is hot, and then never follow-up

Provide Additional Resources

Most consumers are coming to the Web for information. If you simply capture them and assualt them with a sales pitch then chances are you are missing their expectations. One of the main reasons people are so attracted to the Internet is the opportunity to browse in piece.

Make sure that when that lead comes into your lead management system your first contact comes offering additional information. This can be and email with additional information, and attached white paper, or even a call offering to provide your assistance in understanding what you offer.

Add Value

Another critical element of your lead management strategy should be optimizing your response for maximum value. The Internet makes it very easy to segment your traffic and anticipate exactly what the consumer is looking for--do the same when you receive it into the lead management software.

Consumers are highly impressed when you anticipate and respond to their need. The perception that you are adding value to a customer is typically directly related to your sense of urgency in responding and how close that response is to what they are looking for.

To increase the frequency with which people feel you are adding value, segment your inbound leads into products and service categories based on where they submit. This will give sales people ques as to how to respond appropriately--with value.

Extend the Relationship

Building a relationship is probably one of the biggest strengths of managing Internet customers with lead management. Once they are in the system to you can build systematic ways to stay in contact and follow-up.

A sales relationship is built on trust, relevance, and credibility. Managing your Web customers with lead management can make sure that you are satisfying all of these elements in your Web visitors minds and convert them into customers at a higher rate.