If you want your business to make a profit, you first need customers. While this may sound straightforward and simple, finding and holding onto customers can be far from simple. As a content marketing agency that frequently does business with both hyper local small businesses and high-tech enterprise clients, we run many lead gen campaigns.

However, a lead generation campaign lets potential customers know you exist and helps you increase revenue. Follow these simple steps to start your own lead gen campaign.

Create a user-friendly website

First things first… Your website must be more than just a colorful collection of pretty pictures and witty comments. It has to have a purpose and it must draw the user in and make them want to interact with it. Ask yourself ‘Why would my customer want to visit this site / click through to the next page?’.

Specific aspects that you should consider include:

• Is the font easy to read?

• Is the color scheme inviting?

• Is the site easy to navigate?

• Are any forms easy to fill in?

• Is all the content relevant?

• Is it focused on the customer?

• Do all your links work?

Let the customer find you

Having an incredible website is not enough; you also have to encourage people to visit and explore your site. This takes time and more than a little hard work.

The key is to find the best way to tell your potential customers that you exist. It is of no use to place an ad in a local newspaper if your customer segment rarely reads printed press. Similarly, if you are going to use an online campaign, it is crucial to find out where your customers are most likely to spend their online time.

To attract potential customers and increase revenue you should:

• Know who your potential customers are (personas)

• Know their online and print media habits

• Interact with the same sites and media

• Create a social media presence aimed at this segment

• Provide links to your site in any marketing

• Consider special offers - a reason to visit the site

• Regularly update you social media and blogs to keep them fresh and relevant

• Value visitors input - interact with your customers

And don’t forget

It has already been said, but it is imperative and worth repeating: your customers need a reason to visit your site. Whenever you interact, post or write a blog, don’t forget to add a call to action. Tell your customer what you want them to do.

Tell them what you want in such a way that they think it was their idea in the first place. A good call to action needs to:

• Be intriguing

• Be relevant

• Work well (the link)

• Be well written, specifically targeting the funnel level you desire

• Speak directly to your customer

• Encourage them to do it now, not wait until later

• Make them feel special

• Make them feel excited at the prospect of what they will find

Great lead gen campaigns target a specific part of the buyer’s journey. People come to your site at varying levels, some to research how to do something, some to compare features and prices and some to buy. Your various lead gen activities should target one specific part of the funnel, say research or purchase. A good lead gen campaign is a part of a larger marketing strategy that hits all parts of the funnel, and walks though visitors in the top of the funnel all the way through the sales process.

A good lead generation campaign will bring an increased number of potential new customers to your website and encourage them to complete the sales cycle. However, an exceptional lead generation campaign will encourage those customers to return time after time, using email campaigns and newsletter subscriptions.

Tailor your approach to meet their specific needs, and loyal, returning customers will bring new leads with them, help you increase revenue of your business even further.