Email Lead Generation Tips for Website Owners

Whether promoting a product or service, reaching the right market is essential.  Websites can become a potent vehicle for generating viable leads at little or no cost to the website owner. Here are some tips on lead generation:

• Create a newsletter and publish the sign-up box on your website.  Weekly newsletters keep the brand current in the buyer’s mind.  Content-rich mailings improve the likelihood that recipients will keep the material beyond the first reading, thus increasing exposure to the product or service and ensuring that the website address is readily available.

• When a new product or service is launched, send an email to the newsletter distribution list to let potential buyers know that something new is available.  Include active links to the website to make purchasing more convenient.

• Create a landing page with details about new products or services prior to their launch date.  Send an email to the distribution list to announce the forthcoming item and include a link to the landing page.  Create a sign-up box on this page that visitors can use to request more information or notification when the item becomes available.  This nets a ready-made list of potential buyers.  It can also save time and money if only a few visitors sign up, signaling that there may be no market for the item before too much time and money are invested in it.

• Offer a “freebie”, such as a special report or ebook, to increase newsletter sign-ups.  Alternatively, offer a discount on the subscriber’s next purchase as an incentive to sign up now.  Creating a sense of urgency motivates the buyer to act immediately and decreases the odds that the mailing will be put aside and forgotten.

• Joining online communities and discussion lists that are frequented by the demographic segment most likely to buy is a promotion strategy that offers multiple benefits.  Firstly, it allows the website owner to keep tabs on the needs and trends of potential buyers.  Based on this information, changes can be made to the website and/or product offerings.  Secondly, posting regularly and making the website address part of the email signature serves as a built-in marketing tool.  The website, product, and creator are kept in readers’ minds on a regular basis.

• Auto-responders are an efficient way to contact interested people immediately and on a regular basis.  Website owners can opt to subscribe to a service, usually for a monthly fee, or purchase a program to be installed in one’s own computer.  When individuals sign up to receive the newsletter or more information, a message is automatically sent to their email account.  Thereafter, regular emails can be sent on an incremental, predetermined basis for as long as the subscriber remains active.

These are just a few ways website owners can significantly increase awareness of and traffic to their sites, using tools that are already in place.

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