As a marketing strategist, I've consulted with many business owners struggling to generate leads from their websites. I've found that their problem is often a result of a website that isn't properly designed to be the business engine it should be. And when I say designed, I’m not talking about pictures and graphics (although they do play a part.) Websites and lead generation are about the words you use. The words tell Google and Bing what your website is about. And, the words help visitors to your website decide whether they want to work with you. 

The Words You Use Matter 

You may have a beautiful website but if it does not describe your services in the way a customer searches for your services, the chances of your website being found are slim. For example, I have a client that installs lightweight concrete in multi-family construction. When they came to us, their website talked about lightweight concrete on every page. The problem was their clients weren’t looking for lightweight concrete companies. They were looking for Gyp-Crete® contractors. Because of that they had few visitors to their website and never got leads. Since we changed the wording on their website they average 20 leads per month.  

To identify the words people use to search for your services, you must do keyword research. Tools like Google’s Keyword Planner will tell you how many people search for the terms you use on your website. 

Bullet Point Lists Don’t Generate Leads 

When it comes to your services, bullet point lists don’t generate leads. You want to choose the services you offer that generate significant income and give each their own page. So instead of saying, “Our Services Include: Emergency Board-up Services, Smoke and Soot Removal, Water Damage Restoration, etc.” make each one its own page with information on each topic. 

Words and Your Company’s Personality 

Believe it or not, when consumers read a website they are making judgements about your company. Can this company solve my problem? Are they going to be professional and show up on time or do they run a loose ship, to name just a few. 

When writing your website content, you want to explain to the potential customer what they can expect of you and your staff. You don’t ever want to make a generalized statement touting your great customer service. Every company says they have great customer service. Instead, you want to say things like: 

• We return phone calls and emails within one hour or one business day (depending upon your policy.)
• We show up on time for appointments and on the rare occurrence where we are going to be late, we will call and let you know. In other words, we value your time.
• We clean up after ourselves. 

That last one may seem unnecessary, but you’d be amazed how many contractors don’t. It is extremely important to set realistic expectations for potential customers. The more they know about what you value, and how you work, can be the reason someone calls your company over another. If you want to know what is important to your customers, read your reviews and your competitors’ reviews. There is a wealth of knowledge there.

Calls to Action 

As a business owner you are in sales, and you’ve probably heard the saying “ABC – always be closing.” In website design it is the same thing. You need to have a strong call to action on every page of your website and sometimes more than one if your pages are long.  

A call to action should never be hidden in your content. It should stand out on its own and lead with an action word. So instead of saying, for a free price quote, call 719-555-1212, you might say “Call us now to get a free price quote.” There’s a subtle difference but it does make a difference. 

Search Engine Optimization 

Once you have the right words on your website you are halfway there. But the competition for page one of Google can be fierce depending upon your market. If you are in a competitive market, you need to optimize your website for the search engines to rank. There are some 200 factors that affect where your website ranks, but ultimately the words you use are the most important factor.  

Other factors are technical like how fast your website loads both on desktop computers and smartphones. Google ranks your website separately for desktop and mobile so while you might be on page one when searching on desktop computers, you could be on page 3 on mobile.  

Using tools like Google Analytics and Search Console will help you to identify how users are accessing your website so you’ll know where to concentrate your efforts. But hiring a good SEO Company that knows how to correct technical issues will be worth their weight in gold when you appear on page one of Google and the leads start flowing.