When it comes to lead generation, it all comes down to the big three: Website design, SEO, and Social Media. It is the combination of these three, and these three done well, that will set your business down the right path.

First let’s start with the foundation of it all: your website design. Think of your website design as the first impression of your business. Before you even have a chance to say anything, consumers will judge your business based on the appearance of your website. You should consider what audience you want to reach and ensure that your website integrates with your overall marketing plan, meaning it should reflect what your goals are as a business. For example, if you wish to extend your target market to include a different demographic, such as female, then your website should reflect this. Your website should also attempt to influence behavior. By understanding what consumers are clicking on and how long they are spending on certain pages, you can learn to understand the appropriate layout for your website. For example, if you notice that users are spending a lot of time on your inventory page for a specific brand, then make sure your website layout provides an easy and noticeable route to that inventory. The key points to take away here are to create an integrated website design that targets the right audience, reflects the goals of your marketing plan, and is laid out in a way that influences clicking behavior.

Building off of the perfect website design, let’s talk about SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, next. By making SEO a priority, you can increase the exposure of your website. Afterall, what’s the point of building the perfect website if no one will know about it? In other words, you have set the perfect lead trapper of a website, now you have to make sure to draw consumers in. The most important thing to remember when it comes to SEO is that content is king, so make sure you are optimizing keywords and providing content that reflects your business goals. For example, if your business sells excavators, try using a variety of different keywords such as “heavy machinery”, “backhoe”, or “ Industrial equipment”. Do not copy and paste your content across your website. Instead, focus on rich content with various relevant keywords to increase your search engine presence.

Finally, we will be tying your lead generation bundle up by emphasizing the importance of social media. Social media isn’t all about building relationships, it’s also the perfect way to drive traffic to your website. It is crucial for you to establish a certain voice across your different platforms to establish legitimacy, and to influence social media followers to head on over to your website. If your business sounds different across your social media platforms, consumers will be unsure of what you are about, and will be less likely to visit your site. When it comes to social media, remember quality over quantity. Rather than stretching yourself thin, try to focus on a select few social media sites where you are confident you can provide rich content on a daily basis. For example, our main focus for social media is Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, but every business is different. Learn where your audience is, then meet them there! For tips on how to manage social media sites see our recent blog post about managing social media in 30 minutes.

So how does this all tie in together? Lets use the analogy of a flower. In order for a flower to pass on its genes, it relies on a bee to spread its pollen. But in order for this to happen, the flower must have the correct shape for the bee to land on, as well as a correct pathway to make sure the bee brushes against its pollen. If the flower isn’t correctly shaped, the bee cannot land. The shape of the flower is your website. It must have the correct layout (flower shape), as well as understand the click paths (pollen attachment) of consumers to succeed.

A flower must also have an attractive smell and color in order for bees to consider landing on it. If the smell and color are off, bees may not even consider your flower when they are on their search for nectar. Think of this as your SEO. When consumers are searching to buy something your business offers, it’s important that your business comes up in their search, so they will “land” on your website.

Flowers must also provide nectar in order for bees to view their visit worthwhile, and build a “relationship” per say. Think of the nectar as your social media. It’s a way for you to provide value (nectar) to your customers, as well as another way to draw them to your website (flower).

Without bees, flowers will not be able to reproduce and survive. The same goes with your business and consumers. Without consumers, there is no business. It is important to ensure that you have a strong integration of website design, SEO, and social media in order for your business to generate leads and survive