The internet is seen as a great new tool to get more business: online lead generation is a key area for business growth.
Business Development managers in all industries know what hard work it is to get new business and generate new leads. Traditionally, this was done through direct mailouts, telemarketing, referrals, and networking. Now businesses have another technique to add to the mix: capturing potential customers online.
The reason online lead generation services is so effective is that it presents your business solution to the right people at the right time. Generally speaking, people will start searching online for a solution to their problem when they are in trouble and need to have the solution soon.
In contrast to direct mail and telemarketing, this means that potential customers will see your product in the exact moment they are searching for it.
For businesses to generate more leads online, it is essential they increase their website traffic. Therefore, it is common for business owners to use PPC (pay per click) marketing such as Google AdWords, or long-term strategies such as SEO (search engine optimisation) to get more people to their website.
The advantage of paid advertising, in particular, Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising like Google AdWords, Yahoo Overture and Facebook Ads, is that it can produce immediate results. It means you can start this strategy today and see an increase in website visitors only a few hours later. One of the disadvantages is that PPC campaigns typically hit a ceiling in form of the budget that is being set. Because there is a minimum cost per click it simply cannot be leveraged beyond.
In contrast, SEO (search engine optimization) is a long-term strategy that typically takes a minimum of 6 months to show results. While this can be perceived as a disadvantage, it can give the business owners and operational team time to prepare the right resources to meet an increase in demand.
The advantage of SEO is that it is highly leveraged. Although you have a set budget, the longer your SEO campaign continues, the better your results will get. In effect, a good SEO campaign will create an online lead generation machine that delivers leads day in, day out for the life of your business.