Are you struggling with converting your hits into actual leads?  There used to be a big buzz about how to get visitors to your website and tons of people have locked on to this idea.  They have fooled themselves into thinking that visits translate into business, but they have discovered that this is not the truth.

I could care less about a hit to my website, to be perfectly honest with you.  A hit to my website is equivalent to owning a storefront business that people walk in the front door and proclaim that they are “just looking.”  You don’t want lookers – you want buyers!

So how do you get more buyers and less lookers?  Here’s the big secret:  your website must offer a compelling reason for someone to leave their information behind so that you can contact them.  It’s not about a pretty website with flash graphics and bright colors.  You want a site that compels people to leave their information behind so that you can contact them.

Once you learn how to offer a juicy benefit to your target audience, you’ll get people leaving their information in exchange for that content.

The first step is to accurately understand the needs of your target audience and deliver to them what they want in exchange for their information.  In giving that information, it must tie into your core product or service offering.  For example, let’s assume that you own a marketing and consulting business, and want to get more clients.  Everyone seems to be joining Twitter, but only a few people understand how to use this as a tool to generate business.   So, let’s say you put together a training guide that teaches how to get 20 leads per day on Twitter.

When someone lands on your website, you have an advertisement that reads, “If you’re gonna Tweet, then get paid to do it – free training exposes the secrets to profiting from Twitter.”  Your visitor sees this and in order to get access to the training they must enroll by giving you their contact information; i.e. name, email and phone number.

Now you have more than just a hit; you have an actual lead.  See how easy that works?  Forget about trying to impress your target audience with your image.  Image is nothing; profits are everything.  Wouldn’t you rather have a “vanilla” website that kicks out boat loads of leads over a “Hollywood Beauty” that is no more than eye candy?

Refocus on what’s important and that’s getting leads.  You have to give in order to get, so figure out the great giveaway and position it in front of a lot of people.  The right traffic with turn into leads.  The right leads will turn into business.