Most business websites fail because owners never ask the crucial question: what is your website's purpose? Learn the strategic website approach that generates qualified leads and converts visitors into customers through proven marketing blueprint principles.
Now that we've covered the number one and most important foundation you can create for your company... your authentic business story and background... let's dive into the second key factor to the blueprint for success. The second key factor is something that every business should have, and if you don't have one optimized correctly, you need to ask yourself why.
The most important element for getting your message out to potential customers is the number one way to do that through our second key factor to the blueprint for success: your website strategy. Now this is going to be contentious a little bit because everyone has an opinion on what a website should do, what a website should look like, and how it should function.
But here's the problem: no one ever asks the most basic question that determines whether your website generates leads and customers or just sits there looking pretty while your competitors steal your business.
I'm going to pose this fundamental question to you, and I want you to think very carefully about what the answer should be, because it is the most important part of determining your website's success or failure.
You have a website. Did anyone ever ask you when you were designing your website, or maybe when you designed your own website, did you ever ask yourself: What is the purpose of this website? What do you want it to accomplish?
One of the hardest things to teach business owners is that they need a compelling reason for every element on their website, because then your audience, your target customers, will understand that same reasoning and be compelled to take action.
Let's say for sake of argument, you have a website and you put up this beautiful page with pictures and everything else, but there's no clear message or purpose. Well, then it's just a digital flier with pictures. Because really, in a nutshell, a website is literally the modern version of putting a flier on someone's windshield.
You have one tenth of a second, or you'll know very fast if your website captures someone's attention. On the top portion of your website is something called "the fold." It is the first area that everyone sees when they land on your page, and in that critical area you have got to connect with your audience in basically a fraction of a few moments.
The reason this is so crucial is because you only have a certain amount of time to grab their attention. If you think about it this way: if you're in plumbing, if you're an electrician, if you are in landscaping, if you're in roofing, if you're in paving, if you're in any service industry whatsoever, you have to approach your website very strategically.
How many people are doing the same thing you're doing in the same market? What are you doing differently to stand out from all that competition?
Here's what typically happens with most business websites. The message is "oh, we're a painting company" and the first picture is of a guy holding a brush. Okay, great. I get the visual. But what's the compelling message? There's just the guy holding the brush.
Another approach might be "oh my gosh, here is a picture of a job that we completed." Again, without a clear message, it's just a picture of a room that has new paint. You're asking your website visitors to try to connect those pieces together and figure out why they should choose you.
This is why one of the key ingredients to your successful website strategy is understanding: What do you want your website to accomplish?
Each one of these objectives requires a completely different website approach depending on what conversation you want to have in the fold.
If you catch their attention in the fold, people will occasionally scroll down and start to look at other sections of your website. But remember, you don't have a lot of time to say "hey, look at us, we want to help you and we can do the best job for you."
Those compelling messages take marketing finesse and strategic thinking. In your marketing blueprint for success, you have to understand that you need a complete set of integrated elements to make your website work effectively.
Here's the reality: if you don't know what you want your website to accomplish, then you can just put anything up there and that's exactly what you're going to find... you're not going to get meaningful responses or qualified leads.
There are three basic types of websites that serve different business purposes:
These are three completely different website strategies, and if the people you hire or the team you work with don't understand these differences, it's costing you money and wasting your time.
If you're looking to generate leads consistently, where is your lead generator positioned in the top fold of your website? One of the proven strategies we use is implementing a compelling either pop-up or strategic placement in that fold to get someone to provide their email, phone number, or name.
The reason this is so powerful is because every time you capture somebody's contact information, think about the logistics of what just happened. Someone came to your website after searching "painting company in my city" or whatever service you provide. They looked at multiple options, checked Google ratings, and chose to visit your specific website.
Now they land on your website and either go "oh..." in a disappointed way, or "oh!" in an excited, interested way. The difference between those two reactions can mean thousands of dollars in lost business or gained customers.
You've experienced this yourself. You've visited websites and had both reactions, so pay attention to what creates the positive "oh!" response because you can use those exact same techniques on your own website.
If you're trying to capture leads, one of the most important elements is having a strategic offer in the fold that says "hey, if you provide your name and email address, we will give you this valuable resource."
That seems reasonable. That's a fair trade. Now, what do you know about that person who just gave you their contact information? Think about it: if someone came to your website, they're looking for your specific products and services. If you now have a lead capture in the fold that says "hey, if you give us this, we'll give you that," well, that's a valuable business transaction.
People will think "I will trade my contact information for that valuable offer." In doing so, there's what feels like a fair business exchange. It's a very powerful business transaction because now you have the name and email of someone who's actively looking for your product and services. They're literally knocking on your digital door.
At Exposure Marketing, we call this "magnetic marketing." The conversation becomes: how difficult is this strategy really to implement? It's not complicated when you have a complete mission and message designed based on all the parameters of the marketing blueprint.
It makes perfect sense to include a compelling call to action that says "give me your name and email address" (sometimes even a phone number, though be mindful that some people are more protective of their phone numbers). Make the process as easy as possible because the easier you make it, the more people will complete the action.
If you capture just one lead per day from your website, that's seven more leads per week than you had before. The difference this can make to your business can be thousands and tens of thousands of dollars.
Let's say for sake of argument you capture seven leads per week and you only close 2 or 3 out of those seven qualified prospects. That's still three new customers you generated just by creating an effective way to capture leads in your website's fold.
These prospects are essentially saying "hey, we're interested in your business. You're interested in us. Let's see if we can work together and create a mutually beneficial business relationship." It's that simple conceptually.
Now the concept is simple, but the execution requires strategic thinking. What should your lead magnet offer be? How do you structure your follow-up sequence? These elements are part of the comprehensive marketing blueprint we'll cover in other sections.
But I want you to understand this: if your goal is to sell someone into an appointment or consultation, you have to do much more work than just putting a few pictures up with a basic lead capture. That approach won't translate into high-value sales.
You need to create a secondary type of website that we call either a landing page or a sales funnel that drives prospects directly toward booking appointments or making purchase decisions.
The three types of websites serve completely different purposes:
Type 1: Information/Branding Websites - Designed primarily to communicate your message and establish credibility
Type 2: Lead Generation Websites - Strategically designed to capture contact information from qualified prospects
Type 3: Conversion/Sales Websites - Built to guide visitors directly toward booking appointments or making purchases
Understanding these distinctions is crucial because each type requires different design elements, content strategies, and conversion optimization approaches. If your web designer, marketing team, or the people you hire don't understand these fundamental differences, it's costing you money and time.
Your website strategy doesn't exist in isolation. It must work seamlessly with your authentic business story, your social proof systems, your compelling offers, and all the other elements of your marketing blueprint.
When someone visits your website after being attracted by your compelling content or advertising, they should find a cohesive experience that reinforces your story, demonstrates your credibility through customer testimonials, and provides clear next steps for engaging with your business.
This integration is what transforms individual marketing tactics into a comprehensive system that consistently generates qualified leads and converts them into loyal customers.
Most business websites fail because they try to be everything to everyone instead of having a clear, specific purpose. Here are the most costly mistakes:
Burying the lead: Hiding your most compelling offers and contact information below the fold where visitors might never see them
Lacking clear value propositions: Failing to immediately communicate why visitors should choose your business over competitors
Complicated navigation: Making it difficult for prospects to find what they're looking for or take the next step
Missing lead capture: Having no systematic way to capture contact information from interested visitors
Generic messaging: Using the same basic language as every competitor instead of highlighting what makes you unique
The most effective business websites follow proven principles for capturing and converting visitors:
Clear headline: Immediately communicate what you do and why it matters to your target customer
Compelling lead magnet: Offer something valuable in exchange for contact information
Strategic placement: Position your most important elements in the fold where everyone will see them
Social proof: Include customer testimonials and reviews prominently on your homepage
Simple navigation: Make it easy for visitors to find information and take action
Mobile optimization: Ensure your website works perfectly on smartphones and tablets
Track these essential metrics to understand whether your website strategy is generating results:
Conversion rate: The percentage of visitors who become leads or customers
Lead quality: How many captured leads actually turn into paying customers
Traffic sources: Which marketing channels drive the most qualified website visitors
Time on site: How long visitors stay engaged with your content
Bounce rate: The percentage of visitors who leave immediately without taking action
These metrics help you optimize your website strategy for maximum return on investment.
Don't let this information sit idle. Start by clearly defining what you want your website to accomplish. Are you primarily trying to generate leads, book appointments, or establish credibility? Once you're clear on the purpose, design every element to support that goal.
If you're serious about generating more leads and customers through your website, focus first on optimizing your fold with a compelling headline, clear value proposition, and strategic lead capture offer.
Remember that your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your business. Make sure that impression immediately communicates value, builds trust, and provides a clear path for prospects to engage with your company.
The businesses that dominate their markets understand that effective website strategy isn't about having the prettiest design... it's about having the most strategic approach that consistently converts visitors into customers.
Your website should be a lead generation machine that works for your business 24/7, not just a digital business card that looks nice but generates no measurable results. When you approach your website with this strategic mindset, everything about your online presence becomes more effective and profitable.
The choice is yours: continue with a website that just looks good, or implement a strategic website that actually generates qualified leads and grows your business every single day.
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