E-commerce, webstores and informational sites work much like retail and walk in offices, only done electronically in the comfort of a keyboard and a computer. A retail outlet makes sales and although, location depending, they have a lot of walk in traffic, it’s about the advertising to get the people in the store to shop and purchase. For the hours that you’re behind the cash til you want quality shoppers rather than browsers trying to stay warm/cool from the weather. The same goes for the e-commerce/on-line information world.

Time is money and you want quality customers to come to your site and buy, much like a retail store in the mall. You want spenders not just window shoppers. This is where online lead generation comes in and the effective ways to boost your sales.  No one wants to be the cashier behind the til waiting to make the sale, therefore, why should you do the same?

Online lead generation is a marketing term that refers to the creation or generation of prospective consumer interest or inquiry into a business’ products or services. In other words, driving quality prospective customers through various methods of on-line lead generation toward a specific website, with the intention of the business closing the sale (conversion).

Increasing sales is one of the top priorities of most companies. You need to spend money to make money, however, there is a huge difference between effective and non effective spending, marketing and lead generation. Investing in an online lead generation company is one of the best investments. Once the online lead generations start coming in, it’s up to you, the business to sell and convert (based on those online leads).

What is direct response advertising? According to business dictionaries and industry terms, direct response advertising is a promotional method in which a prospective customer is urged to respond immediately and directly to the advertiser through various devices.

The most popular form of direct response advertising is at trade shows or retail outlets in which prospective customers fill out contest or information ballets. This method of direct response advertising is also known as direct response mechanism.

Another form of direct response advertising is through coupons. Direct response advertising through coupons have taken a more recent modern turn. Gone are the days in which you cut, mailed or walked into a store in which the cashier keyed in your information. Now through e-mail newsletter signups coupons are e-mailed directly complete with a bar code. Once the customer walks into the store, depending on the information and circumstance, the bar code information is now instantly recorded. There are some retailers still utilizing the traditional form of direct response advertising, however, with e-commerce sites and retail accessibility we will be seeing more data collected through bar code encrypted coupons. If shopping on line with an e-coupon direct response advertising can be collected in the form of a coupon code recorded and redeemed during check out.

Used for customer service for e-commerce sites is the direct response advertising through data collected on a toll free number. In addition to the geographical location of where the call is coming from, other information can be gathered through key pad menu selection.

Finally the fourth of the popular forms of direct response advertising is from “Hot Spots.” Hot spots are hyperlinked icons, images and or texts. By clicking on the link, pages are being recorded of where you’re going and where you’re coming from on specific sites.

Generating quality leads is important, leveraging your buying power. It is important for us to supply our clients with quality leads to help their own productivity. Lead generation is better than paid media as you receive quality interested prospects in which you can nurture to make the sale.

There are many companies out there who offer the same if not similar service. How does one find a firm that suits their needs? Remember not all lead generation is created equal.

A self serve web based generator may give you good leads in volume, however, how do you improve on quality and save money at the same time? Working with a firm that has an actual staff is your answer to maintaining quality while having your marketing dollars work for you. They will make sure you reach your sales goals through quality leads. In other words, guaranteed results for dollars spent.

A good marketing consulting/lead generating firm will forward you good prospects by making sure that ads appear on content-rich sites relevant to your product and or project(s) in combination with in-depth research. Lead generation when combined with an appropriate filtering service(s) equals higher conversions.

A company willing to offer a guarantee is one that stands by their product which generates trust. Quality leads generate quality sales. Remember you get what you pay for.

Contact Prizm media today to start your pay per performance lead generation program started, advertising@prizmmedia.com

We’ve heard of the term lead nurturing tossed here and there within the industry, however, what is really lead nurturing?

Lead nurturing supports the conversation of the customer before, during and after their buying process.

It’s about building relationships through conversations and connections in addition to valuable marketing campaigns.

If your sales team is following up on nurtured leads, the conversation rates will blossom, however, remember that impressions matter.

Remember make time to nurture your leads. We’re all busy, it’s the nature of the business, setting aside 10 minutes or assigning someone else to assist could mean a difference between a $100 day to a $1000 day.

Treat all, good quality leads like future customers ’cause that is what they are. You treat them with respect and humanity, they will spread the word for you, thus sustaining and maintaing a company’s reputation. Obtaining quality leads through an agency or firm will deliver the best, it’s up to you to close to sale.

Here’s a saying that one of my bosses once told me that I’ve carried throughout my future and an inspiration in the lead generating market: Personalization increases reception of information and action. It’s easy for a company to say where they’re from, however, more people are interested in the “Who” aspect.

It’s human nature to worry about existing clients. Rarely, due to stress, work load and or other circumstances do we stop and think about “who could be our next client.”

We are slowly climbing out of the “recession” period, therefore, let’s make the best of the leads.