Imagine casually strolling through the grocery store when you stumble on a pleasant surprise—a sampling stand!

Overhead is a sign with the company’s or product’s name written big enough so no passerby can miss it, and on the table is a tasty and FREE sample.

Specialty cheese, lime chips with guacamole, chicken bites smothered in BBQ sauce, or bubbly champagne—whatever it is, that delicious free sample might be enough for your taste buds to fully commit and say “I do” to adding some to your shopping cart.

Here is how to build a lead-generator page that will grow your e-mail list in a few simple steps.

A lead-generator page acts in precisely the same way. It’s a page that companies and businesses use to grow their lists of potential customers by offering something of value for free.

If you’ve wanted to grow your e-mail list, but have no idea how to, it might be time to explore the option of adding lead-generator pages to your website.

Here is how to build a lead-generator page that will grow your e-mail list in a few simple steps.

What It Is and What It Isn’t

You might be thinking, “Why do I need a lead-generator page? Why not send people straight to my website or to an engaging blog?”

Because, in many cases, the people who land on your blog or website are not yet ready to make a full commitment to purchasing your products or services. They might need some time to get to know you and develop trust in your brand. This is precisely the reason most successful brands use lead generators—to capture potential future customers and hold them until they are ready to make that decision.

The reason most successful brands use lead generators—to capture potential future customers and hold them until they are ready to make that decision.

Going back to our food analogies, your website is similar to a menu at a restaurant—it presents all the different options spread across many pages. That’s great, but what makes your restaurant’s options better than another’s? How do you convince people to stay and eat a meal?

For a lead generator to be effective in getting people to give you their personal information, it must have a few components: it must give them something they need or want for free—something, of course, that is relevant to your line of business or area of expertise.

Before We Get Technical

There are a few fundamental components of a successful lead-generator page.

The first and most important is What problem am I solving for my audience?

Using the HeroGuide Framework, ask yourself: 

1. Who is my audience?
2. What problem am I solving for them?
3. What item of value can I offer for free that relates to my products or services?

What problem am I solving for my audience?

For instance, if you are a marketing agency and offer services for growing costumers’ social media followings, you won’t give away all the keys to success up front; instead, you could offer a free PDF with five tips for creating an effective social media graphic.

Your freebie can be anything—a webinar, exclusive tips, an e-series or e-book, a membership with limited access, or even a song.

What is the purpose of doing this?

You are solving a problem for your audience, which in return builds trust in your brand and widens your pool of potential future customers.

People will only be willing to hand out their information if there is something in it for them.

People will only be willing to hand out their information if there is something in it for them. In The Age of Too Much Information, people have become more selective about where they invest their energies and how much they want to commit. They are used to being spammed with e-mails, the main purpose of which is to get something from them. No, thank you. Unsubscribe! 

However, if you offer them something of value—a “give and take” offer—they are more likely to take a chance and give you what you covet most: their email addresses.

The Art of Giving

There is an art to giving, and it starts with layout.

Here are some techniques to apply and pitfalls to avoid while designing the layout of your lead-generating page.

Placement matters: When a potential customer lands on your lead-generator page, they need to know immediately what you are offering, what problem you are solving, and what they need to do to get that solution. To make sure of that, place your free resource above the fold, with a sign-up box. One of the mistakes businesses make is placing the sign-up box on the lower part of the page. Many potential customers will never scroll down far enough to see it. Whatever you are offering should be clear and visible when they land on your page.

One of the mistakes businesses make is placing the sign-up box on the lower part of the page.

Minimalism works: Have as few links as possible. Too many links can make people exit your lead-generating landing page. Minimize the top navigation bar (even disable it if you don’t need it) as well as the footer. You want to “trap” your potential customer on the landing page and minimize the ways to exit the page.

Have as few links as possible.

Tasters and teasers: Add a sneak peek of the resource you are offering. For instance, if you are offering a free PDF containing five tips for creating an effective social media graphic, create an appealing cover that draws people in and makes them want to read it. If you are offering a webinar, create a mini-video highlighting what they can expect. These bite-sized appetizers will leave them with a taste for more.

These bite-sized appetizers will leave them with a taste for more.

CloudPDF is another incredible tool that can help businesses create lead-generating PDFs. This tool provides insights into how your audience engages with your documents and is a very easy way to embed PDFs in your website while giving you the option to easily disable or enable the document from being downloaded.

Learn more or sign up for CloudPDF

They say the best things in life are free, and we couldn’t agree more.

Use these techniques and you will see that people will, without a lot of begging on your part, subscribe to your e-mail list. 

Use these techniques and you will see that people will, without a lot of begging on your part, subscribe to your e-mail list. 

Keep It Simple

Lead-generator pages are not hard to create; you just need a little guidance and creativity.

The key to success, in this case, is to focus on the free product you will offer potential customers. Put some effort into thinking about what they might enjoy and how you can use your services to benefit them.

The key to success, is to focus on the free product you will offer potential customers.

Here is a little recap of how to create an effective lead-generator page:

1. Use the HeroGuide Framework: Figure out what your customer needs and then offer it to them.
2. Free product and registration box: Make sure the potential customer knows what you are offering, what problem this will solve for them, and how to get that solution.
3. No distractions: Add only the links that are necessary and lessen distractions by removing the navigation bar and footer, if appropriate.
4. Tasters and teasers: Give a taste of the product or service you offer to increase the chance of getting new e-mail subscriptions.

If you overcomplicate the process and find yourself getting frustrated, you’ve gone too far. Get back on track with this simple rule: Your lead generator needs to be short, sweet, and simple!

Your lead generator needs to be short, sweet, and simple!

Need more guidance on creating a lead-generator page that works best for you?

We are here for you. Contact us to schedule an appointment with one of our marketing experts and watch your e-mail list grow in no time.