Convert: Contact information is the most valuable currency there is to the online marketer

The inbound methodology is the best way to turn strangers into audiences and promoters. For the past decade, inbound marketing has been the most effective online marketing method. Instead of old outbound marketing methods, such as buying ads, inbound marketing methods align the content you publish with your audiences’s interests. You naturally attract inbound traffic that you can then convert.

The graphic below features four actions: Attract, Convert, Close, and Delight. Organizations doing inbound marketing must take these actions in order to obtain visitors, leads, customers and promoters.

Convert

Once you’ve got visitors to your site, your next step is to convert those visitors into leads by gathering their contact information. Contact information is the most valuable currency there is to the online marketer. In order for your visitors to offer up that currency willingly, you need to offer them something in return. That “payment” comes in the form of content—whatever information would be interesting and valuable to each of your personas.

Your goal is to capture inbound leads through your website with landing pages that are easy to customize, test, personalize, and track. The more landing pages you have, the more conversions you’ll get.

1. Convert: Landing Pages

When a website visitor indicates that they want more information or to engage you, a simple click of a CTA (call-to-action) button will bring them to a landing page. A landing page is where the prospect submits information that you can use to begin a conversation with them. When website visitors fill out forms on landing pages, they become leads.

2. Convert: Calls-to-Action

Calls-to-action are buttons or links that encourage your visitors to take action, like “Download this Toolkit” or “Attend a Webinar.” If you don’t have enough enticing calls-to-action, you won’t generate any leads.

3. Convert: Forms

In order for visitors to become leads, they must fill out a form and submit their information. Optimize your form to make this step of the conversion process as easy as possible.

4. Convert: Contacts

Keep track of the leads you're converting in a centralized marketing database. Having all your data in one place helps you track every interaction you’ve had with your contacts—be it through email, a landing page, social media, or otherwise. You can now optimize your future interactions to more effectively attract, convert, close, and delight your buyer personas.