WordPress is now a very popular choice for content management, with numerous bloggers and businesses using it to display text, graphics, video and more. However, this system was primarily built to display content rather than as a data capture system so acquiring leads hasn’t always been seen as the major priority for WordPress users.
Fortunately today, with the numerous plug-ins available for lead capture, WordPress can also be used to gather the details of new readers and potential customers to help you build your online business.
Easy-to-implement plug-in technology
The really good news is that you don’t necessarily need a degree in programming to capture leads from your WordPress blog – the functionality is all readily available. But this is no time to rest on your laurels… as always, it helps to be a creative with your content in order to attract people to your site in the first place.
Here are just a couple of simple ways to capture leads using WordPress.
Create a survey page
Websites these days are built to be interactive – and what better way to get to know your readers and customers than by getting them to fill in a survey? The information you can glean from a simple survey is vast and incredibly varied.
You can ask simple questions to gather the necessary details such as names, email addresses and telephone numbers – or find out about lifestyle, age, vocation and more. An insurance provider for example, might want to ask about renewal dates and details regarding home or business.
Plug-ins such as SurveyGizmo allow you to create custom surveys bespoke to your requirements, while you are able to stay in WordPress to monitor the results. Or use the WP-Tiger plugin, which helps to easily capture leads to VtigerCRM from your WordPress CMS through a contact form. You can use the short code on pages or in posts, and there is a separate short code for widgets as well.
Exchanging content for details
Behind every successful website is great content. Poor content won’t encourage readers, without whom you’ll fail to capture any leads, quite simply because there’ll be no one on your site to enter their details.
Some businesses choose to use their quality content to their advantage when it comes to capturing leads, by promoting exclusive downloadable whitepapers and case studies. These can be accessed in exchange for vital information such as an email address or telephone number.
Subscriptions
One of the simplest ways to capture leads on your WordPress site is as old as the platform itself – subscription. Subscribers can do so with an email address and do not have to have a WordPress account.
Encourage readers to subscribe to your blog or even a monthly newsletter using the subscription function to gain the information you need to build your business. Again, the key to this strategy is offering something your subscribers want to read – and its success lies in the quality of your content.