Getting More Website Leads and Sales: An Unconventional Approach

Want more website visitors, leads and sales to grow your business?  Try an unconventional approach.  You may be shocked with the results.

Are you eager to grow or expand your business? Do you desire to get more leads, more phone calls, more sales, etc.?

Of course you do.

To do so, however, you need to do two seemingly contradictory approaches'at the same time.

Following Best Practices For Lead Generation

On the one hand, you must identify what's working for many businesses (not just in your vertical/niche/industry).

These are often called 'best practices.'

Best practices are good guidelines to follow for increasing your revenue, your leads, or inbound calls, and all good metrics of sales growth.

Why would you try to figure things out all by yourself? That is a path on which only a few actually can succeed.

Tap into what is already working.

The Limitations of Best Practices

But using this approach exclusively often guarantees your business a place in the pack of mediocrity.

Sometimes best practices for growing your web traffic, or your leads, or your inquiries end up becoming 'conventional wisdom'' which can become an obstacle to trying something different

Consider what the 'conventional wisdom' said about the following:

1. Flying-  Conventional wisdom said, 'Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.'

That quote is from British mathematician and physicist Lord Kelvin around 1895.

Imagine tinkering with the idea of creating a plane that can fly but having a real smart dude in the 19th century say it is impossible. It would be soooo easy to say to yourself, 'Why even try? He's way smarter than me.'

Thankfully, someone tried anyways.

In 1903, 8 years after Lord Kelvin's declaration, the Wright brothers took the first manned flight.

You would think humanity would now be open to all sorts of new possibilities.

Nope.

2. Military aircraft ' In 1911, conventional wisdom said, 'Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value.' That sentiment was voiced by Marshal Ferdinand Foch, French military strategist.

Well, you know how that turned out.

At every stage, humans resist (or at least scoff at) anything new and different.

3. Computers ' When the computer was invented, people could not see beyond the current understanding of how it could be used.

In fact, as recently at 1977, the president and founder of Digital Equipment Corp, Kenneth Olsen, voiced the conventional wisdom of the time by saying, 'There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home.'

The Both/And Challenge for increasing leads and sales

So, the challenge is to look to best practices in your industry, but at the same time don't rule something out just because it doesn't fit into the conventional wisdom of your industry.

Don't be afraid to try something new' or revisit something that is old (that everyone now says doesn't work).

Conventional wisdom may say, 'Trade shows are how we gather our leads.' Then again, conventional wisdom may be saying, 'Trade shows don't work any more' don't waste your time and money.'

Always be willing to explore unconventional approaches.

BUT' only if you seek to measure and assess results. Don't guess. Don't rely on anecdotes. You may be surprised by what the real numbers reveal.

Being Systematic and Methodical

Here is another example close to home. At 2nd Mile Marketing, we have found that testing EVERYTHING, but keeping only what works so you can improve it further, is the only approach to long-term profitability.

One of the services we offer clients is search engine marketing, including pay-per-click advertising.

We don't just do things one way' a set it and forget it approach. Some do, of course but we believe there is a better way.

When we do Google, Yahoo, and Bing pay-per-click, we test different ads, different landing pages, and even different 'angles' on how we promote a client.

It is always difficult to know what will work or not work' until you try (then measure the results and assess).

Not surprisingly, we have created new 'best practices' that no one considered before.

Heck, we measure and track all our own lead generation efforts (online and offline). Then, we evaluate the results.

A Great Discovery' or is it?

For example, we just found a new method that has attracted 100 new free leads in about one month. Our first reaction: Woohoo!!!

But, upon analysis, it was determine that this source of leads has not produced a single good prospect. Some tire kickers, but nothing to really get excited about.

The next step is to determine is this method is redeemable with some adjustments'or whether we scrap it and move on.

My point for you is to be like Thomas Edison as you grow your business leads and sales, and approach the marketing of your company.

Systematically, methodically test and try different approaches' but always measure the outcome and assess. Don't be afraid to buck conventional wisdom.

A Great, Modern Example of Bucking Conventional Wisdom

Here is an inspiring example (and a great story) of someone who kept being told, 'you don't want to do it that way' that way won't work.' Thankfully, he didn't listen to the conventional wisdom' and it has paid off big time for him.

If you only follow the crowd, you will never get ahead of the crowd. Sometimes try the path less traveled. It may pay off big time. Click to tweet

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