How To Convert Leads Into Customers? (15 Successful Tips To Convert!)

Generating traffic and quality leads is more challenging than ever, as considered by 61% of marketers, according to research. But what should be scarier is that 79% of leads may never be sales-ready, i.e., never convert into paying customers! 

Now, before your world comes crashing down (or your CEO fires you and cries about it on the internet), I would like you to know that you can reduce that percentage significantly with some little tweaks to your marketing strategy!

Converting leads into customers is the ultimate goal, and while many things can help you do that—you need to show your customer that you care about their needs, above all. This is the best way to get them to trust your brand. And when they need something similar to your product or service, you can count on them to come to you first! If you nurture the leads you generate appropriately, you may generate 50% more sales at a 33% lower cost. Now, what’s not to love about that?

In this blog, I will discuss what lead conversion is, what lead conversion metrics you should be tracking, and finally, share 15 successful lead conversion tactics. These strategies have been tried and tested by businesses before and, like them, can help you drastically increase the number of clients in your database (and multiply your ROI manifold, of course!)

What is lead-to-customer conversion?

Lead conversion is that process in your sales cycle wherein your website visitor or social media follower who is already in your sales pipeline takes an action that turns them into a paying customer. This could involve them performing any revenue-generating activity. Lead conversion can also be applied when a prospect moves from one step of the lead generation process to another.

Utilizing a variety of tactics, lead conversion entails turning potential customers into paying ones. The end goal is to push them towards investing in your product or service and trying to influence their purchasing decision.

Leads go through several steps in the sales process before becoming customers. The traditional method involves steps like nurturing:

• visitors to turn into leads;
• leads that are qualified for marketing to turn into MQLs;
• MQLs leading to becoming sales-qualified leads (SQLs); and finally,
• SQLs to convert to customers.

The key is providing possibilities at each stage for the lead to act to proceed to the next. Some strategies focus on persuasion, others on the fear of losing out—but all of them should deliver on the value they promise to the prospects.

Conversion metrics you should know about

Every stage of your sales cycle needs to be tracked and analyzed thoroughly, and lead conversion is the most crucial of all. Measuring lead conversion objectively allows you to assess how effectively the marketing and sales teams generate leads and convert them into customers. The two most important indicators of a successful lead conversion ratio are lead conversion rate and lead-to-sale conversion rate. So let’s delve a little deeper.

Lead conversion rate

The lead conversion rate is the ratio of leads to overall visitors, and it helps you gauge how well you can turn website visitors into leads.

To determine the lead conversion rate, you must compute the ratio of leads generated during a given time to all visitors during that period.  You can use the formula below:

Lead conversion = (Number of leads / Total Visitors) x 100%

‍

Lead-to-Sales conversion rate

The lead-to-sale conversion rate measures the efficiency with which your business converts leads into customers. This focuses on the number of leads that result in sales and generate revenue.

It would be best to compute the ratio of the number of converted leads to the entire volume of leads to get the lead-to-sale conversion rate. For example, you can use the formula below:

Lead-to-sales conversion rate = (Converted leads / Total lead volume) x 100%

‍

Note: The lead conversion rate directly impacts the lead-to-sales conversion rate, and that is because the quality of the former will affect the latter. Qualifying all leads you get is an excellent way to ensure you maintain your desired lead-to-sales conversion rate.

Some other helpful metrics could be:

• Cost per conversion: Cost per conversion is the price paid to get a new customer. You divide the entire advertising and marketing expense by the number of conversions to determine the cost per conversion.

• Lead quality: The revenue-generating capacity of leads, as in direct correlation to the success of your business, is known as lead value. You divide the entire sales value by the total number of leads to arrive at the lead value.

• Duration (or length) of the sales cycle: The time it takes for a visitor to convert into a lead and then into a paying customer is known as the duration of the sales cycle. By dividing the time it needs to close one customer by the total number of deals closed, you can get the length of the sales cycle.

• Lead-to-opportunity conversion rate: The percentage of leads that become opportunities is known as the lead-to-opportunity conversion rate. It's a crucial measure that you ought to be constantly improving.

• ROI per conversion: The return on investment for each conversion is known as conversion ROI. You deduct the cost from the lead value and divide it to find this out. You divide the cost after deducting the cost from the lead value by the original cost.

15 successful tips to convert your leads into customers

Optimizing conversion rates should be a top priority for B2B marketers. Research dictates that:websites have an average conversion rate of 2.35% (with the best websites converting over and above 11% of their visitors) while emails convert 40% more customers, than social media.

With all these insights, let’s look at 15 successful tips to convert your quality leads into paying customers.

I will divide this section into three parts that cover converting leads into customers, using marketing best practices, your website, and email marketing. Here goes.

1. Zero in on their specific problem

Your target audience may be dealing with several generic problems, but each potential customer will come with different pain points. Therefore, the key to establishing your solution top of mind is to correctly identify each lead’s problem by asking them the right questions!

And how do you do that? You start by researching your audience. Most often, when a potential customer doesn’t close with you, it all boils down to the quality of your offer. Therefore, to create better offers that they cannot say “NO” to, you need to research your target market and make enticing offers. And moreover, put their interests above everything. And to do that, you need to zero in on their specific pain points.

2. Communicate value and make it a conversation

No matter what you are selling and how it benefits your potential customer, they will stand to be defensive with anyone hitting them with a “sales” pitch. It is, therefore, crucial to communicate value to your ideal prospects and provide them with the sentiment that you are invested in their improvement.

One way to communicate value is by making the most of the content you create to solve the industry problems—ungated! Yes, you read that right! When you give your potential customers actionable solutions to the issues plaguing them without an ulterior motive, they will trust you much faster and, what’s more, be open to listening to more (and find your offers credible)!

It goes without saying that if you promote a two-way interaction, your ideal prospect will be a lot more receptive. Leads are prone to be nurtured through conversation, allowing you to learn more about their needs in a relaxed environment. You can determine exactly how well your offering will serve them. Keep in mind that making it sound like a monologue will immediately cause them to feel like they are being pitch-slapped!

3. Follow up until you get your answer

Did you know that 92% of salespeople give up after their 4th follow-up attempt? Coincidentally, 80% of prospects say yes to purchasing on the 5th follow-up. So follow-up is an unsung hero component of the sales process, making your potential customers feel important. 

Regular emails about your service will establish your brand in their minds, and subsequently, if they require a related product, they will undoubtedly think of your company. And if you’re cold calling but can’t reach your prospect, it is advisable to try to contact them again after a timed interval of 15 minutes. 

Think of it this way: most people do not pick up calls from unknown numbers. But if someone called you from the same unknown contact number twice, wouldn’t you be curious to know what it is they were calling about?

Therefore, it is recommended to follow up with your leads via. email or phone calls to keep them in the buying mood. It is a terrific approach to turn them quickly into customers before too much time has passed. 

However, it would help if you got in touch with each lead you created immediately and followed up with them two days later. You want to guarantee that customers have tremendous success with the product or service you're selling and that all of their concerns are addressed on time.

4. Maximize the potential of a powerful CTA

Calls-to-action is a mighty tool and can make a difference when you sign up some warm leads. It is never a good idea to leave a potential customer guessing what they should do next—using a specific directive can actually get them to perform the action you are hoping for. 

Most marketers leave out asking for a sale. It is a vital step for conversion. Remember the adage, “ask, and you shall receive”, that's exactly what you should do with your leads. And introducing a call-to-action asks your potential customer to move on to the next step without asking them. 

You can make them innovative and exciting. Instead of using something like “Buy now” or “Subscribe today” like an order, you can play with the words and use idioms to spice up your website or your emails—examples include: “Give Us a Try!”, “Let’s Do This Together!”, “Skyrocket Your Growth Today!” and even “Tap for Exclusive Access!”.

5. Employ CRM tools for the win

It is 2022—customer relationship management tools are all the rage, and I have to admit, they are good. It takes a lot of pressure off the shoulders of your marketing and sales departments and keeps track of all your leads in their sales funnel stages—streamlining your entire conversion process. In addition, CRM tools allow you to automate marketing communication, sending text and email reminders on autopilot.

It would help if you kept in mind though, that automation can work against you even while you configure the logic in a CRM automation software that can make it simpler for your sales staff to contact potential customers. A good alternative here may be to limit the use of CRM tools for leads at the low or mid-stages of the funnel. You should be personally communicating with prospects at a higher level to establish better customer relationships, qualify high-value prospects, convert them faster, and retain them in the longer run. 

For websites:

6. Add pop-ups strategically to your website

Did you know that the top 10% of the highest-performing pop-ups have had a 42.35% average conversion rate? Pop-ups are delightful, and you can do several things with them! You could use them for providing your users with cart abandonment reminders, engaging them in lucky draws, asking your users to provide feedback on their experience, offering them some seasonal discounts, and much more!

Pop-ups can skyrocket your conversion rates if used strategically. Here are some best practices you may try to find the right combination of pop-ups that will convert the most number of leads into paying customers.

• Experiment with the content, i.e., try subscriptions, discount deals, spin-the-wheels, eBook copies, free trials, and anything else you can think of; 
• Put a bright red “x” button on the pop-up for users to close it quickly;
• Put a timer on the pop-up (ideally 15-30 seconds) to save it from being annoying;
• Assign a cookie such that one pop-up appears only once per user.

7. Add a section for social proof

63% of consumers agree that they are more likely to purchase from a website with product ratings and reviews. It is a no-brainer—the best way to make potential customers trust you is to show that your existing customers love you! Knowing that others have tried your product or service before them, and are satisfied with your offers, can greatly boost your chances of converting new prospects.

Social proof includes product ratings, reviews, service testimonials (both text and video), and even logos of companies you’ve worked with on your homepage. You can put these logos as a separate section on your home and service pages to show off the impressive database of clients you have served. +

In the case of reviews and testimonials, you can offer your existing customers an additional discount on your product or service for a short period in exchange for them accounting for how stellar your product or service really is. This will certainly motivate them, and you will support your platform with some much-needed credibility. As research indicates, 89% of marketers have identified customer testimonials and case studies as the most effective content forms that influence purchases.

8. Make your landing page distraction-free

Most times, when you visit a new website, you may see multiple offers to call your attention to different things. While it is essential that you tell your ideal prospects all you  can do for them, it is advisable to prioritize the more important offers and not overwhelm your website visitors with information. 

Therefore, your landing page needs to put your value proposition out as clearly and succinctly as possible and ditch anything that is not essential. It must be easy to navigate and that means the content should be skimmable. Keep your content limited with the following:

• Headlines and sub-headings;
• Features;
• Benefits;
• Testimonials; and,
• Visuals (that complement each section, clearly portraying what you are trying to sell).

The essential thing to remember is to remove any distractions. This means eliminating things like a live chat box, social proof, and video (anything that doesn’t support the value of your offer). 

Instead, direct your website visitor’s attention solely to your offer! To find out which things are unnecessary, you can use a tool like that shows you which areas of your website receive the most clicks from visitors. Delete the categories seldom used, make your website simpler, and watch those conversion rates shoot up!

9. Create alternate log-in options

Third-party log-ins are a life-saver for you and your website visitor who doesn’t want to waste precious time creating a whole new account to use your product or service. Instead, integrate a third-party sign-up service using popular apps like Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. It eliminates the need to introduce a sign-up form at your end and creates an impression of efficiency and user-friendliness in the minds of your potential customers.

You can almost always expect your conversion rates to go up if you implement this small step!

10. Provide a money-back guarantee option

This might seem like a rather unexpected tactic, but imagine this: wouldn’t you be more open to investing your money into something you are not 100% sure about if it offered you your money back in case it didn’t work out? I guess we both know the answer, therefore, you will be sure to improve your conversion rates with this tactic

A money-back guarantee helps smoothen the sales process by reducing objections at the customer’s end. After all, they would be avoiding any risks with this one move, and if they are really interested in your product or service, this can successfully result in conversion. If used right, money-back guarantees don’t only boost conversion rates but also build credibility for your brand.

To employ a money-back guarantee the right way, you should include the following details:

• Define the return process and timeframe well—answer questions about returns, damages, and how much time it takes in each part of the process before your customer receives their money back;
• Specify the mode of return, i.e., whether you’d reimburse them with store credit, full or partial refunds, or simply replace the items involved;
• Include details about shipping costs and returns—if you do not provide free shipping during delivery, you need to be particular about certain concerns. 

You need the answers to questions such as,

• whether the customer would be paying for shipping the product back to you?
• whether it needs to come in the same box it was delivered in? 
• if there are any additional charges based on different regions)? 

and many more.   

For emails:

11. Start with a great subject line

The average open rate for emails was a whopping 43.76% in 2021. And what piques your interest to open an email? A killer subject line, of course! 

Subject lines need to be tested to the T and crafted like your life depends on them (well, your conversion rates sure do!) to ensure that your emails are opened by the prospects on your carefully segmented and curated lists. Here are a few things you can do to make your subject lines interesting and relevant:

• Add some numbers—email marketing platform Campaign Monitor thoroughly A/B tested thousands of emails to find that subject lines with numbers influenced a 57% better open rate than those without; 
• Pique their interest enough for them to click through to the email body, but not sound incomprehensive at the same time;
• Do not make them overly long since most people may be reading your email on their mobile device—keeping a subject line anywhere between 61-70 characters has resulted in the highest open rate (17%);
• Speak to your audience like they would like to be addressed, especially when they are chatting with friends (i.e., informal).

12. Get personal

Everyone likes to feel important, and while addressing your potential customer by name is a great start, you cannot copy-paste the same email body content to every account. This is why you must know your buyer persona better than the back of your hand. You must comprehend their issues, as well as their wants, values, and preferences.

Writing as though addressing a specific person, with a particular subject line and a tailored message, is, however, much more effective. Send an email asking for a brief five-minute discussion if you need help with this. You can learn more about your subscribers' demands and thought processes by probing them during the call. This will result in better messaging as well as you accessing valuable insights straight from your ideal prospects’ minds about how you can develop your product or service to serve them better.

Not to mention, customized emails foster great customer-brand relationships and can help you elevate your conversion rates through the roof!

13. Introduce a simple purchase workflow

What is your end goal when you invest in email marketing? Converting leads into customers, right? This means pushing them toward the purchase portal through as simple a workflow as you can develop!

Remember that while you are trying to be conversational, you do not want your potential customer to get bored before you make your point. This is why you should keep your offer short and sweet and put your call-to-action (in this case, maybe a “Buy now!” or a “Subscribe today!” button) front and center instead of burying it in the closing line (but don’t introduce it right at the beginning of the email, either!). You can keep  a floating button around so that your ideal prospect may click on it and be directed to the purchase portal as soon as they are convinced. You may also place multiple CTAs (2-3 maximum) linked to the portal at strategically placed paragraph breaks, that doesn’t disturb the flow of your email body copy.

14. Pack value into your email every time

It would do you good to remember that an ideal prospect clicking through to open your email wins you only half the battle.Your email’s body content also has a sizable impact on whether your subscriber would be convinced to purchase what you are selling.

This is because delighted subscribers are more likely to open your emails in the future. They might even start looking forward to your emails. On the other hand, if a subscriber is unhappy with what they received in your email, they are unlikely to open it again and may even unsubscribe.

So how can you ensure that your subscribers appreciate the email content? Pack it with fantastic value, that's all.

You can provide a link to something that is very helpful, like a free eBook, a great blog article, or some other free resources. But refrain from sending emails just for the sake of it—delivering something of genuine value to your list should be your top priority whenever you contact them. Your open rates will rise, and your subscriber loyalty will grow the more valuable each email you send is. And the more your leads will trust you, the faster they will convert to paying customers.

15. No spam please

Spammy emails can get your potential customers to hit that “unsubscribe” button faster than they would drop a hot potato. Imagine where that could land your customer conversion rates!

Therefore, following email marketing best practices is essential to avoid your emails being sent to spam when you structure a promotional campaign for your products or services. Spam filters are regularly updated, and you can make your emails spam-proof by avoiding specific words, being picky about the kinds of images you use, and checking the spelling of your emails (yes, this can also be a cause!) You should use email testers to validate your email at various levels if you're unsure whether it's spam or not. Also, use a well-known email marketing platform for the same purpose. 

Convert quality leads into paying customers—with RevenueHero!

Converting quality leads into paying customers requires a lot of practice and the right kind of communication. The bottom line is that you must genuinely be a problem-solver for your clients and tailor your value propositions to serve them as exclusively as possible. Again, communicating effectively and, moreover, quickly comes into play, and that is where you can use RevenueHero to provide your leads with the best experience through their customer journeys

So, how does RevenueHero work? It is an AI-powered sales automation SaaS platform that can assist you in lead qualifying and lead prioritizing based on high-value offers (for prompt and responsive communication). Not to mention, book instant meetings with leads in any stage of your marketing or sales funnel (making you available at a moment’s notice to sort out your (existing or future) customers’ concerns).

In other words, you should invest in this SaaS tool to improve your business's customer service and manage all your high-quality leads from one location. RevenueHero also provides straightforward integration with every GTM stack product you own and an effective lead scoring system (to qualify lead value, both at cost-effective prices).

Interested in finding out more? Take a look at the platform right here!