A conversation builds trust with your prospective customer and gives you the chance to explain your service, product or approach and get across what makes you different. That applies whether the next step is a purchase, a demo or a quote.
So it’s essential to make that conversation as likely as possible. Here are five ways to do it.
1. Adjust your expectations based on traffic source and what you sell
Enquirers with the highest intent will always be more likely to take your call and want to discuss their options in detail.
Paid social, such as Meta or TikTok ads, is a good way to reach lower intent, “top of funnel” prospects. They’re interested, but they’ll usually need more nurturing and remarketing, which means a longer conversion window. Google Ads, SEO and GEO tend to bring higher intent enquirers. These are people actively searching, who have a clearer idea of what they need and how your product or service fits.
Set your expectations accordingly and adjust your follow-up process to match. Put your most time-intensive efforts into the higher intent enquiries, and use lighter-touch methods, such as automated emails and remarketing, for the lower intent ones.
What you sell matters too. A higher price point usually means a longer conversion window. Emergency services, or products with a clear and immediate need, will have a shorter window and a much higher rate of quick conversions.
Enquirers with the highest intent will always be more likely to take your call and want to discuss their options in detail.
2. Validate phone numbers at the point of enquiry
It’s worth investing in a phone number validation service. These typically cost around 2p to 5p per check. If you receive a high volume of enquiries, validation filters out fake and mistyped numbers before they reach you, so you don’t waste time calling dead lines.
3. Encourage the enquirer to start the conversation
Your thank you page is a great place to prompt a conversation. In my previous article, I covered the benefits of making the most of your post-enquiry thank you page, including encouraging people to call you straight after submitting their enquiry.
It might seem counterintuitive, as they’ve already made contact, but some people respond well to this option. That’s especially true for anyone with an emergency, an urgent need or a deadline to meet.
We often use action-led wording on our clients’ thank you pages, such as “Beat the queue” or “Start your project today”, which further increases contact rates.
Responding to a web enquiry within one minute increased the chance of conversion by around 391%. That fell to around 160% at two minutes, and to just 17% if you waited 24 hours.
4. Follow up fast
A quick response is essential when converting online enquiries.
A study by Velocify (the “Ultimate Contact Strategy”) found that responding to a web enquiry within one minute increased the chance of conversion by around 391%. That fell to around 160% at two minutes, and to just 17% if you waited 24 hours.
This needs to be reasonable, of course. Nobody wants a call late at night or first thing on a Sunday morning. But it shows how important speed is to your post-enquiry process.
These first conversations are also a great way to qualify each enquiry and judge how much attention it needs. It’s usually clear early on what the customer’s pain points and needs are, and that can shape your follow up later.
A phone call is usually the most successful way to follow up, but you can also automate SMS, email or WhatsApp messages. In my experience, WhatsApp performs better than SMS, although nothing beats a real conversation. Whichever channel you use, make sure you comply with UK GDPR and PECR.
5. Invest in professional sales collateral
For higher ticket products and services with longer sales cycles, professionally designed sales collateral is a must-have takeaway. If what you sell needs a demonstration or a face-to-face meeting, good quality printed material gives you a useful talking point and reinforces your professionalism. It’s particularly valuable for prospects who need more proof and reassurance before they buy.
Your sales materials don’t have to be printed, but they do need to be professionally presented, with clear imagery of your product or service, FAQs and case studies. Think of it as an offline version of your website.
Use what you learn in your earlier conversations to decide what goes in it. What are customers asking? Do you need to communicate your USP more clearly?
TL;DR Summary
- Set realistic expectations based on the intent of your traffic and what you sell
- Validate phone numbers to avoid wasting time on dead numbers
- Give people the chance to start the conversation with a “call now” button on your thank you page
- Follow up every enquiry as quickly as reasonably possible, as your chances of converting drop sharply the longer you wait
- A phone call works best, and WhatsApp usually outperforms SMS
- Invest in professional sales collateral, because people judge you on how you present your business
- Use what you learn from previous conversations to shape that collateral
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