Worried about your business’s inbound lead generation? You’re not alone. Last year, 74% of marketers reported that obtaining quality leads is their top marketing challenge, according to Revi Media. With the average conversion rate for online leads hovering at 1.6%, according to Optify’s 2012 B2B Marketing Benchmark Report, how can a small business make online lead generation work?

If your small business is struggling with online lead generation, a few changes to your online strategy can make a big difference for your inbound marketing program. From conversion rate optimization to a thought leadership program, here are three low-cost ways to improve inbound lead generation – no spamming tactics necessary!

1. Improve organic search conversion rates.

According to Optify’s 2012 B2B Marketing Benchmark Report, organic search is the top source of B2B traffic. However, despite all the organic search traffic flooding B2B websites, organic search has one of the lowest conversion rates when it comes to successful inbound marketing campaigns. Why the gap? Many businesses focus their efforts on SEO but fail to put equal energy into landing page conversions. Consequently, potential clients land on their website and are either not impressed with what they see or cannot find the information they are looking for, which ultimately hurts conversion rates and renders all that SEO work useless.

Does your business have a conversion rate problem? Plenty of websites are built with sleek design and backed by powerful code, but at some point along the conversion path, they fail to deliver the goods. Everything from confusing site navigation to a lengthy sign-up form can sink conversion rates. If your organic site traffic numbers are strong but your conversion rates are low, focus on improving your landing page conversion. Be sure that your landing page language mimics the language in search results, details the benefits of converting and removes site navigation. Simplify your sign-up forms and opt-in customers to enewsletters by default.

#2: Target opt-in email subscribers through email marketing campaigns.

Rather than spamming lists of purchased email addresses, focus your energy on cultivating stronger relationships with your current opt-in email subscribers. Email marketing campaigns build trust and establish credibility, two crucial ingredients for inbound lead generation success. Ditch the hard-sell language and email subject lines like “Buy Today!!” and instead focus on delivering quality, meaningful content – without any expectation of a sale.

Positioning your small business as a thought leader on key industry issues builds credibility for your company and boosts your business’s brand. When it comes time to make a purchase, companies are more likely to choose your business. That’s why email has the highest conversion rate (2.89%) for B2B inbound marketing, according to Optify.

3. Leverage social media to strengthen client relationships and drive inbound leads.

Despite the hype around social media, it still produces only a fraction of B2B traffic, accounting for less than 5% of traffic to B2B websites. So what gives? Many businesses still do not understand the best ways to leverage social media to strengthen client relationships and drive inbound marketing. Social media demands a constant stream of fresh, relevant content and interactions with followers – it’s not as simple as putting up a Facebook page and calling it a day. When done correctly, social media inbound marketing – just like opt-in emails – can be a powerful platform for strengthening trust and credibility, which ultimately drive sales.

Not sure how to get started? LinkedIn is a goldmine for building B2B relationships. Share a download of your latest whitepaper, announce a new hire, or join a LinkedIn group discussion. Offer your expertise for free via LinkedIn’s Q& A service; by building your reputation as an industry expert, businesses will be more likely to turn to your company for paid expertise when they need to hire an industry expert.

Summary

Improving inbound lead generation is an ongoing process; with the needs of your customer base constantly evolving, it is critical that your inbound marketing strategy evolve to anticipate these needs. A structured, systematic approach that encompasses conversion rate improvements, an opt-in email thought leadership campaign, and effective social media marketing will best improve your inbound lead generation.