Lead Generation on the Web

Lead Sources

Lead sources can come from virtually anywhere. They can be paid advertising or word-of-mouth referrals, or they can originate from your own email list. Because I can't predict what business you're in or how you qualify and close prospects, I'm not in a position to offer specific advice. I also don't know anything specific about your target market(s), so I can't give you any insight into what would work best—you'll have to figure that out on your own.

What I can do, though, is give you a list of ideas for lead sources. It''s not just about banner ads and email newsletters. For each lead source, I've tried to give you an idea of when prospects from this source might actually turn into a lead. The ratings are as follows:

Short term

Immediate action. Prospects click an Adword and go right to your landing page.

Medium term

Takes prospects a few days or weeks to get around to you.

Long term

Takes prospects a few months to get around to you.

Extreme term

Takes prospects a year or more to get around to you.

This ranking system isn't meant to cast doubt on any single lead source. Instead, it's supposed to give you a general rule of thumb on how quickly you need to get the leads pipeline filled. If you need immediate leads, then perhaps working out media mentions and PR may not be the best bet, as these tend to provide leads over a longer time period. A better bet may be a Google Adwords campaign.

Another word of advice: you won't be able to implement all of these lead sources at once. ...