From Google Search to Appointment: Creating Your Digital Lead Trail

If a potential client were to seek you out online, would they be able to find what they’re looking for and set up a time to connect with you?

Even among those with an online presence, few IAs have made this process seamless, and this can compromise both active marketing campaigns and passive opportunities. So we’ve outlined two potential scenarios and the touch points you can put in place to capitalize on them.

Digital Trail for Online Leads

If a lead is acquainted with you through an online campaign or organic search, they should be able to become an engaged prospect in just a few clicks.

Google Listing

Your listing will show your site’s home page tag and meta description, which are worth reviewing. These are automatically pulled by Google, but can also be adjusted at the programming level.

Google Business

By keeping your Google Business listing up to date, you can ensure users can easily connect with you or visit your site directly from the listing, which appears adjacent to Google’s top search results.

Website

Once the user navigates to your website, they should see up-to-date information on the topics that matter to them—essentially, what you do and how it can help them.

Contact Page

Your contact information should be 0–1 clicks away. Add it to your welcome page, masthead, footer—or include a link to the contact page prominently in your site’s navigation, in addition to periodic calls to action.

Multiple Forms of Contact

Give the lead multiple options. Include your contact information as well as a link to appointment-setting software. A feedback form also allows them to submit a request or question directly.

Digital Trail for Referrals

Other leads will be introduced to you through a forwarded email or blog, or a link shared from a client or COI. In those cases, some of the earlier points in the digital trail could differ from those for online leads.

Email Signature

Keep your signature simple and practical. Include basic contact information as well as links to your website, appointment scheduling page and digital brochure.

Digital Brochure

While your website is likely built with a wide audience in mind, your digital brochure can be more focused on a specific message, market niche and prospecting objective. Include clear contact and appointment-setting links to move the relationship forward.

Website

The same principles apply to a referred lead. Ensure your site has easy navigation to a contact page, up-to-date information and appointment-scheduling tools.

Pre-Meeting Communication

No matter how you arrange your first appointment with a new prospect, they should receive a timely pre-meeting note to confirm the meeting and explain what to expect.

In most cases these are simple tweaks, and once you have in place a deliberate series of digital touchpoints that don’t require your intervention, you can improve the output of your prospecting cycle.