How Web Agencies Get Leads From Their Websites

Offering “websites to business owners” doesn't get you leads anymore. Here's the fix with a template and some examples.

Presenting your web design business as a one-stop shop or a buffet of technical services is clearly not how you find web design clients anymore.

It's virtually impossible to reach beyond word-of-mouth referrals, even if you have years of experience and deliver a higher-quality website than a business owner would get if they just hired a random person they found online. The problem is that we're not actually competing against other freelance web designers. Like we talked about last week, the problem is we're competing against freelance web design communities.

Buzzwords That Sound Like Results

Everyone is talking about needing to offer results and solutions, not just websites. But, this is leading to one of the most common mistakes I'm seeing web designers make that is actually worse than just offering generic web design services.

In an attempt to shift the messaging from services to results, I'm seeing web designers say results-oriented words, but without any context. It is a cotton candy promise. It looks big and sweet but there's really nothing there.

Examples Of Cotton Candy Promises

Here are a few examples of actual headlines I've taken from web design websites I have reviewed where the web designer is trying to be results oriented but the headlines don't actually mean anything.

  • Let's Grow Your Business
  • You Need A Website That Converts
  • We Build Websites With A Positive ROI
  • Your Website Should Work For You
  • Build, Scale, and Expand

At first, it feels like these headlines are offering something. The problem is nobody believes these headlines.

Backfire Headlines

Outcome-driven headlines will backfire if they aren't believable. At least with the old-school approach of just “selling websites,” people believe they'll get a website. The one-stop shop web design agency is more believable and actually converts better because of the stronger trust factor.

It's unlikely that someone will hire you if their first thought is, “I don't believe you.”

3 Steps To A Solid Headline

To make a headline believable, it needs at least hint at answers for the first two of these questions. If you can nail the third question also you've got a killer headline.

  1. Who (specifically) is this for?
  2. What is the outcome?
  3. Why does it work?

In other words, we need to include:

  1. The target audience
  2. A measurable outcome
  3. Method or strategy

That third question about the method can either be about what you are going to be doing, or it can be about something your client will (or will not) be doing. If the method is focused on the client, it can serve as a curiosity hook.

The goal is to say something interesting and believable enough to keep the person reading.

Here are a few examples:

Done For You Lead Generation For Home Service Businesses

Target: home service businesses
Outcome: lead generation
Method: done for you

Home Service Businesses Triple Their Revenue With Our Subscription Services Model

Target: Home services businesses
Outcome: 3x their revenue
Method: selling subscriptions rather than one-off projects

Double Your Test Drives Without Needing More Leads

Target: (implied) car dealerships
Outcome: more test drives
Method: without needing more leads (curiosity hook)

6-Figure Blueprint For Home-based Portrait Photographers

Target: Portrait photographers
Outcome: 6-figure business model
Method: working from home (curiosity hook)

Boost Your Shopify Revenue Without Increasing Your Ad Spend

Target: Shopify store owners
Outcome: boost in revenue
Method: without spending more on ads (curiosity hook)

The Rest Of The Story

Now that you've got people's attention keep the momentum flowing through the rest of the page so that people move when you present your call to action.

This is something we'll spend a lot of time on in Blue Theory.

Blue Theory is a the community where web designers consistently land clients at higher prices.

Here are a few highlights of what you get:

  • Live calls with me
  • Discover the best niches
  • What to say on your website
  • Learn new lead-generation strategies
  • Develop your 30-second elevator pitch
  • How to land clients before writing proposals
  • How to reach beyond word-of-mouth referrals
Discover Blue Theory

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