Internet Lead Generation Methods
The vast majority of internet lead generation is the product of a prospect filling out an on-line form and clicking a submit button. This function happens millions of times per day for almost every conceivable product. There are two ways this happens, and two reasons why it happens and it's important to understand each;
Single registration vs. Co-registration Incentivised vs. Non-incentivised
Single registration leads are the product of a prospect being confronted with a data collection form that is strictly about a particular product or service. For example a consumer may be looking into purchasing an insurance policy and would complete a questionnaire that asks pertinent information about that. The end result is the information, or lead, is sent to an insurance agent to provide that prospect with a quote on a policy.
Co-registration leads are the product of a consumer being confronted with a data collection form that typically starts out collecting data on a product or service but then goes on to present a multitude of selection boxes that can be chosen if the prospect would like information on those as well. For example a consumer may fill out a form for an insurance policy quote and at the end of the form would encounter a section asking if they would like information "on any of the following" products, such as annuities, disability insurance, mortgage refinancing or a real estate appraisal. Whichever products the consumer selects they have now created additional leads. Most often these leads are sent to different people.
This is important to understand because this method may generate four or five additional leads but the quality of those leads will not be equal. The interest that prospect has, for some of these products, could in fact be weak. Where in the hierarchy of the generation of these leads is yours?
- Single Registration; The prospect fills out a data questionnaire for further information on a particular product or service.
- Co-registration; The consumer fills out a data questionnaire and has checked off boxes indicating an interest in receiving more information on multiple products.
With internet lead generation there are basically two reasons why a consumer completes a form. One reason is they genuinely want assistance with a particular product or service. For example a person may have heard about the death of someone they knew and this event caused them to begin thinking about life insurance. The result of this is they begin looking for insurance via the internet thus producing a sales opportunity for the agent who gets their information. This lead would be a non-incentivised lead; their interest is strictly the product.
The other reason a consumer may complete a form is because they have been incentivised to do so. For example a person may have been looking at sports information on the internet and came across an advertisement banner offering two free movie passes to their local showcase cinema for completing a form for getting a life insurance quote. Here the primary interest the consumer had was the movie tickets, and the secondary interest is the life insurance.
- Non-incentivised leads; The consumer was actively seeking assistance on a particular product or service.
- Incentivised leads; The consumer had no initial interest in a particular service or product but decided to complete a form after seeing they would receive something in return for doing so.