Generate qualified leads online can benefit virtually any business, regardless of size or industry. Some savvy marketers are fully aware of this and have been taking advantage of the Internet to profitably grow their consumer base for years now. Others have stayed out of the game for a variety of reasons. But whether you’re a seasoned online direct marketer or a little late to the dance, here are a few tips that if employed correctly, will greatly enhance your bottom line:
1. Create the right offer
Given that most online lead generation campaigns are limited in the amount of ad copy that can be used, conveying your offer to the consumer accurately and concisely is paramount. In short, you want to create the most perceived value for the consumer with little or no perceived risk.
For instance, if you sell widgets and are trying to find consumers interested in purchasing a widget, a compelling offer might be, “Sign-up to receive our FREE guide, Top 10 tips for buying a widget”. After all, your goal is to start a dialog with the consumer. Over time, you will build this relationship and eventually grow the “lead” into a loyal consumer.

2. Tell the True
To a certain degree, lead generation is self-selecting and by that I mean, people who are interested in your offer will opt-in, and presumably, those who are not interested, will not. However, this isn’t always the case and some people, for various reasons, opt-in to offers they have no interest in.
To combat this, you should be completely honest and direct in your message and set consumer’s expectations accordingly. For instance, if you are offering a free trial, clearly spell out what is expected from the consumer in return for the free trial and detail what will happen when the free trial ends. By doing this, you’ll greatly reduce the number of unqualified leads and eliminate surprise from consumers who weren’t expecting to receive a bill after the free trial.
3. Don’t make it too easy to respond
When a consumer only has to click a check-box, there are few safeguards in place to weed out unqualified or poorer quality leads. Make the consumer complete a few additional fields of data. This slight sacrifice in lead quantity will be offset by significantly improved lead quality.

4. Empower the consumer
It’s happened to us all…you’re eating dinner and the phone rings. There are few things harder to overcome than a negative first experience with a prospective consumer.
To prevent this, empower the consumer. Ask them how they want to be contacted, when they want to be contacted, would they prefer a phone call, email, or postal mail? If you ask a consumer, how far along they are in the buying cycle, they will tell you. Let the consumer dictate the manner and terms in which they communicate with you and you will both win.

5. Follow-up quickly
It may sound like common sense, but follow-up quickly. Many companies do a very poor job of following-up with incoming leads. In fact, if you are considering a new lead generation campaign, ask yourself the following:

• How quickly will these leads be contacted?
• What will be done with non-responsive leads?
• How will these leads be filtered-out to sales reps?
• How will these leads be contacted?