Do You Want Your Website to Get More Leads? Here’s What You Should and Shouldn’t Be Doing

Every business wants more leads, and for B2B companies, a website is one of the most powerful tools for generating them. When companies embark on a website project—whether it’s a redesign, a refresh, or an entirely new build—they often have lead generation as a core objective. The plan is usually clear: create a site that attracts visitors, builds trust, and ultimately converts prospects into booked sales calls or meetings.

However, along the way, many businesses lose sight of that goal. Instead of focusing on what actually drives conversions, they get caught up in the aesthetics—new colors, a sleeker design, or trendy animations. While these elements can improve brand perception, they don’t necessarily translate to more leads. Others prioritize generic website updates that add little value to the user experience, missing the opportunity to make strategic improvements that would truly impact the bottom line.

In this blog, we expand on our previous post about lead generation tactics by specifically focusing on website work. We’ll break down the website initiatives that directly contribute to lead generation and the ones that don’t. From expanding your product and service pages to optimizing lead forms, calls-to-action, and technical SEO, we’ll explore what actually moves the needle. At the same time, we’ll highlight common website changes that might seem important but ultimately fail to bring in more leads. If you’re serious about turning your website into a lead generation machine, here’s what you should—and shouldn’t—be doing.

What You Should Be Doing to Get More Leads

Expand Your Product and Service Pages to Drive Engagement and Search Visibility

Many B2B companies treat their product and service pages as simple lists—offering brief descriptions with little to no supporting detail. But in today’s competitive digital landscape, that isn’t enough. These pages should act as a convincing sales tool, providing potential customers with all the information they need to understand why your business is the right choice.

A well-structured product or service page does more than just state what you offer—it should answer key questions, showcase differentiators, and remove doubts. Here’s what to include:

1. Detailed Features and Benefits

Customers want to know what makes your solution effective. Instead of just listing your product or service, expand on how each feature translates into tangible benefits. For example:

• If you offer software, explain how specific tools within your platform solve customer pain points.
• If you provide consulting services, detail your process and methodology to build confidence.
• If you manufacture products, outline the materials, durability, and performance aspects that set you apart.

By diving into features and benefits, you position your company as a solution provider rather than just another option in the market.

2. Highlight What Makes You Unique

Most industries are crowded, and buyers are often comparing multiple vendors before making a decision. Your product or service pages should make it immediately clear why you stand out. Consider adding:

• Comparisons to competitors – Show how your offering provides more value than alternatives.
• Proprietary technology or methods – If you have something exclusive, emphasize it.
• Certifications or endorsements – These add credibility, particularly in regulated industries.

Clearly articulating your differentiators helps potential customers understand why they should choose you over someone else.

3. Incorporate Mission, Values, and Philosophy

While many businesses assume that buyers only care about price and functionality, the reality is that today’s consumers and decision-makers also value trust, ethics, and company culture. Integrating your company’s mission and values on your product or service pages can help build an emotional connection with your audience.

For example:

• If sustainability is a core value, highlight your commitment to eco-friendly practices.
• If your business prides itself on exceptional customer service, showcase testimonials that support that claim.

Customers are more likely to engage with brands that align with their own values and business philosophy.

4. Leverage Case Studies and Customer Reviews

Nothing is more persuasive than proof that your solution works. Adding case studies and testimonials to your product and service pages provides concrete examples of how your offering has helped other businesses.

A compelling case study should include:

• The customer’s challenge – What problem were they facing?
• Your solution – How did your product or service address their needs?
• The results – Showcase measurable success (e.g., “increased efficiency by 30%” or “cut costs by 50%”).

Meanwhile, customer reviews and testimonials act as social proof, reinforcing that real people and businesses have benefited from working with you. Video testimonials or quotes from well-known companies can be particularly powerful.

Leverage Blogging to Expand Your Inbound Funnel

Many B2B companies underestimate the power of blogging as a lead-generation tool. While product and service pages target prospects who are actively searching for a solution, blog content captures a much broader audience—including those who are still researching or identifying their pain points. By publishing well-optimized, valuable content, businesses can attract visitors, establish authority, and nurture potential leads before they reach the decision-making stage.

Blogging as an Inbound SEO Strategy

Unlike direct sales pages, blogs target adjacent and relevant search queries that bring potential customers to your website. These visitors may not be ready to buy today, but by engaging them early, you increase the chances that they’ll turn to you when they are.

For example, a company that provides cybersecurity solutions might create blog posts such as:

• “10 Cybersecurity Risks Small Businesses Overlook”
• “How to Protect Customer Data from Ransomware Attacks”
• “The Future of AI in Cybersecurity: What Businesses Need to Know”

These topics aren’t directly about buying a cybersecurity service, but they attract people who care about security. By positioning itself as an authority, the company stays top-of-mind when prospects decide they need a cybersecurity provider.

Optimizing Lead Forms: Capturing and Converting More Website Visitors

Lead forms are one of the most critical elements of a website for B2B businesses looking to generate leads and book sales meetings. However, many companies fail to use them effectively, either making them too long and overwhelming or hiding them where visitors can’t easily find them. A well-designed lead form should be simple, strategically placed, and seamlessly integrated with a CRM to trigger follow-up actions automatically.

What Companies Do Wrong with Lead Forms

Despite their importance, many businesses make mistakes that negatively impact their lead conversion rates. Here are some of the most common pitfalls:

• Forms That Are Too Long – Asking for too much information upfront (e.g., job title, company size, industry, phone number, etc.) can deter potential leads. Studies show that shorter forms tend to have significantly higher conversion rates.
• Unclear Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons – A generic “Submit” button is less effective than a clear and action-driven CTA like “Get Your Free Demo” or “Download the Guide.”
• Poor Placement – Hiding forms deep within a website or requiring users to navigate multiple pages to find them reduces conversion opportunities. Forms should be above the fold and placed on high-intent pages.
• Lack of Mobile Optimization – Many users fill out forms from their mobile devices. If a form is difficult to complete on a phone (e.g., small fields, unresponsive design), businesses will lose potential leads.
• No Confirmation or Next Step – After a visitor submits a form, they should receive a confirmation message or be redirected to a thank-you page that provides clear next steps.

Best Practices for Lead Form Optimization

To maximize conversions, businesses should implement the following lead form best practices:

1. Keep Forms Short and Simple

The fewer fields a form has, the more likely visitors are to complete it. Research from HubSpot shows that reducing form fields from four to three can increase conversions by up to 50%. If you need more details, consider using progressive profiling (gathering more information over time as leads engage with additional content).

✅ Best Practice: Start with just the essentials—name, email, and company name. Additional details can be collected later through follow-up emails or conversations.

2. Use Multi-Step Forms for Higher Engagement

Breaking a long form into multiple steps can make the process feel less overwhelming. For example:

• Step 1: Ask for basic details (name, email).
• Step 2: Ask for company information (company name, industry).
• Step 3: Ask about needs or challenges (optional).

According to a study by Venture Harbour, multi-step forms can increase conversion rates by up to 300% because users are more likely to complete a form once they’ve started it.

3. Place Forms Where They Get Seen

Lead forms should be placed strategically on key pages to maximize visibility and engagement. The best placements include:

• Homepage – A clear, compelling CTA at the top of the homepage with a short form.
• Service/Product Pages – Forms should be integrated near relevant information to capture interest.
• Blog Posts – Forms embedded in high-traffic blog posts can convert engaged readers into leads.
• Exit-Intent Popups – If a visitor moves to leave the site, a popup form offering a free guide or consultation can recapture their attention.

4. Optimize for Mobile Users

More than 50% of B2B website traffic comes from mobile devices, meaning lead forms must be mobile-friendly. This means:

• Large, easy-to-tap form fields.
• Autofill enabled to save users time.
• No excessive scrolling required to complete the form.

Google prioritizes mobile-friendly sites in search rankings, so ensuring that lead forms work seamlessly on all devices is crucial.

5. Automate Follow-Ups with CRM Integration

One of the most powerful ways to optimize lead forms is by integrating them with a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system like HubSpot, Salesforce, or Marketo. This ensures that every lead submission automatically triggers marketing and sales actions, rather than sitting in an inbox waiting for someone to respond manually.

✅ How CRM Integration Helps:

• Instant Lead Assignment – New leads are automatically assigned to the right sales rep based on location, industry, or other criteria.
• Automated Email Responses – A confirmation email with relevant resources (such as a case study or product brochure) can be sent immediately after a form is submitted.
• Lead Scoring – Leads can be scored based on their responses, helping sales teams prioritize follow-ups.
• Multi-Touch Follow-Ups – Workflows can trigger personalized email sequences, SMS follow-ups, or retargeting ads to nurture the lead.

6. Use A/B Testing to Improve Conversions

Not all lead forms will perform the same. Businesses should run A/B tests to experiment with different elements, such as:

• The number of fields.
• Button text (e.g., “Get Started” vs. “Request a Demo”).
• Placement of the form (sidebar vs. inline).
• Required vs. optional fields.

By continually testing and analyzing form performance, businesses can refine their approach and improve lead capture rates.

Leveraging Landing Pages to Drive More Leads

Landing pages are one of the most effective tools for B2B businesses looking to generate leads. Unlike a typical website page, which may contain multiple navigation options and distractions, a landing page is a single, focused page designed to accomplish one goal—getting a visitor to take a specific action. Whether it’s booking a demo, downloading a whitepaper, or signing up for a webinar, landing pages streamline the user experience and improve conversion rates.

What Makes a Landing Page Effective?

A well-structured landing page eliminates distractions and guides visitors toward completing a single task. The key components of an effective landing page include:

1. A Clear and Compelling Headline – The headline should immediately convey the value of the offer. For example, “Boost Your B2B Sales Pipeline: Book a Free Consultation Today.”
2. A Strong Subheadline – A short supporting statement that provides more detail on the offer.
3. A High-Quality Image or Video – Visuals should reinforce the message and help build trust. A product demo video or a photo of happy customers can increase engagement.
4. A Simple Lead Form – The form should only ask for essential information (e.g., name, email, company). The shorter the form, the higher the completion rate.
5. A Persuasive Call-to-Action (CTA) – The CTA button should be bold, action-oriented, and specific (e.g., “Get My Free Report” or “Schedule a Demo”).
6. Social Proof and Testimonials – Including customer testimonials, case study highlights, or trust badges (like security certifications) builds credibility and reduces hesitation.

How Companies Use Landing Pages to Generate Leads

Many successful businesses rely on landing pages to drive targeted leads. Below are some common use cases:

1. Free Consultation or Demo Requests

B2B companies, particularly SaaS providers, often use landing pages to encourage prospects to book a free consultation or product demo. Instead of directing visitors to a generic “Contact Us” page, they create a dedicated landing page with messaging that focuses on the benefits of the consultation.

Example: A marketing automation platform might have a landing page titled “See How Our Software Increases Conversions by 200%” with a CTA like “Book Your Free 15-Minute Demo” leading to a calendar scheduling tool.

2. Webinar and Event Registrations

Landing pages are perfect for promoting webinars, conferences, and virtual events. These pages highlight what attendees will learn, include details about guest speakers, and have a simple form to collect sign-ups.

Example: A cybersecurity company might create a landing page for a webinar titled “The Future of Cyber Threats in 2025”, with bullet points on key topics covered and a “Save My Spot” registration button.

3. Lead Magnet Downloads (eBooks, Whitepapers, Reports)

Businesses often use landing pages to offer gated content (valuable resources that require users to submit their contact details before accessing).

Example: A financial consulting firm might promote an exclusive whitepaper called “5 Strategies CFOs Use to Cut Costs Without Sacrificing Growth”, with a landing page that has a “Download Now” button and a short form.

4. Industry-Specific Solutions

If a company serves multiple industries, it can create industry-specific landing pages that speak directly to different segments.

Example: A cloud computing provider might have separate landing pages for “Cloud Solutions for Healthcare” and “Cloud Solutions for Manufacturing,” each highlighting use cases and customer success stories relevant to that industry.

Non-Content SEO Strategies to Improve Lead Generation

While content is a significant driver of organic traffic and leads, technical SEO and other non-content strategies play a crucial role in ensuring your website ranks well and converts visitors effectively. Without proper optimization, even the best content can struggle to perform. Below are key non-content SEO tactics that can help B2B websites increase their visibility and generate more leads.

1. Technical SEO: The Foundation of a Search-Friendly Website

Technical SEO ensures that search engines can crawl, index, and rank your website properly. If your site has technical issues, it won’t matter how great your content is—Google and other search engines may not rank it.

Key technical SEO elements include:

• XML Sitemaps: Ensure search engines can easily find and index all important pages.
• Robots.txt Files: Control which pages search engines can or cannot crawl to avoid indexing irrelevant or duplicate content.
• Canonical Tags: Prevent duplicate content issues by signaling to search engines which version of a page should be considered the primary one.
• Structured Data (Schema Markup): Helps search engines understand your content better and can enhance how your site appears in search results (e.g., rich snippets for FAQs, reviews, or events).

2. Site Speed: Faster Websites Convert Better

Website load speed is a major ranking factor and directly affects user experience. Studies show that a one-second delay in load time can decrease conversions by 7%, and most users will leave a site if it takes longer than three seconds to load.

Ways to improve site speed:

• Optimize Images: Use compressed image formats (like WebP) to reduce file sizes without sacrificing quality.
• Enable Browser Caching: Stores page elements in a user’s browser so they don’t have to reload everything upon return visits.
• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): Distributes website data across multiple servers worldwide, ensuring faster loading times.
• Minimize JavaScript and CSS Files: Reducing unnecessary code helps browsers load pages faster.

3. Meta Descriptions and Page Titles: Your First Impression in Search Results

Meta descriptions and page titles are critical for click-through rates (CTR) because they appear in search engine results. If they are not optimized, users may scroll past your website in favor of a competitor.

Best practices:

• Page Titles: Should be compelling, under 60 characters, and include primary keywords. Example: “B2B CRM Software: Improve Sales & Customer Retention”
• Meta Descriptions: Summarize the page’s content in 150-160 characters while incorporating a call-to-action. Example: “Discover the #1 CRM for B2B businesses. Increase efficiency, boost sales, and streamline customer management. Try it free today!”

4. Internal Linking: Strengthening Your Website’s Structure

Internal linking refers to linking from one page of your website to another, helping both users and search engines navigate your content effectively.

Benefits of internal linking:

• Improves SEO by distributing page authority across your site.
• Keeps users engaged longer by guiding them to relevant content.
• Encourages lead generation by linking to key landing pages, blog posts, or case studies.

Best practices:

• Link high-authority pages (e.g., high-traffic blog posts) to lower-performing pages to boost rankings.
• Use descriptive anchor text (instead of “Click here,” use “Read our B2B lead generation guide”).
• Ensure key conversion pages (product/service pages, lead forms) are linked multiple times across relevant content.

5. Off-Page SEO & Backlinks: Building Website Authority

Backlinks—links from other reputable websites to your site—are a top ranking factor for search engines. The more high-quality websites that link to you, the more authoritative your site appears, leading to better rankings and more organic traffic.

How to build backlinks:

• Guest Blogging: Write high-quality content for industry websites in exchange for a backlink.
• Digital PR & Thought Leadership: Get featured in industry publications, podcasts, and interviews.
• Link Reclamation: Identify broken or outdated links to your website on external sites and request an update.
• Skyscraper Technique: Improve upon high-ranking content in your industry and reach out to websites that link to the original, offering your improved version.

6. Local SEO: Optimizing for Geo-Targeted Leads

Even if your B2B business operates nationally or globally, local SEO can still drive valuable leads, especially if your company has physical locations, regional offices, or local service offerings.

How to optimize for local SEO:

• Google Business Profile (GBP): Ensure your listing is fully optimized with accurate contact details, descriptions, and customer reviews.
• Local Citations: Get your business listed in directories like Yelp, Clutch, and industry-specific platforms.
• Localized Content: Create blog posts or landing pages targeting local markets (e.g., “Best CRM Solutions for Manufacturing Companies in Chicago”).
• Encourage Customer Reviews: Positive reviews on Google and other platforms boost credibility and search rankings.

What Shouldn’t You Be Doing If You Want Your Website to Generate Leads

While there are many ways to optimize your website for lead generation, there are also common distractions that businesses focus on—often at the expense of real performance improvements. A website redesign or aesthetic changes may improve branding, but they rarely have a direct impact on lead generation unless they also improve the user experience, navigation, or conversion paths. Below are some common website elements that, while important for branding, don’t necessarily help you get more leads.

Changing Colors: Branding vs. Conversion Optimization

Color choices can influence brand perception, but they rarely drive leads directly. Many businesses invest time in tweaking their website’s color scheme under the assumption that it will improve engagement, but in most cases, it has little to no impact on conversions.

That said, color choices for CTAs (call-to-action buttons) can impact lead generation. For example:

• Studies suggest that contrasting CTA buttons (like an orange or red button on a blue website) tend to perform better because they stand out.
• Ensuring good color contrast improves accessibility, making it easier for all users to navigate and engage with lead forms.

If a company is considering changing its website’s color scheme, it should do so for branding consistency, not because it expects a significant boost in lead generation.

Stressing Over Types of Images: Stock Photos vs. Illustrations vs. Custom Imagery

Images play an important role in a website’s design, but their impact on lead generation is often overstated. The type of images you use—whether stock photos, illustrations, or custom imagery—should align with your brand identity, but it’s not the main driver of leads.

Focusing on Fonts: Aesthetic Choice, Not a Lead Driver

Typography is another area where businesses often spend too much time trying to perfect the look of their website. While fonts contribute to branding and readability, they do not impact lead generation directly.

What matters most?

• Readability: Choose fonts that are easy to read across all devices.
• Consistency: Stick to one or two font families to maintain a professional, cohesive look.
• Accessibility: Ensure font sizes are appropriate for mobile users and that contrast between text and background is sufficient.

A website with a basic, readable font (e.g., Arial, Open Sans) will generate just as many leads as one with a highly stylized, modern font—as long as the content and user experience are optimized.

How “Modern” It Feels: Aesthetics vs. Functionality

Many companies equate a modern-looking website with better performance, but this isn’t always true. While a sleek design can make a strong first impression, modern aesthetics alone do not generate leads.

In fact, focusing too much on trends—like minimalistic layouts with oversized images or excessive whitespace—can sometimes backfire by:

• Reducing clarity (if key information is hidden or de-emphasized).
• Slowing down the website (if heavy animations or large files are used).
• Creating navigation issues (if critical conversion elements are not prominent).

The priority should always be functionality and ease of use over appearance. A site that looks slightly outdated but is well-structured for conversions will outperform a sleek, modern site with poor navigation, slow loading times, and weak lead generation tactics.

Worry That You Are Saying Too Much – Removing Content

Many businesses make the mistake of aggressively trimming down their website content in an attempt to be more concise. While a clean, streamlined site is important for user experience, removing too much content—especially informative, keyword-rich pages—can actually damage your lead generation efforts and hurt your inbound SEO.

One of the biggest risks of cutting content is the loss of valuable search engine rankings. Search engines like Google rely on content to understand what your website is about. When you remove pages, blog posts, or detailed service descriptions, you reduce the number of indexed pages and relevant keywords that potential customers could be searching for. This makes it harder for your site to rank and be discovered, ultimately reducing organic traffic and inbound leads.

Another unintended consequence is a drop in engagement and conversion opportunities. Many companies assume that shorter pages mean better readability, but the reality is that prospective customers often seek in-depth information before making a decision. If your website lacks the details they need—whether it’s product specifications, case studies, or educational resources—they’re more likely to leave and look elsewhere.

This issue is especially common in website redesigns, where businesses aim for a modern, minimalist approach and unknowingly strip away high-performing content. Instead of prioritizing brevity, the best practice is to find a balance: keep content digestible, but don’t sacrifice depth where it’s needed. Thoughtful restructuring, improved formatting, and strategic internal linking can enhance the user experience without compromising SEO or lead generation.

Before hitting delete, conduct an SEO audit to determine which pages are driving traffic and conversions. Focus on optimizing and updating existing content rather than removing it. Remember, the goal isn’t just a sleek website—it’s a website that attracts and converts potential customers.

Treating Your Website Like A Sales Deck

Another common mistake businesses make is treating their website like a one-size-fits-all sales pitch. While sales-driven messaging has its place, a website’s primary role is to attract, inform, and nurture a diverse audience—including prospects at various stages of the buyer’s journey. When companies focus too much on direct selling, they risk alienating potential leads who aren’t ready to convert, ultimately reducing engagement and hurting lead generation.

Unlike a direct sales pitch, which is typically tailored to a specific prospect who is already interested, a website needs to cater to a broader audience. Some visitors might be in the early research phase, looking for educational content or solutions to their problems. Others might be comparing options, seeking detailed product specifications, case studies, or testimonials. Then there are those who are ready to make a decision but still need reassurance, such as pricing details, FAQs, or implementation guidance. If your website is overly focused on aggressive selling—pushing contact forms and demos at every turn—it can feel transactional rather than valuable, driving potential leads away before they’re ready to engage.

Additionally, a sales-pitch approach often results in content that is too narrow in focus. Companies may strip away informative blog posts, long-form service pages, and industry insights in favor of punchy, conversion-driven copy. While concise messaging is important, failing to provide educational content and thought leadership can weaken your authority and reduce your ability to rank for a wide range of search terms. This not only hurts inbound SEO but also limits your ability to nurture leads over time.

The best-performing websites take a more strategic approach, offering a mix of content that speaks to different stakeholders—decision-makers, influencers, researchers, and end users—at various stages of the marketing funnel. Rather than pushing a hard sell at every touchpoint, your website should act as a resource that builds trust and guides prospects toward conversion at their own pace. This means balancing clear calls to action with valuable, engaging content that educates and nurtures potential customers over time.

By shifting away from a sales-pitch mentality and embracing a content-driven approach, companies can create a website that not only attracts more traffic but also converts visitors into long-term leads and customers.

Conclusion

To turn your website into a true lead-generation machine, you need to prioritize the right strategies. From expanding your product and service pages to optimizing lead forms, leveraging high-converting landing pages, and implementing technical SEO best practices, every aspect of your site should work toward attracting and converting potential customers. At the same time, it’s crucial to avoid distractions like purely aesthetic updates or overly complex forms that hinder conversions.

By focusing on the tactics that truly move the needle—providing valuable content, streamlining the user experience, and optimizing for search—you can transform your website into a powerful asset that continuously generates high-quality leads. Ready to take action? Start implementing these proven strategies today and watch your website become a key driver of business growth.