Imagine the following scenario: I’m local to your area and am beginning to do some online research on the best home theater companies nearby.

I come across your website and am intrigued by what your business has to offer; I submit a contact form submission or a live chat. I’m greeted with a confirmation that “Your information has been received and someone from our team will be in touch with you shortly.”

What’s next?

From your business’ perspective, the following several minutes are critical to obtaining my business. I might go on to look at some of your competitors’ websites. Or, I might simply move on from the idea and onto a different activity.

For any business in the custom technology industry, optimally following up on online leads can result in thousands – if not millions – in dollars of sales for your company. So, how can you ensure you are handling online lead follow-up in the best possible methods?

We answer that question in the following sections.

SEE ALSO: How Manned Live Chat Can Help Your Business Generate More Leads

Follow Up. Quickly.

Did you know that according to a study from InsideSales.com published in the Harvard Business Review, businesses faced a 10x decrease in the likelihood of establishing contact with an online lead if they did not reach out within the first 5 minutes?

An additional study from Lead Connect revealed that 78 percent of sales go to the company that first responds to an online inquiry.

This all is incredibly revealing data for your business. Take a moment to think about what happens within the first 5 minutes of an online contact for your business – whether through a live chat or a contact form submission.

How are you getting notified when leads come in? Are you receiving an email? A text alert? Make sure that you have the proper notifications set up so that you can follow up as soon as online leads come through.

Also, who is receiving leads when they come through? Is it going to a specific member of your team or a shared account? Make sure that whoever on your team receives online leads, they are able to follow up quickly.

When an online lead comes through for your business, minutes can make the difference between a missed opportunity and a sale. It’s why follow-up is essential – not only within the first 5 minutes, but after as well.

Commit to Following Up.

The chances are that you won’t establish contact with your online lead the first time you try reaching out.

According to the same study conducted by InsideSales.com, less than 40 percent all established contacts were made on the first phone call. By the time that there was a sixth attempt to call that online lead, the likelihood of making contact rose to 90%. The challenge for you is finding the time and organization to commit to following up.

According to the survey, 77.17% of the 4,723 online leads studied never received a phone call. Additionally, of the reps that did follow up with phone calls, the majority only called one or two times. A separate study revealed the average of just 1.29 follow-up calls on an online lead. That simply isn’t enough effort to establish contact with your online leads.

We at One Firefly recommend tracking your leads through a CRM so that your business maintains a level of organization regarding follow-ups. With a CRM, not only can you upload your leads onto a centralized database, but you also can make notes of follow-up attempts and schedule alerts to remind you when to try again.

By committing to extensive follow-ups, you will increase the likelihood of establishing contact with your online leads, even if they don’t pick up the phone the first time you reach out.

Track Successful Leads

When it comes to online lead follow-up, the most important thing is persistence. But what about when leads that come through your website turn into sales? How can you maximize on trends to more effectively market your business online?

Ask your leads or your newly acquired customers how they came across your website. Was it through a Google search? A Facebook advertisement? Perhaps they have been on your website before and a retargeting display ad brought them back.

By discovering how your customers are finding your business online, you can use that data to invest more in successful digital channels. That way, you can ensure you are marketing your business to the audience that will find what you have to say to be the most useful.

Want to learn more about successful online lead follow-up tips? Our team of digital marketing experts at One Firefly is glad to help.

Get in touch with us today by calling (954) 921-2393, contacting us here or by chatting live with us below. We look forward to assisting you!