Your website is your digital storefront, but unlike physical storefronts, you can’t lure people in with an attractive window display.

Online, there are no sidewalks where digital content consumers casually stroll by. This means that half a website’s job is to make people aware that it even exists. To do this, business owner’s must optimize their website.

If optimization is something you haven’t made part of your regular digital hygiene routine, we’ve got a few tips to help you optimize your website from the ground up.

KNOW YOUR CURRENT LEAD GENERATION NUMBERS.

Optimizing your website isn’t something you simply do and forget about. Rather, you should be regularly tracking the impact of your efforts. In order to track this impact, you need to know what your starting point is.

Take a look at your website’s current lead generation. How many leads is it producing? How many hits or views does your website get in a day, in a week, or in a month?

Compare your different landing pages to see which ones perform better than others. Look at the conversion rate of one CTA against another. Once you have these numbers, record them somewhere so that you know what you need to beat in the future.

UNDERSTAND THE CONVERSION PATHS OF YOUR CUSTOMERS.

When a customer lands on your website, the hope is that they’ll read a blog post, hop around, and eventually fill out a form that turns them into a lead. Sometimes, this doesn’t happen and the visitor leaves.

Take a look at the journey they took through your website to identify inconsistencies or roadblocks. If you’re a yoga studio, perhaps they clicked on a social media link advertising “Yoga for Beginners” only to wind up on a confusing page about every single yoga class your studio offers. Consider how potential customers navigate your website and look for ways that you can create a more seamless, sensible experience.

CREATE THANK YOU PAGES.

Landing pages receive the most love and attention, but there’s another half of the landing page that is very important but often forgotten: the thank you page.

Imagine for a second. You’ve filled out your first and last name, email address, and job title in exchange for an ebook. You click “submit” and then…nothing. You’re simply back on the home page. All you’re left with is questions:

“Does the ebook automatically download?”

“Is it emailed to me?”

“I haven’t received anything in my inbox…how long do I need to wait until I receive it?”

It’s an unpleasant digital experience that leaves the lead with a bad taste in their mouth about handing over their information. Create thank you pages that tell customers how they’ll receive the offer, how long it will take, and of course, demonstrates your appreciation for their interest in your ebook, infographic, or webinar.

USE DYNAMIC CONTENT TO PERSONALIZE YOUR WEBSITES.

With dynamic content tools, you can include hyper-relevant content across your website. Keep in mind that once your website turns someone into a lead it needs to turn them into a customer and one way to do that is by offering a personalized experience whenever they revisit your website. This personalization doesn’t just need to be with profile details like their name. It could also be based on their interests and what they’ve looked for before. Similarly, it could mean offering them a special discount code to entice them to convert.

GIVE YOUR LEADS SOME LOVE, A.K.A. NURTURE YOUR LEADS.

Don’t take your leads for granted. Just because they’ve filled out a form on your website, doesn’t mean they’ll automatically become a customer in the next week or so. They need to be nurtured, especially since there are companies all over the internet vying for their attention, too. Once someone fills out a form, plop them into an automated workflow in your digital marketing tool of choice so that they receive regular (but not annoying) emails relevant to their interests so that your brand isn’t forgotten.

This isn’t 2001! It’s not enough just to make a website. You’ve got to make that website work. Set aside time in your calendar to conduct little tweaks here and there to optimize your website so your lead conversion rates skyrocket to the next level.