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Autrement dit : un site internet doit être vu comme une machine à fabriquer du contact entrant.

Cependant, il arrive que cet objectif ne soit pas atteint. Parce que le profil des visiteurs n’est pas dans la cible. Parce que le site ne réussit pas à faire interagir les internautes. Parce que le contenu ne correspond pas aux attentes. Parce qu’il est trop statique. Parce qu’il ne fidélise pas… et si c’est le cas, il faut vite revoir sa copie : c’est du business qui s’évapore !

Avant toute chose, il est nécessaire de garder en tête deux principes clés de manière à comprendre comment le digital a inversé la manière de voir:

Demande VS Offre

Il faut bien comprendre que les médias digitaux sont d’abord des supports qui répondent à la demande, là où les médias classiques (télé, radio, presse,…) mais également les actions commerciales et de communication sortantes restent des supports d’offre.

« J’ai besoin d’un nouvel outil CRM, je cherche sur le web la meilleure solution » : internet va répondre à ma demande.

« -Je reçois un appel entrant ou un e-mail me proposant un outil CRM, je vais éventuellement l’étudier si j’ai du temps alors que ce n’est pas ma demande initiale » : je suis soumis à une offre.

Entre ces deux approches, on voit bien que le process est inversé et qu’il est primordial aujourd’hui d’être suffisamment attractif pour être identifié dans le premier exemple. En conséquence, deux prérequis sont incontournables pour exister sur Internet : d’abord être vu par ceux qui cherchent mon produit ou mon service, ensuite être suffisamment attractif pour qu’ils choisissent mon offre.

Content Vs Design

Aujourd’hui, si la qualité graphique et le design méritent un minimum d’attention, reste qu’ils ne sont pas des éléments différenciants. D’abord parce que les standards disponibles sur le marché permettent largement de développer des sites navigables, ensuite parce que les internautes ne viennent plus admirer des réalisations techniques : ils cherchent du vrai contenu ! Aussi, une fois le minimum requis atteint, mieux vaut se concentrer sur le contenu et l’animation du site pour développer son attractivité et en faire un outil efficace.

L’attractivité : De quoi parle-t-on ?

Il existe deux notions importantes pour un site : la fréquentation et la conversion. La fréquentation est un indicateur quantitatif qui mesure le volume de visiteurs. La conversion est plutôt un indicateur qualitatif qui indique le nombre d’actions effectuées par un internaute sur le site.

On mesure le quantitatif et le qualitatif grâce aux indicateurs de navigation du site qui permettent d’identifier les contenus les plus pertinents, à la fois dans leur fond et leur forme. Pour le référencement, un test facile consiste à vérifier les résultats sur certains mots-clés.

Un site avec un gros trafic mais peu de conversions sera réputé inefficace : son éditeur n’en retirera aucun retour, très peu de leads. En revanche un site avec peu de trafic mais beaucoup de conversions ne permettra pas de développer un gros chiffre par manque de visiteurs.

L’attractivité utile à la stratégie commerciale, celle qui permet de générer des leads entrant pour les équipes commerciales se trouve donc à la croisée de ces deux indicateurs, et il y a quatre étapes pour y parvenir !

4 étapes pour une stratégie d’attractivité gagnante

1. Définir la cible, décrire les personas

Quand on ne sait pas qui on cherche, on a peu de chance de le trouver ! Aussi, pour espérer avoir un site efficace, faut-il avant tout qualifier sa cible, décrire les profils-type des clients (on utilise souvent le terme de « persona »). En précisant les personas, on répond à la question de leurs besoins, de leurs attentes, de leurs demandes. On décrit le cœur de cible en passant en revue tout ce qui peut être caractéristique : l’âge, le sexe, la CSP, la localisation, les centres d’intérêts…Une des clés réside donc dans l’adéquation entre la cible et le mix fond/forme du site.

2. Utiliser le parcours d’achat client

Le parcours d’achat d’un client se découpe en 4 grandes phases :

- La prise de conscience
- La considération
- L’achat
- L’usage

Il est nécessaire de définir précisément le contenu et les canaux utilisés pour chaque interaction. En effet, l’objectif diffère à chacune des étapes et pour être efficace, il faut s’adapter. Pour la prise de conscience par exemple une information courte mais impactante en homepage ou landing page marquera l’esprit du futur client !

3. Créer du contenu

L’attractivité d’un site est directement liée à la qualité du contenu qui est proposé. Ainsi, l’inbound marketing consiste à diffuser une production éditoriale de qualité, ciblée et régulière, avec une valeur ajoutée perçue par l’internaute. Cette valeur fidélise et contribue à la génération de leads. Bien évidemment, cette stratégie réclame des ressources, en temps et en compétences rédactionnelles.

4. Diffuser le contenu

Une fois le contenu rédigé, les personas et la phase du parcours d’achat défini, la dernière étape consiste à diffuser le web content. Loin d’être anodine, cette étape est importante car même de qualité, un contenu souffrant d’une mauvaise diffusion verra sa portée et son impact considérablement réduits. Aussi, pour chaque contenu à diffuser, il est nécessaire de bien définir :

le meilleur canal pour atteindre le persona au moment recherché du cycle d’achat.
les canaux secondaires permettant d’augmenter la visibilité du contenu (par exemple les réseaux sociaux)

5. Associer marketing et commercial

Pour mieux visualiser les enjeux, on peut imaginer le site web comme un stand dans un salon professionnel. Si on veut rentabiliser l’investissement du stand, il doit être bien placé (référencement), pertinent (avec une offre cohérente et lisible par les visiteurs), attractif (avec un design qui attire), intéressant (avec de l’information pertinente pour les visiteurs) avec des animateurs, des commerciaux qui rendent le stand dynamique (animation du site). Les possibilités offertes par le digital sont tellement larges et complexes que de nombreux métiers se sont développés autour d’internet. Et dans une certaine mesure on ne peut plus tout faire soi-même.

La 1ère étape pour assurer le succès de cette démarche est d’avoir une organisation commerciale intégrant pleinement les évolutions et spécificités du digital. Est-ce le cas pour vous ?

Is optimization your watchword? Then find out in this webinar how to maximize your sales force's performance by saving them 50% of their time:

The efficiency of the old methods of obtaining information and appointments has been divided by three in less than ten years. In the 2000s, a day's worth of calls yielded a minimum of two to three appointments.

Today, it's clear that most salespeople who make a hard call barely get one!

Why is that? Because the Internet has profoundly changed people's behavior! With search engines, prospects can do their own initial search for information, and have access to virtually the entire range of products and services available. They no longer need sales reps for information.

But the challenges of sales management for the company remain the same: how to obtain enough contacts with prospects? How can you keep sales costs reasonable so that you can continue to grow profitably?

To answer these questions, a new approach has been developed: with "lead generation".

Literally, "lead" means " track ". It is a term originally used in CRM SOFTWARE software, and is now commonly used to refer to a sales lead. Lead generation is the process ofidentifying potential customers.

Your market today is made up of hundreds or thousands of buyers who, once they've identified their problems and needs, will start searching for information using the most practical and cost-effective tool of all: the Internet. All these Internet users, until they click on your site, are unknown to you, invisible. You know they exist, that at some point they'll have a need that you'll be able to meet, but for the moment you don't know them! The challenge is to get in front of their radar during their research phase and turn them from anonymous visitors to active visitors on your site. There are two prerequisites for this:

First of all, you need to be well referenced and identified, so that whatever the user's search criteria, they end up on your site (on this subject, see our article on the attractiveness of websites),

then offer attractive content to multiply the opportunities for visitors to obtain information and interact.

To generate leads, you'll need to focus on quality, targeted content that positions you as a key player in your industry and geographical area. By doing so, you'll increase the chances of multiple visits, as web users will have associated you with their "favorites". You'll generate leads at different stages of development. The first is the "unknown lead", which boils down to a location, or even an IP address, but has too few qualifications to be exploited. The second is the "identified lead", whose e-mail address or telephone number, for example, is known. The third is the "qualified lead", who has multiplied his actions: increased number of pages visited, several articles read, more and more visits... and has communicated usable information. At this stage, if this lead is entrusted to a sales representative, it can become a prospect.

To encourage visitors to take action, you need to create triggers so that they leave their contact details, or even express a need. White papers, webinars, video conferences, online questionnaires to carry out a free audit... the solutions are numerous and need to be defined according to your market and the specificities of your clientele. After several visits, reassured by the quality of the content and the match between the offer and their needs, web users will become active visitors.

Generating a lead means taking a contact from unknown to qualified.

Today's business challenges revolve around the management of three strategic phases.

This new approach clearly shows that upstream work to attract contacts requires considerable resources (technical expertise, available time, follow-up, information sharing, etc.).

Lead generation doesn't stop with lead qualification. There are three key phases in this sales strategy that companies need to master.

Lead acquisition", which consists in qualifying the lead by means of a scenario and specific targeted actions, as described above.
Lead nurturing, where we seek to create and develop a strong bond, by feeding the lead, getting him to react, proposing content, inviting him to offline events... The challenge is to make the right adjustments, not to be too pushy, nor too little. The link is a dynamic thread, but not too taut.
Lead conversion is the critical moment, when the salesperson comes into play. It's a delicate stage, because it involves direct interaction, and requires the right sales skills and the right posture, the right distance to avoid doing anything.

Steering and monitoring

Of course, all these stages are taking place at the same time. At any given moment, a company has before it leads, prospects, customers, a whole volume of contacts at different stages of development, with a great deal of data to manage. All this creates a complex, constantly shifting picture that calls for new skills, a different approach and a fresh perspective.

Kestio LiveKestio Live, with its pragmatic, tailor-made approach, helps SMEs to structure a customized Lead Generation strategy, and to be effective in the three key phases. We first help to describe the buyers personas, then develop the most effective interaction scenarios, and finally help to manage the whole process, with regular contact that prioritizes long-term follow-up and performance.

Adopt a tool adapted to your business and your expectations: choose a CRM... To better understand the usefulness of CRM and choose the right tool, watch this webinar:

But inbound marketing isn't just about content production: an effective strategy requires the implementation of rigorous tools and processes to attract people seeking information on your areas of expertise, demonstrate your expert status, and above all make them want to take action (contact form, reservation, order).

Here are the key points and milestones for developing a lead generation strategy based on content production:

1. Define precise targets for your content

The first step before embarking on content production, and even before defining the subjects you want to talk about, is to define your targets. Is it easy? Not always. You know your customers thanks to your CRM software and databases, but a content strategy may not be aimed at the same type of people. You need to take advantage of this opportunity to rethink your targets, or, if you're keeping the same ones, refine them.

Inbound marketing can help you reach a different kind of customer. You can deliberately choose to target certain functions within the company, or certain sectors of activity that are neglected on offline channels. Define your priorities. In the light of the target profiles you've identified, you then need to come up with suitable content and match it to the interests of these targets. The questions you need to ask at this stage are: what topics are your targets interested in? How are you going to "hold" them on the site? What are their preferred communication tools? What social networks are they on?

2. Create a publication schedule and an editorial charter

You've painted a picture of your target audience. The major themes to be presented to them have also been determined. Now it's time to define an editorial charter and a publication schedule:

- Who's the expert on what subject? Who can (should) speak on a topic? Define your experts and their fields of action, and how they will transmit their knowledge. Will they write the content themselves? Will they be written by an external web editor, an agency, or a single in-house person?
- What tone will you adopt? What will be the chronology of topics? How often will you publish? You need a battle plan with a tunnel vision of your publications. The clearer your vision of the weeks ahead, the smoother the creative process will be.

However, defining a publication schedule and an editorial charter does not mean setting a strategy in stone and then never coming back to it. Bear in mind that current events, unforeseen occurrences or major developments in your sector can have an impact on your content. So, a very precise vision beyond three months is not necessary.

3. Optimize your referencing

Of course, producing quality content on your preferred subjects will contribute positively to your SEO. But it's not enough! Behind the websites that rank well in search engine optimization lies a high level of technical optimization: the choice of server, domain name, content hierarchy and the drafting of meta tags... A search engine optimization audit of your site can help you optimize these technical elements. It's essential to monitor your site's SEO on a regular basis, as positioning algorithms are constantly changing.

This technical optimization of your site is essential to the long-term success of your Inbound Marketing strategy. There's no point in producing quality content that no one will find. What's more, in the absence of visibility, your desire to produce content will wane for lack of results.

4. Bring your content to life with a communication process

Once content has been published on your website, its digital life begins. Define your communication process around this content: how do you promote it? Which channel will be most effective in reaching the targets defined above? Mailing, newsletter, sharing on social networks?

Should you unveil an article in full or in pieces? Should you use certain platforms for teasing? It's vital to think about this article relay process, as it will largely determine the success of your Inbound Marketing strategy.

5. Be interesting... but above all "engaging"!

If you think a subject isn't captivating enough, or won't keep readers' attention, change the angle and try to find a relevant entry key. In fact, article titles and illustrations are the first levers of engagement for your readers.

Secondly, always keep information "under your belt". Give useful material without delivering everything. Deal with specific, circumscribed subjects that respond to the concerns of your targets in a logical progression. Always give them the opportunity to find out more, either by subscribing to your newsletter or your company page on social networks, or by taking part in a webinar... Or by contacting you directly by e-mail or telephone. In short, make sure you create a relationship with your readers and generate interactions with them so that they enter your "funnel": only then will your (quality) content become a real lead generator!

Webinars have become an essential inbound communication tool: thanks to their audience and content, they can generate a large number of leads. Find out how in this webinar:

KESTIO was pleased to be approached by Les ECHOS Starta new Les ECHOS Group medium designed to support future Decision Makers in their various projects - particularly in their desire to set up their own business or start-up - by providing them with regular advice on how to sell and good business practices. Here's the first article from this brand-new collaboration, aimed at start-up entrepreneurs, and written by Dominique SEGUIN, partner at KESTIO. KESTIOpartner Dominique SEGUIN, on the fundamentals of social selling.

Looking for a job, maintaining relations with your professional network or with "influencers" in your sector of activity, recruiting new staff, monitoring subjects related to your professional expertise... These are all well-known uses of networks. But they can also be extremely effective in the commercial arena, helping you to develop your company's business by forging strong links with your customers and prospects. So how do you effectively activate and develop the commercial potential of "professional" social networks? Here's how.

1. Build a "good profile" and develop your personal branding
2. Develop your network - it's your most valuable asset
3. Rely on recommendations: my friends' friends are my friends!
4. Be active and responsive

Read the full article "4 key steps to selling on social networks" on the Les ECHOS Start website:

Read other related articles published on our blog:

Did this article help you? If you'd like to find out more, download our free white paper " How to switch to consultative selling in the digital age " to discover new sales methods and how to use them in the digital age!

A quick reminder: Inbound Marketing is all about attracting leads and nurturing their interest and reflection throughout the decision-making process, in order to convert them into qualified leads, prospects and then customers, or even, ideally, convinced ambassadors for your brand and your offers!

It is based on the change in attitude observed among buyers, who now carry out most of their purchasing process independently, relying in particular on the tools offered by digital technology (websites, forums, social networks, etc.) to develop their selection criteria and make their purchasing decisions.

By its very nature, it is opposed to Outbound Marketing, which relies on more "push" strategies (advertising and mass emailing, in particular) that have now lost their effectiveness.

The funnel logic of Inbound Marketing and the steps towards conversion can be summarized as follows:

The evening's program covered the 3 main stages of the Inbound approach:

1- Attract :

It's all about attracting a relevant audience to your website - potential prospects - by offering them content that appeals to them and interests them, in line with your expertise. Several ingredients contribute to this:

- Storytelling (Nathalie Grynbaum, IDRAC): Inbound content production means above all knowing how to tell a relevant story that will attract and convince your audience. It's all about demonstrating your expertise, but above all it's about responding in a concrete and useful way to your prospects' concerns and questions, providing them with elements that will enable them at least to fuel their thinking, and sometimes even to do some of the work themselves. You'll then be identified as a reference partner-expert, to whom they'll naturally turn when they need one.
- S.E.O. - Search Engine Optimization (Eric Guillermain, IDRAC): putting rich, relevant content online for your target audiences also means working on your site's visibility : producing this content is often a long-term process, so it has real value, in your eyes and for your targets... It would be a shame if it didn't reach its audience! This means generating traffic to your site, preferably qualified traffic. One of the levers for achieving this is theSEO (or "natural" referencing) of your website and your digital content : this means making it easier for search engines to identify your pages and their content, by working on the meta-tags, titles and descriptions, page urls, image titles, lexical fields of texts... etc, according to their reading criteria. This optimization work is based on the study and analysis of the keywords used by your prospects in their online searches.

2- Engage

Being able to produce content that's interesting (to your target audience) and representative of your expertise enables you to attract strangers and turn them into visitors to your website. Once you've achieved this first objective, however, there's still a lot to be done to really reach your goal: ultimately, it's all about selling your product or service offering! To do this, you need to work on engaging this audience.

- Engagement and social networks (Fabian Innocenti, PUBLIC ACTIF): This crucial stage consists of getting your visitors to take their relationship with you a step further. To achieve this, you need to provoke interactions with your prospects that will lead them to invest (time, energy... and above all, affection!) in a process that links them to your brand. One of today's most effective vectors in this field is social networking: animating a community through the dissemination of viral images, gaming, direct online access to services and products, the ability to personalize or even co-design products... All this plays a key role in engagement. It allows us to broaden our audience, to get to know them better, and above all to really "meet" their interests, expectations and purchasing behavior.

3- Transforming

If you already have a qualified audience engaged in a relationship with you, you've come a long way. However, your entire audience represents a mass of contacts too large for your sales force to handle effectively. What's more, not all visitors to your website or social networking pages are necessarily in the buying decision phase! It's up to you to get them there, or to identify those who are already at a level of maturity that can be exploited by your sales force...

- Lead nurturing and lead scoring (Olivier Prost, KESTIO): the aim of this patient work is to generate qualified, mature leads that can be passed on to our sales teams ! This involves a "nurturing" process, which consists in "nurturing" your visitors' thoughts and getting them to mature their purchasing project (for example, by offering them white papers, providing them with benchmarks, or inviting them to take advantage of a free trial...). The design and provision of this rich content is the subject ofa close collaboration between Marketing and Sales, to align and coordinate objectives and the tempo of operations. The interactions proposed to prospects and their reactions enable us to establish a "scoring" system designed to identify "mature" and interesting prospects. The score is established according to criteria such as the prospect's characteristics (scale, sector...) and his or her level of progress in the pre-purchase process (general information, definition of choice criteria...). At the end of the process, only leads that have reached the required score are passed on to sales reps, so that they can efficiently feed their pipeline and maximize their chances of success (optimizing conversion rates and sales effort allocation).

The conference demonstrated the effectiveness of this new marketing approach, and the need to master all its facets in order to implement it effectively. It was well attended by entrepreneurs, managers, marketing and sales professionals and students alike.

What about you? How are you approaching the implementation of Inbound Marketing in your company?

To stay competitive and maximize your chances of converting your leads into future customers, it is important to optimize the performance of your sales assets. Find out how by watching this webinar:

Generating and exploiting qualified inbound leads is our business. For the past 10 years, KESTIO has been helping companies (from SMEs to major corporations) to acquire and retain customers.

Demande VS Offre

Content Vs Design