Lead Generation - Does it Need to Cost an Arm and a Leg?

Every business needs a steady supply of fresh leads.
This needs to happen on a daily basis and has to be kept track of.
The conundrum many of us find at the beginning is cost.
It looks expensive and, in truth, it CAN be expensive, but thee are some things to take into consideration that will lower that cost.
Many sites use a simple sales letter type page that has one objective - to sell an item.
While this may have some success, it generally does nothing for you in terms of future sales contacts.
Sure, you have the person's name and all, but once they have bought that item, there is no follow up to it.
This type of sales process is singular and contains you to a single sale to a single customer.
What you want to do is design it so you have a way of selling other items you have for sale to that same customer.
Now, sales letter type pages require an effective text that drives the customer to hit the "Buy" button at the end.
Sales copy is a skill that not all people have, so having it written for you is the answer.
Copywriters do not come cheap, especially if they are good and have a proven track record.
That is the major cost of sales letter pages.
In essence, you are relying on a set number of sales to offset that cost and lead into profit.
This is known as overhead or initial outlay and we all have been there at one time or another.
The site itself has to be designed so that anyone can navigate through it.
I have seen a lot of expensive, flashy sites that basically generate no income for the owner other than the sales that come from it.
Add in the costs of hosting, domain registration and upkeep and you may never recover the entire cost of the business as it will always be creeping up and biting you on the butt! On the other hand, a site that generates leads on a continuous basis will pay for itself over and over again.
Believe it or not, this does not have to be elaborate or flashy.
A simple offer of a free item like a report or white paper can be made in exchange for a little information.
Usually this is a name and email address.
So for the cost of $0, you now have a contact that you can market to as long as they remain on your list.
Since that person has agreed to receive your email(s), there is no danger of a SPAM report from them.
Once they have accepted your initial offer and given you their information, they are asked to confirm that they want to register on your list.
This is called double opt-in and it works like a charm.
Not only do you now have a prospect, you have a prospect that knows what you offer and wants to receive it willingly.
Lead generation monetizes your list every time a new person joins.
The total cost? A few minutes and some time to follow up.
The results? Lasting recurring sales from a customer who now trusts you implicitly.