3 reasons your online ads aren't generating enough leads

While online marketing can be a great method of prospecting for leads, not everyone is successful with it. If you're one of those whose ads are failing to garner much response, it may be time to revisit your marketing strategy. With that in mind, Forbes columnist Brad Shorr recently noted some of the most common reasons as to why business professionals' online marketing strategies might be ineffective.

Firstly, many advertisers place too much emphasis on the wrong metrics, Shorr writes. He warns that search rankings and traffic volume are not always the most meaningful metrics to focus on. While SEO rankings used to count for a lot, these days: "they mean very little because every Google search engine user sees different results. Also, if you rank well for a term that nobody searches for, you're wasting your money."

Shorr also says that while some ads might generate a traffic boost for your website, that additional traffic doesn't always equate to more leads or revenue. What businesses must do is focus on getting the "right" traffic to their website, so they can impress these genuine prospects once they land on their website.

A second problem for some marketers is they lack clearly defined goals. Shorr notes that beefing up your Facebook presence just to match competitors "isn't a well-thought-out plan" to increase leads. What marketers need to do is define their goals by sayinh, for example: "We want to increase SEO-generated validated website leads by 20 percent over the next 18 months." He recommends setting very specific goals that are time-sensitive and measurable.

Lastly, some marketers might be suffering from a lack of originality, Shorr says. People don't try new ideas, and they don't test new campaigns to see how they perform. "Successful companies are always on the lookout for better ideas," Shorr notes. "This spirit must drive online marketing efforts."