Why You’re Not Getting Leads for Your Business (& How to Fix It) (2024)

It doesn’t matter how good your product or service is. If you can’t generate leads you don’t have a business.

Everything is downstream from lead generation. So, if your lead flow stalls or never gets off the ground, it’s probably having all kinds of negative ripple effects.

Then, let’s find out why you’re not getting leads and, most importantly, how you can fix it.

The chances are, it’s because of one (or more) of these common problems.

1. Lack of clear target audience

Are you trying to target EVERYONE hoping to attract more people? In reality, the opposite is true.

When you try to speak to everyone, your messaging and marketing end up being so vague that… they appeal to no one.

For example, let’s say you’re an accountant at a prestigious firm and need help streamlining your operations. What would catch your attention: a company offering “business solutions for all industries” or one that works specifically with high-end accountants? We bet it’s the latter!

So, focus on solving a specific problem for a clear target audience. You’ll have a better understanding of who they are, where they hang out, what communities they’re part of, what content they like to consume and so on. So, it’ll be easier to get more leads!

How to fix it

Conduct some market research – There are several ways to do this, but a simple and effective tactic? Using a quiz for market research. You’ll get to ask strategic questions to your audience (who are they? What problem are they struggling with? What have they already done to try and solve it? What are their likes and dislikes?) and figure out how to get in front of them
Start speaking to them in your marketing – From now on, create ALL your content and marketing materials with this specific audience in mind

2. Zero incentive for your target audience to become leads

People are becoming more and more selective when handing over their details.

So, if you’ve been struggling to get your audience’s email addresses, it’s probably because:

You haven’t got a lead magnet – Are you just asking them to “join our newsletter to hear from us”? Unfortunately, that’s not very compelling
Your lead magnet isn’t targeted and strong enough – Still showing up with the same generic PDF for everyone? So are most of your competitors! No wonder these lead magnets only convert at 3-10%

How to fix it

Create a valuable lead magnet – Come up with a new idea for your specific target clients. The sweet spot? Something they want (because it solves a small but annoying problem for them) and that positions your business as the next step
Choose a good format – Go beyond static PDFs! The best lead magnets tend to be dynamic, like webinars or quizzes. The latter, in particular, are incredibly effective and convert at 30-50%. Why? First of all, quiz lead magnets are highly valuable because they help your audience understand their current situation and get personalised advice (for example, “What’s your entrepreneur profile?” or “Calculate your SEO score”). They also allow you to nurture your subscribers more strategically: you can segment them and then send different email sequences to each group, recommending the best solution for them

Create a FREE quiz lead magnet and funnel with ScoreApp

3. No consistent marketing

A common mistake that many business owners make? Relying on referrals (which are unpredictable and outside your control) and only marketing their products or services when they desperately need customers. By then, though, it’s too late!

Instead, you must always be consistent with your marketing to keep attracting new leads and staying top of mind.

How to fix it

Create a realistic and sustainable marketing strategy, and actually stick to it (even when you have plenty of customers).

For example, you could consider:

Content marketing – Help your audience find out about you! Answer their questions through a blog on your business website, and optimise your articles for the keywords they’re googling
Social media – Choose a couple of platforms where your target customers are hanging out (for example, LinkedIn is responsible for over 80% of all B2B leads). Then, create valuable content (not company news and updates!) and engage with your audience
Paid ads – If you need new leads fast, you might want to consider running some PPC or social media ads, too
Email marketing – The previous strategies can help you get more leads, especially when you use your content to drive traffic to your lead magnet (hint hint: a scroll-stopping quiz). Don’t let your list gather dust, though! Keep targeting your subscribers with valuable and personalised emails

And guess what? A ScoreApp quiz will complement all your marketing tactics!

For example, use it as a call to action at the end of your blog posts and on your social media, or you could even boost it through paid ads.

4. Not putting yourself out there

Before someone can become a potential customer, they first need to find out about you!

So, maybe you’re not getting leads because you’re fairly unknown in your industry?

Then, as well as lead generation, focus on brand awareness and demand generation, too. In other words: get more eyeballs on your products, services and business.

How to fix it

Start putting yourself out there to build a following faster. You can also grow and harness your personal brand to attract more leads for your business. For example:

Tap into other people’s audience – Collaborate with key personalities in your industry and with businesses offering complementary services. For example, you could run events together, or how about offering a free training session for their membership?
Use a lead magnet to collect their details – Once you’re in front of this new audience, DON’T put them with a direct pitch or a generic “Sign up to keep hearing from me.” Instead, offer them a fantastic freebie: your compelling quiz lead magnet!

5. Poor online presence

Another common reason why some businesses struggle to get leads is:

They haven’t got a website – Did you know that over half of your customers wouldn’t trust a business without one? And how can they find you on Google if you’re not showing up when they look for your products or services? So, if you haven’t got a website, you’re making things A LOT harder for yourself!
You have a low-quality website – Maybe you’ve been told “Build it and they will come.” If only! Unfortunately, if your website wasn’t created with an actual strategy, it still won’t bring you leads. If anything, it could even put off your audience

How to fix it

Invest in a strategic website, or update your current one. You especially want to focus on:

User experience – Your website must look professional and be both mobile- and user-friendly
Copy – Fill your website with strong copy that conveys your core message and connects with your target audience, getting them to take action
SEO – Include the keywords that your customers are googling when looking for your type of business
Blog on it – Keep feeding fresh content to your website! This will allow you to cover new keywords and reach even more people

6. Ignoring local SEO

If your business isn’t tied to a physical location (for example, if you’re a SaaS brand or eCommerce), skip to the next point.

If it is but you’re NOT focusing on local SEO, that’s probably why you’re not getting many leads!

Your audience is out there googling specific terms like “content marketing agency in London” or “flower shop near me.”

So, if your website isn’t optimised for those keywords, you’re sending your potential customers straight to your competitors!

How to fix it

Create content and web pages that are specifically aimed at your local audience. You’ll want to:

Optimise your website for local keywords – To find them, try tools like Keywords Everywhere, Semrush, Ahrefs or Moz. Complete beginner? Keep it simple: Google Keyword Planner is free and easy to use. As for the actual keywords, a good starting point is “[your type of business] in [city/area]”
Do the same with your blog posts – Can you also create fresh content for your local audience? For example, a holiday lodge park in North Wales could blog about “How to plan the perfect holiday in North Wales”

7. Neglecting obvious lead-generating places

Creating a strong lead magnet is an important first step. You can’t expect strangers to find it out of the blue, though!

You must maximise the reach of your lead magnet and make it IMPOSSIBLE to miss.

How to fix it

Promote your lead magnet everywhere so that it keeps bringing you leads on autopilot. Some key spots to consider are:

On your website (in the hero section, notification bar, pop-ups, menu and so on)
Blog post call to action
The main link in your social media bios
Social media post captions and video descriptions on YouTube
Your email signature

And overall, keep using your lead magnet as your main call to action whenever and wherever you show up for your business, from guest articles to in-person events.

Start and keep getting leads for your business with ScoreApp

There are different tactics to generate leads for your business. As you now know, though, it all starts with a strong lead magnet.

With a quiz, in particular, you can:

Impress your audience and get more sign-ups in the first place
Complement all your other demand and lead generation strategies
Segment your participants based on their answers
Nurture them with personalised email sequences and relevant content
Once they’re ready, invite them on a call or recommend the best option for them

So, if you’re not getting leads for your business right now, fix it today! Create your FREE ScoreApp quiz and lead generation funnel.