Do you ever wonder which leads would be best to contact first? Lead scoring tells you which prospects are most likely to make the leap and become paid customers in the near future, all based on data you collect about them using software such as HubSpot. Knowing this information about which leads are the most sales qualified puts your business at a huge advantage when it comes to increasing your conversion rates and generating more customers.This is one of the best parts about inbound marketing — it’s actually fairly easy to put the data you acquire to good use. In particular, its lead scoring capabilities are what really set this methodology apart from the rest. It’s the ultimate trump card in your lead generation strategy. Here are 10 of the best tactics you can add to your lead scoring tool belt and use to determine when your website visitors are ready to convert:

1. Form Conversion Status

If a visitor fills out a form on your website, they’re clearly interested in what you have to say, and they probably have at least a decent chance of eventually becoming a customer. That’s especially true if they filled in non-mandatory fields your form may include.

2. Time Spent on Your Site

We all know that people spend mere seconds reading websites these days. So, if someone spends a significant amount of time on your site, it’s a major sign they’re interested in your company. At the very least, you’re doing a lot to inform that viewer, which may sell him or her on your brand.

3. User Engagement

A student that raises their hand frequently in class is a student that cares about what they’re learning. The same is true regarding activity on your blog posts and social media accounts. Someone that comments often or likes your status updates is a person that you should definitely be keeping your eye on.

4. Download Activity

Offering white papers for download is a great public service, but it’s so much more than that. If a lead downloads everything you publish, you can bet that person is ripe for conversion.

5. Visit-Based Metrics

There are two types of lead scoring metrics that are based on visits. The first is how many pages people peruse and engage with in a given visit to your website. The second is how many times people come back to those pages. Someone who scores well in one area is a great candidate for conversion. An individual with high numbers in both categories is most likely extremely interested in your brand.

6. Email Figures

Email is the holy grail of any lead generation strategy, and success in email is a good indicator of your ability to convert customers. People who open your emails more often than not and click the included links are the people you want to focus your energy on. These are the people who are likely to make purchases sooner rather than later.

7. On-Site Activities

Sometimes, the number of pages a lead visits isn’t as important as what’s actually being done during those visits. Someone that looks at pages for pricing, for example, is far more valuable than someone who only looks at your “About Us” page. Looking at the search terms people use on your site can also help you identify who’s ready to take the next step.

8. Budget

As you identify the major players in your customer base, it’s good to get to know them a little more. Understanding the budget these individuals are working with can go a long way towards tailoring your sales tactics and product offerings. It can also weed out those people who don’t have the resources to make your efforts worthwhile. Consider adding a field in your landing page forms that asks what budget your leads are working with.

9. Job Title

When you’re dealing with corporate clients, you want to make sure you’re dealing with the right people. It’s always a good idea to ask for a lead’s job title on any forms on your website. If you’ve been talking with a low-level employee at a company, but the decision maker at the organization is someone that ranks much higher, it might be a good idea to open the lines of communication to include those with actual purchasing power.

10. Use Your Data Wisely

If used correctly, the data collected from inbound marketing tactics can have tremendous power for your lead generation strategy. You can separate the important leads from the casual observers, ensuring that you don’t waste your time reaching out to those who aren’t ready to make a purchase. When it comes to generating sales qualified leads, utilizing these lead scoring tactics is a powerful way to get you closer to the conversion rates you’ve been looking for.