20 Lead Generation Tools for Small Businesses

When your business has a steady flow of customers who consistently buy your products and use your services, you can generate the revenue you need to grow and stay ahead of the competition. But before you can have customers, you need leads.

In business and digital marketing, a lead has shown interest in your products and services. Generating leads is crucial to any business, regardless of the industry. If you are having difficulty finding leads to convert to customers, there are advanced resources for you to turn to. Lead generation tools are available to make your job easier and help you find greater success in getting quality leads so your business can thrive.

One of the most notable tools on the market comes from Podium. Podium Lead Drive can help you manage leads and then turn them into loyal customers. Lead Drive reduces much of the hassle that can come from sifting through prospects, responding to them, and developing a quality relationship with them. With Lead Drive, you won’t miss any more notifications or opportunities, as you will have all your potential customers in one place.

Pair that with Podium’s new service: Speed to lead is critical in today’s fast-paced market, and Podium offers an unparalleled advantage by ensuring businesses engage with leads within a couple of minutes—guaranteed. Podium’s conversational AI is outcome-driven – it doesn’t just respond to inbound leads it guides conversations toward a specific goal, such as a sale or booking. Unlike other AI systems that focus on providing correct responses, Podium aims to drive specific customer actions to grow your business.

Whether your leads come from inquiries from your landing pages, search engines, or other sites such as Angie’s, they’ll come to your customized Podium Inbox so you can have a well-organized view. From there, you can respond to your leads automatically and convert them into reliable, long-term customers. Podium’s online lead generation tools for business will give you a leg up on the competition and allow you to achieve your goals.

What is a lead generation tool?

Generating and converting leads are not processes that happen automatically. These workflows require a well-devised plan and targeted efforts. Luckily, you are not alone in these endeavors. You can use lead generation tools to increase your productivity and reduce much of the work you would otherwise have to do.

A lead generation tool will help drive viable leads so you can eventually convert them into customers. In particular, the best lead generation software can remove much of your hands-on work by automating the process. You can use tools for both inbound and outbound leads. The nice thing about these resources is there are plenty of options to fit your business needs.

When you find a tool you can trust for your company, you will no longer have to spend as much time manually finding and responding to leads. Manual lead generation is time-consuming and diverts your attention from other essential tasks. However, the best lead generation platform does most of the hard work for you by automatically finding leads, reaching out to them, and communicating with them through messaging and other methods. Podium’s AI Employee guarantees your business engages with leads within a couple of minutes; during peak hours, off hours, and every hour in between.

Lead generation tools also have analytics and metrics to help you measure your success and identify areas where you need to improve. These tools also connect with prospects in the ways they want to communicate. Not all tools work effectively for every business, so it’s important to explore a wide range of possibilities.

Why are lead generation tools essential?

Generating leads is vital for your business. If you don’t find high-quality leads, then the competition will. When you miss out on leads, you lose future customers and future revenue. This can have drastically negative effects on your company.

Lead generation tools can help you improve and increase your sales. When you use these tools, you are more likely to identify potential customers, including more qualified leads. Lead generation apps and software can also help you increase your brand awareness and the visibility of your business. You can improve your legitimacy and foster interest and trust from possible customers.

Finally, your response time will be faster when using these tools. This has a positive effect on customer engagement and the customer experience in general.

Increased Efficiency and Productivity

To stay ahead of the competition, you need to work wisely. You need to accomplish more in less time. Lead generation tools enable you to become more efficient because you no longer have to devote so many resources to tracking your sales pipeline. Speed to lead wins; Podium’s AI Employee boosts lead conversion by 45%. You’ll save time and will thus be able to focus on other critical aspects of your sales process and marketing efforts.

Improved Lead Quality and Targeting

Lead generation is not just about finding leads. The important aspect is finding quality leads that are more likely to eventually become lifelong customers. It’s nice to generate leads and identify prospects, but it’s much more important to improve the quality of leads you have.

Online lead generation tools and other marketing automation tools make it simpler to target your leads as well. By targeting your leads, you can focus on a specific group of possible customers and nurture leads who you believe will want to use your products and services. Targeted leads often become some of the most loyal customers.

Data Analysis and Performance Tracking

Lead generation tools can show you what you’re doing well and where you may need to make some course corrections. This is valuable because you need to know whether your efforts are successful or falling short. Through the tools and their analytics and data, you can make adjustments to your strategies. These insights are available in real-time and are accurate, so you can use the data to make better business decisions.

20 Best Lead Generation Tools

There is no shortage of lead generation tools and SaaS providers to choose from. Some are more useful than others, and you will find that certain ones are more applicable to your needs and goals. Evaluate several of these options so you can make the right choice and move forward with confidence in your lead generation plan and sales efforts.

1. Podium

Podium is a leader in lead generation software and solutions. It has several features designed to improve the way you do business with your customers and how you find and interact with potential ones, including leads.

Podium’s solutions can help you manage customer reviews, customer feedback, SMS marketing, surveys, and integrations. For instance, Lead Drive is Podium’s lead generation feature that places all your leads in one convenient place—your Podium Inbox. This makes it easier for your team to access lead data and send quick and personalized follow-up messages.

A big advantage of using Lead Drive is that you are much less likely to miss any leads. You’ll also be able to respond quickly, as the process is automatic when you receive an inquiry. In addition to Lead Drive, Podium also offers Webchat through chatbots, which you can use to supplement your SEO efforts and start conversations with site visitors.

Transform your business with Podium’s AI Employee. Get a Demo Today.

2. Marketo

Marketo is a smart choice for larger companies that have a limited lead generation budget. The tools include lead management, email marketing, social media marketing, and analytics. Marketo’s lead generation tools allow you to learn more about your targeted audience and reach these prospects. You can also take manual tasks and automate them for greater efficiency, which is especially useful in B2B lead generation.

There are four pricing plans to consider. The tools are not difficult to use, and they are simple to set up. Plus, you’ll have access to helpful customer service associates if you encounter any problems. However, the reporting functions and analytics are not as robust as what some competitors offer. The pricing also gets pretty steep as you move up into higher-tiered tools.

3. Sumo

When it comes to email marketing, Sumo is one of the top players in the marketplace. With Sumo’s tools, you can capture lead data and grow your list of subscribers. Slide-in popups, drag-and-drop builders, and welcome mats are some of the features you can enjoy. Sumo also has a convenient Chrome extension for checking your marketing pop-ups.

If you want to know exactly where people are going to most on your site, Sumo has a heatmap function to decipher this information. There is also a floating social share bar for your website. The platform is a great choice for small businesses since it has a free version and other reasonably priced options.

4. HotJar

As you are looking for the best lead generation solution, you may be interested in improving your conversion rates as well. To optimize these rates, HotJar has a tool for you. It includes feedback polls and surveys, visual session recording, and heat mapping. There are also handy analytics, including sales funnel analytics and form analytics.

If you want customer insights, HotJar is a good choice. It also integrates with WordPress, so users can set up heatmaps and surveys on WordPress-based sites. However, the interface is not intuitive, and there is subpar customer support. Business owners may also dislike the lack of different plan options.

5. OptinMonster

OptinMonster specializes in website traffic optimization. Lead generation tools from OptinMonster help you monetize this traffic as well as increase leads, improve sales, and build your email list.

This company offers great customer support and an easy-to-use solution. On the other hand, the tool provides limited analytical data, and you only have a few integrations at your disposal.

6. Zuko

Zuko is for businesses that don’t want to worry about software and different plugin choices. Its lead generation tools are completely online. There is even a free trial, so you can give the product a run-through without having to pay a dime. It has excellent analytics, conversion tracking, campaign management, keyword tracking, multiple site management, and much more. There are also integrations with Optimize, Convert, and JotForm.

People who use Zuko find it to help improve conversion rates and gain insights. Some users report that it isn’t easy to navigate the tools, however. The prices are pretty hefty, too.

7. JotForm

JotForm is another of the best lead-generation platforms you can use. JotForm excels in survey creation and gathering data on leads. There are several survey templates and a variety of themes you can use, along with an intuitive drag-and-drop form builder.

You’ll also be able to look at your survey data and analytics using this tool. There are not many integrations, however.

8. Qualaroo

This lead gen tool generates leads by surveying website visitors to your site. At any point of a person’s visit, you can gain insights about prospects. It’s good for small and medium-sized businesses looking to try marketing automation. You can access the software from anywhere, too, which is great for on-the-go productivity.

The tool also makes marketing campaigns easier through features such as pre-populated survey questions. You can also import or export data in a wide range of formats. However, the tool’s templates are not customizable to suit your needs.

9. TypeForm

This is another survey-heavy tool, but TypeForm is even more robust than some of its competitors. Businesses that use TypeForm can make not only surveys but also tests and quizzes, tutorials, shopping carts, registration forms, and contact forms. These surveys can help you collect information that can help move leads along the sales pipeline.

If you are on a tight budget, TypeForm may be the right way to go. There is a free plan available as well as paid plans for $35 a month and another for $75 a month. Many users report that the user interface is confusing.

10. Discover.ly

Discover.ly software displays matching profiles on social media sites. For example, if you get an email from someone you don’t know, the Discover.ly tool will then show you this person’s work history, mutual connections, and any Tweets they may have sent out. Discover.ly brings LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook together and integrates them with your Gmail.

The tool is reportedly fast, free, and easy to use. However, be advised that the software sometimes incorrectly matches profiles.

11. Clearbit

More than an email finder, Clearbit touts itself as the first AI Native Data Provider. The platform combines its proprietary data with public data available online to create accurate data sets that can be used for B2B lead generation and B2B sales campaigns.

Sales reps enjoy using Clearbit because it automatically updates sales records with contact information like phone numbers. It has many native integrations, including Hubspot, Salesforce, and Zapier, so it should fit in nicely with your tech stack. On the negative side, it can be expensive for SMBs.

12. ProProfs Quiz Maker

This software company appeals to many types of businesses, including auto dealerships. It offers tools to help you create tests and quizzes. It also has a reporting function, and you can export the data to the format of your choosing. Customer service is reportedly excellent, as well.

On the negative side, there are many advertisements on the tool, which can be distracting and make the tool look unprofessional. Still, the tool can be important for businesses that want to gain insights from their target audience.

13. Pointerpro

When someone makes an inquiry on your site or via email or some other media, Pointerpro lets you send out an assessment, providing valuable insights and information. This lead generation tool makes it easy for recipients to download the assessment right away.

Customer support is fantastic and helps to provide a positive customer experience, though this tool is available only by monthly registration, which can be a hassle.

14. Turnstile by Wistia

Like many lead apps, Turnstile by Wistia specializes in video marketing. You can use this tool to assess the effectiveness of your video marketing efforts and how it helps generate leads and convert them to customers. The tool has live streaming, video player customization, and a ton of video analytics. It is a web-based app and is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses.

15. Mailshake

Mailshake focuses on email marketing tools. It’s useful for either cold emails or email outreach. You can use the tool for lead generation by using one of many campaigns or templates available. The platform also offers A/B testing features so you can create emails that are more likely to resonate with your target audience.

You can schedule email campaigns as well as integrate the tool with Gmail and Google Suite. The email automation will save you time and help with efficiency. Pricing is on the high side, however.

16. Salesforce

This sales lead generator tool automates sales and marketing tasks to simplify lead generation. Salesforce can collect customer data from any inbound channel, including your website and social media accounts. It also automatically scores leads and then routes them to the right salesperson.

17. Intercom

If you’re looking to chat with your website visitors, try out Intercom. Your business can choose to use their fully automated chatbots around the clock, or just when your human agents need extra help. Intercom’s tool comes with other features like lead scoring and pipeline management.

18. Mailchimp

This email marketing lead generation tool helps you keep leads warm with automated email campaigns. Mailchimp sends personalized, relevant messages to customers based on audience segmentation when specific triggers occur—helping move prospects down the funnel for you.

19. Hubspot

Hubpsot’s all-in-one lead capture tool offers a custom lead generation form builder, so your business can gather all your preferred data points. Hubspot also has its Marketing Hub within the same platform, which then lets you score and manage your leads.

20. Pipedrive

Pipedrive combines lead management, sales pipeline management, and CRM into one platform. The tool’s features include web lead capture forms, a single lead inbox, and a visual timeline of your chat history to make outreach and customer engagement easy and efficient.

Features to Look for in a Lead Generation Tool

Choosing the right lead generation tool is no simple feat. It’s also not a task you should take lightly. As you decide which solution makes the most sense for your business, consider the following three elements that matter most in a tool.

1. Automation and Workflow Management

As stated before, automation is crucial in lead generation tools. The more manual tasks you can eliminate, the more efficient you will be and the more time you will have. The best tools have automation and include automatic responses and campaigns. You’ll also want a tool that lets you easily manage your workflow from one source.

This is what makes Lead Drive from Podium so valuable. You don’t need to search multiple sources to follow up on new leads and respond to inquiries. Lead Drive keeps you organized and allows you to automatically respond to prospects before the competition does.

2. Multi-Channel Lead Capture

Driving people to your site is a crucial activity. Once visitors arrive there, your goal is to convert them into leads. This happens through lead capture. You can successfully capture leads by using lead capture forms, e-commerce checkout pages, and lead capture pages. You want to choose a tool that allows you to do this not only on your website but on all your company’s online platforms.

3. CRM Integration and Lead Management

Lead management processes like lead scoring and lead nurturing become easier with the right tools. Make sure your tool has customer relationship management (CRM) platform integration so you can effectively communicate with leads and build relationships so they eventually become customers.

Podium stands out because it boasts more than 180 integrations with marketing software, sales tools, CRM platforms, and other business software, with new ones coming regularly. The integrations allow you to streamline your work processes and ease the burden on those who handle manual tasks.

As you explore the many tools for lead generation available, either online, as lead generation software, or on apps, evaluate whether they have all the essential characteristics and functions. You won’t go wrong by choosing Podium. Drive your business sales and marketing strategies and convert more leads with these innovative sales and CRM tools.

How do you choose the right lead generation software?

With so many lead generation tools available, it can be hard to know which is best for your business. Consider factors such as which features are most important, what other tools and platforms you use, if it integrates with your CRM, and your budget.

Top lead generation tools include features like chatbots, lead capture forms, and customer outreach. Podium offers businesses all those and more. Our AI-powered lead conversion platform attracts more leads by automating business reviews and keeping prospects engaged—even when your employees are off the clock.

Watch a demo of Podium to learn more!