Every marketer knows how to track website visitors, and detect the main traffic sources. However, not every site visit is visible through traditional analytics tools.
In fact, a staggering 97-98% of website visitors are anonymous!
Still, understanding these anonymous user interactions might be crucial to your marketing strategy, and top-of-the-funnel efforts.
So, is there any way to learn more about the mysterious viewers? Luckily, there is. Keep reading as we find out all about how to identify anonymous website visitors.
What Are Anonymous Website Visitors?
These are people that land on your website, browse through it, and exit without leaving any information behind. For instance, such users do not sign in to your site, and don’t provide any personal info (name, email address, phone number, location, etc.).
Common reasons why users prefer to stay hidden, include:
- Privacy and security. A lot of people prefer to protect their personal information by avoiding third-party tracking. Documented data breaches are part of the reason why users don’t trust websites to keep their info secure. Staying anonymous makes them feel safer and less likely to become victims of identity theft, cyberstalking, and other online security threats.
- Targeted advertising and spam. Some users treat spam and personalized ads the same way – as unwanted and unsolicited messages. That’s why they prefer to stay hidden, rather than expose themselves to spam emails and targeted advertisements.
- Convenience. Simply put, it’s much easier for some people to stay anonymous, rather than create an account and provide personal details.
- Trust issues. Website visitors may not trust certain websites enough to share their info. This is especially true when the site looks suspicious and clearly lacks any privacy policies.
- Exploration. When somebody goes into a physical stores with no intention of buying, they usually say they’re “just looking”. Similarly, users that browse sites without any intention of making a purchase or engaging further, prefer to stay anonymous.
How to Identify Anonymous Website Visitors?
The most important subject that concerns your business is about anonymous website visitor identification. Luckily, there are a few ways to uncover such users:
- ID tracking. By using the IP address of the visitor, you can identify their location. This is useful as it enables B2B companies to know which companies are most likely visiting their pages. However, ID tracking does not provide any personal details about the visitors.
- Email forms and lead magnets. A traditional strategy for identifying visitors is to use lead magnets in the form of free trials, free resources, tools, and so on. Of course, the goal here is to get users to share their information. Unfortunately, this tactic is not that successful in terms of conversions, as people can often be reluctant about giving out personal details and simply leave the websites altogether.
- AI. Artificial intelligence has a couple of very efficient tools to help you identify anonymous visitors. IdentifyMatrix, Leadfeeder, Lift AI, and Clearbit are all viable options when it comes to revealing information. Such software uses advanced machine learning and real-time behavior analysis to shed light on hidden visitors.
What Is the B2B Dark Funnel?
In traditional lead gen funnels, every stage of the buyer journey and user interaction is visible. On the opposite side, the dark funnel represents all the activities that remain hidden from the company’s analytics tools.
These include:
- Research and discovery. People research your company through review websites, social media, mouth-to-mouth recommendations, and other methods, but without ever interacting with your site.
- Private conversations. As a company, you have no way of knowing when others are talking about your products/services in private forums, social media groups, or direct conversations. Alternatively, you could even be mentioned in discussions between colleagues, or industry experts – analytics can’t cover those.
- Anonymous visits. As we’ve already discussed, this is when people visit your website, browse through it, read your content, and so on, but don’t leave any traceable data.
- External content. It’s out of your control when users engage with external content that mentions you, such as other blog posts, webinars, videos, reviews, and so forth. These may influence their decisions when doing business with you, unfortunately, that can’t be tracked and/or measured through your analytics.
How Can You Illuminate the Dark Funnel?
It’s impossible to know when offline conversations mention your company. Still, there is a way to shed some light on other parts of the dark funnel.
- Through various sources of data. It’s important to use different sources of data, in order to create a more comprehensive understanding of the buyer’s journey. Incorporate information from your CRM, intent data, analytics, etc.
- Cross-promoting content. Distributing your content across various channels and platforms will allow you to maximize your chances of reaching your prospects, no matter where they conduct their research.
- Social media. If you want to engage with those discussing their needs, and researching for solutions, then you definitely need to participate in social media groups (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook) and forums (Reddit, Quora). Industry-related conversations will not only allow you to get closer to your target audience, but they can also position you as an industry expert.
- By creating interactive content and free tools. Do you ever wonder how to get anonymous visitors to share their information? A good start is by offering access to interactive content like quizzes, and polls or free to use cool tools in exchange for info like first and last name, and email address.
Identifying Anonymous Website Visitors in the Dark Funnel: Action Plan
- Use Intent Data
- Implement Visitor Identification Tools
- Apply Marketing Automation and CRM
- Engage in Social Listening
- Apply Account Based Marketing
- Monitor Third-Party Content
1. Use Intent Data
Third-party services like G2 or TechTarget can provide you with intent data. This data offers a look at the intentions of the online behavior and browsing patterns of potential buyers, as well as the way they consume content.
Keep in mind that such providers collect intent data from various sources, presenting you with a clearer picture of the companies that are researching your products and services.
2. Implement Visitor Identification Tools
As we mentioned earlier, using tools like Clearbit Reveal and Leadfeeder will allow you to access information about companies visiting your site.
It doesn’t matter if visitors have filled out a form or shared any personal details. You will get more context regarding anonymous views, since these tools analyze IP addresses and other metadata.
3. Apply Marketing Automation and CRM
Combining marketing automation and CRM systems allows you to track hidden visitors and nurture leads even before they’ve become part of your sales funnel.
Using HubSpot’s tracking and analytics, for instance, can help you monitor user interactions across your website and email campaigns. Through the patterns you reveal, you can identify potential leads based on their activity.
4. Engage in Social Listening
Social listening will help you assess the needs of your potential leads. First off, with a tool like HootSuite, you can monitor social media activity focused around keywords, hashtags or topics of your interest.
Additionally, software like Brandwatch lets you keep track of mentions of your brand, competitors, and topics related to your industry, so you can know what your target audience is talking about.
5. Apply Account Based Marketing
ABM platforms like Terminus enable you to target specific accounts with personalized ads, and track their engagement across a variety of channels.
Account based marketing adds that much-needed personal touch to your strategy. As Laura Ramos, VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester, puts it:
“ABM is the most effective way to align marketing and sales and drive growth at key accounts.”
6. Monitor Third-Party Content
Monitoring third-party content includes partnering with industry publications. Such collaborations allow you to track how your prospects engage with articles you have contributed to, sponsored content, or webinars.
On top of that, you can use webinar platforms like GoToWebinar or Zoom Webinars to measure attendance, engagement, and follow-up questions. This will give you more insights into the interests and needs of your audience.
Final Words
In the dynamic landscape of B2B marketing, the ability to identify anonymous website visitors and uncover the B2B dark funnel is crucial if you want to stay competitive and drive growth.
Understanding and addressing the dark funnel not only enhances lead nurturing, but also aligns marketing efforts with sales goals, ultimately leading to higher conversion rates and improved ROI.
If you’re ready to take your marketing efforts to the next level, consider partnering with DevriX. Our comprehensive digital marketing services are designed to help you identify anonymous website visitors, optimize your marketing strategies, and drive meaningful results.
Contact us today to learn how we can support your business in achieving its marketing goals.
Team DevriX
This article is crafted by DevriX's seasoned marketing team, boasting over four decades of collective expertise in crafting sophisticated marketing funnels, devising comprehensive content frameworks and pillars, implementing engaging email campaigns, and creating impactful social media content designed for scalability.
Our marketing experts specialize in the complete spectrum of inbound marketing strategies. As an accredited HubSpot Agency Partner and a Semrush Partner, we engage in meticulous research, blending our extensive experience with the unique insights of our highly skilled team.
We set benchmarks in content creation by incorporating cutting-edge marketing trends, leveraging in-depth industry research, and utilizing state-of-the-art AI tools for data segmentation and captivating content hooks. Our proficiency extends across a diverse range of sectors, including working with SMEs, Fortune 1000 companies, global B2B brands, major publishing entities, WooCommerce platforms, business directories, and affiliate networks.
