You’ll want to score pricing page visits (15-20 points), especially when combined with feature comparisons, as they indicate serious business case building. Award 25 points for demo/case study clicks, 30 points for forwarding content to colleagues, and 20+ points for multiple product views within 48 hours. Bottom-funnel downloads like ROI calculators predict sales better than early-stage content. Don’t forget to decrease scores for inactivity – subtract 15 points at 60 days and 30 points at 90 days to maintain accuracy. The insights below reveal how these triggers transform your nurture automation.
How Lead Scoring Separates Buyers From Browsers
While casual visitors may download a single ebook and disappear, serious buyers leave distinct behavioural fingerprints across your marketing ecosystem. Lead scoring liberates you from guesswork by quantifying engagement patterns that reveal true purchase intent.
You’ll spot buyers through their persistent return visits, multiple content downloads, and pricing page investigations. They’re consuming comparison guides, watching product demos, and exploring integration documentation. These signals stack up, creating a clear picture of readiness.
Browsers, conversely, engage sporadically without depth. They’ll grab surface-level content but won’t invest time exploring your solutions thoroughly.
Email Behaviours That Signal Purchase Intent
Beyond website activity, your email campaigns generate some of the most revealing purchase signals available. You’ll discover who’s ready to buy by tracking strategic engagement patterns that separate serious prospects from casual readers.
| Email Behaviour | Score Value | What It Reveals |
|---|---|---|
| Clicks pricing links | +15 points | Budget evaluation phase |
| Opens 3+ emails in 48 hours | +20 points | Active consideration mode |
| Clicks case study/demo CTAs | +25 points | Solution validation stage |
| Forwards to colleague | +30 points | Internal champion behaviour |
You’re not just counting opens anymore – you’re identifying liberation from manual qualification. When prospects click specific CTAs, revisit your emails multiple times, or share content internally, they’re broadcasting readiness. These behaviours trigger automated nurture sequences that match their buying stage, freeing your sales team to focus on closing.
Website Activity Patterns Worth Higher Scores
Your website becomes a goldmine of buying signals when you know which pages matter most.
Break free from tracking meaningless vanity metrics. Focus on behaviours that reveal genuine purchase intent:
- Pricing page visits combined with feature comparisons – When prospects spend 2+ minutes reviewing costs alongside capabilities, they’re building their business case. Award 15-20 points for this power combo.
- Multiple product demo or case study page views within 48 hours – This pattern shows active evaluation mode. They’re validating your solution against their needs. Score this 20+ points.
- Return visits to implementation or integration documentation – Technical deep-dives signal they’re past awareness and into serious consideration. Assign 25 points since they’re mentally planning deployment.
Stop rewarding random blog scrolling. Track behaviour that predicts revenue instead.
Which Content Downloads Actually Predict Sales?
Not all content downloads signal buying intent equally. Your bottom-funnel assets – case studies, product comparisons, and ROI calculators – typically predict sales far better than top-funnel ebooks or blog content. If you’re noticing leads who download early-stage content aren’t converting, you’ve likely got gaps in your middle and bottom-funnel resources that prevent prospects from advancing.
Bottom-Funnel Asset Performance
While demo requests and free trial signups clearly signal purchase intent, content downloads present a murkier picture – some assets consistently precede closed deals, while others attract researchers who’ll never buy.
Break free from generic content scoring by tracking which bottom-funnel assets actually convert:
- ROI calculators and pricing guides: Buyers engaging with these tools are evaluating specific numbers for their business case, not browsing abstract concepts.
- Implementation checklists and technical specifications: These downloads signal someone’s preparing internal stakeholders or evaluating integration complexity – actions that happen weeks before purchase.
- Comparison sheets and vendor evaluation templates: When prospects download competitor comparisons, they’re actively shortlisting solutions.
Stop wasting nurture sequences on researchers downloading whitepapers. Focus your automation firepower on contacts consuming decision-stage content that historically precedes revenue.
Early-Stage Content Gaps
Bottom-funnel assets reveal purchase intent, but they only tell half the story. You’re missing critical signals when prospects first discover your brand. Early-stage content downloads expose knowledge gaps and research patterns that predict conversion likelihood months before purchase consideration.
Track which educational assets attract your best customers. White papers on industry fundamentals? Blog posts about problem identification? Webinars exploring solution categories? These reveal self-directed learners who’ll eventually convert. Ignore vanity metrics like total downloads. Instead, measure which early content correlates with closed deals six months later.
Most marketers dismiss top-funnel engagement as noise. You’ll gain competitive advantage by identifying which introductory assets actually begin winning journeys. Map backward from revenue to discover your predictive early-stage triggers, then score them accordingly.
Product Page and Pricing Visits That Indicate Readiness
When prospects return to your pricing page multiple times within a short window, they’re signalling clear buying intent. These repeat visits show they’re actively comparing options and calculating costs rather than just browsing. You’ll see even stronger readiness signals when they engage with your feature comparison tool, as they’re now evaluating how your solution stacks up against alternatives.
Multiple Pricing Page Views
A prospect who returns to your pricing page isn’t just browsing – they’re calculating whether your solution fits their budget and needs. Multiple visits signal serious buying intent, and you’ll want to capture this momentum before they move to competitors.
Track these pricing page behaviours:
- Three or more visits within seven days – They’re comparing tiers, calculating ROI, and building their business case
- Time spent increasing with each visit – Deeper engagement means they’re scrutinising details and imagining implementation
- Visits from multiple stakeholders – Different IP addresses or user sessions indicate they’re building internal consensus
When you spot these patterns, trigger personalised nurture flows that address budget concerns, showcase ROI, and provide pricing justification resources. Don’t let decision-makers slip away during their critical evaluation phase.
Feature Comparison Tool Usage
If prospects are actively comparing your features side-by-side, they’re doing the heavy lifting of justifying a purchase decision. They’re evaluating trade-offs and determining what matters most. This behaviour signals high intent – they’re ready to choose, not just browse.
Track when prospects use comparison tools, filter features, or toggle between plan tiers. Each interaction reveals their priorities and objections. You’ll spot patterns: Are they stuck on pricing differences? Fixated on specific capabilities?
Use this intelligence to trigger personalised nurture sequences. Send targeted content addressing their exact comparison criteria. Offer demos highlighting the features they’re scrutinising. Connect them with sales when they’ve compared multiple times within days.
Don’t let comparison fatigue push them toward competitors. Strike while they’re actively deciding.
Direct Response Actions to Score Immediately
Certain prospect behaviours signal immediate buying intent and deserve instant lead scoring recognition.
When someone takes direct action requesting engagement, you can’t afford to wait. These responses break through the passive browsing pattern and demand your attention. You’ll capture genuine opportunities by prioritising prospects who actively reach out.
Score these direct response actions immediately:
- Demo or consultation requests – They’re asking to see your solution in action, signalling they’re evaluating options right now and ready to move forward.
- Contact form submissions – They’ve broken anonymity to connect directly with your team, showing commitment beyond casual interest.
- Live chat initiations – They want answers now, indicating urgency and active decision-making that requires immediate follow-up.
When to Lower Scores Based on Inactivity?
While high-intent actions boost scores, lead engagement doesn’t always move in one direction. You’ll need decay mechanisms to maintain scoring accuracy and prevent stale leads from cluttering your pipeline.
| Inactivity Period | Score Reduction | Action Required |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days | -5 points | Monitor engagement |
| 60 days | -15 points | Re-engagement campaign |
| 90 days | -30 points | List segmentation review |
| 120 days | -50 points | Consider cold status |
| 180+ days | Reset to baseline | Archive or delete |
Set automated score decreases based on email non-opens, website silence, and content disengagement. You’re not punishing prospects – you’re maintaining data integrity. This prevents your team from wasting resources on dead leads while identifying who genuinely wants what you’re offering. Score decay creates honest pipelines that reflect current interest levels.
