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A lead is a person or business who’s interested in what you have to offer. There are many ways to generate leads, but lead forms are one of the most popular options.
A lead form is an online form that usually goes on your website or landing page. It can also be a part of your social media pages, like Instagram’s new lead capture form. But no matter where you place your lead form, it serves the same general purpose.
A lead capture form allows you to collect a lead’s information while they opt-in to hear more from your company. Generally, lead forms ask for basic information, like name, email, and phone number, but the options are really limitless.
A lead gen form is a lot like the door to the top of your marketing funnel. When a person fills out the form, it’s like they’re ringing your doorbell and saying, “Hey! I want to learn more about your company or your offer.” However, if your doorbell is hidden or hard to use, a person may think twice about ringing it.
To ensure you don’t lose leads at the door, you need to optimize your lead capture form with a few best practices and tips. In this article, we’re sharing our favorite ways to quickly optimize your form to get better conversions.
If you want to boost the conversions on your lead forms – start here. These nine tips are quick changes that can make a world of difference.
Imagine walking up to a door to ring the doorbell, but it isn’t in the usual place. You look and look, and you still can’t find it. If your lead form is buried in your website or landing page, you can kiss your conversions goodbye.
Make sure your forms are front-and-center and easy to find. In general, the top of the page, above the fold, is the sweet spot for lead forms.
The length of your form can significantly impact the quantity and quality of your leads. If you have a shorter form, you can generate more leads. However, with a longer form, you get better quality leads.
The perfect length should strike a balance between getting enough information while not demanding too much from your visitors.
Along the same lines as length, it’s essential to consider which fields are must-haves and which are more nice-to-have. For example, do you really need your customer’s address, or can you get that in a separate conversation?
Figure out which details you need to know and mark them as “required.” Additionally, make sure the fields that aren’t required say “optional.” Marking fields as optional makes the form seem less intimidating and can lead to more form fills.
You need a clear call-to-action (CTA) on your form. People need to know what they’re doing and why, and they need to know right away. By making your form’s headline a CTA, you make things clear from the jump.
Here are some examples of headline CTAs to get you started:
Did you know buttons with the word “submit” have some of the lowest click rates? So, ditch boring button text, and opt for something a bit more descriptive. Play around and test different options until you find one that works for you.
Here are some examples of descriptive button text:
Your form’s layout matters like a door’s appearance and layout matters. What if you went to a door to find that it was three feet off the ground, made of steel, and the doorknob was on the wrong side? You’re probably not going in that door, right?
You want to ensure your lead form offers a frictionless experience for visitors. In other words, you want to make it as easy as possible for them to come inside. Here are some of the top tips for optimizing a lead form’s layout:
Today’s consumers are more privacy-aware than ever before. As a result, it’s wise to make your privacy policy and intentions clear right on the form. Let your leads know you respect their privacy and tell them how you plan to use their information. Being transparent will help calm visitors’ nerves and make them more likely to share their contact information with you.
A lead form is only as powerful as the copy that surrounds it. In other words, take some time to freshen up your landing page to ensure it’s selling your offer appropriately. Your lead form’s landing page should discuss your offer and drive visitors to the form. (Here are some quick copywriting formulas to get you started!)
When it comes to forms, nothing is absolute. What works with one audience might not work with the next. That’s what makes split testing so valuable. With split testing, you can test a couple of variations of one feature and compare the results.
For example, you might test a form with a blue button and one with a red one to see which gets the highest conversions. Split-testing allows you to test all the elements – from copy, colors, design, form fields, and more. Just remember to only split-test one component at a time to get the best results.
Your lead forms are a super important piece of the lead generation process. Get it wrong, and you could be losing leads before they’ve even knocked on the door. And no one wants that!
Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to lay out the welcome mat and encourage more leads to come inside. Try these nine simple tips and see how your lead form conversions improve.
Marketing.biz is your source for all marketing education and resources.