5 Tips to Increase Lead Generation through Web Forms
Make it Stand Out.
Utilize white space to draw the site visitors to the form and allow it to have “breathing room” from the rest of the page content. Adding a splash of color can be helpful in generating an emotional response. Colors can also point to required fields in a non-intrusive way. Even something as conceptually simple as using arrows to triangulate the focus of visitors can increase form views in a very straight-forward way.
- Keep it Concise.
Instead of listing every detail of information that you would like to know about your customers, focus on only what you really need, otherwise you’ll run the risk of scaring customers away by the intimidating length of your form. According to a study by HubSpot, the optimum form length is 3-5 form fields for maximum conversions generated. If you must add extra fields, then explain clearly why you are collecting that information. If a long form is unavoidable, then break the form into manageable types that are less intimidating. For example, try putting the “Date of birth” field as a single datepicker, not three separate dropdown menus.
Another thing to keep in mind is progressive profiling. If a visitor has already converted in a previous landing page or in a past month, you don’t need to gather the same information as you would from a new conversion. Progressive profiling allows you to use smart forms and adjust the fields that appear for recurring customers in order to streamline their process and make your forms as short and frictionless as possible.
- Provide Guidance.
Including directions can also help make a form seem welcoming and easily digestible. For best results, include help text dynamically as the user interacts with the form instead of inserting text next to each field. Be sure to make customers feel safe when sharing their information by reassuring them that you will keep their information confidential and/or include a link to your privacy policy. For example, when asking for their email address – say “we’ll send your order confirmation here” to clearly show what their information is going to be used for. One of the quickest ways to increase abandonment is to have required fields only highlighted after the site visitor has submitted the form. Avoid this by clearly laying out what is required with color and clear language. As one blogger says, “don’t rely on the asterisk hint”.
- Incentivize.
Remember that even digital interactions are measured via the give-and-take philosophy. The best conversion rates will occur when you ask for little, but give the user as much as possible. Specify the benefits of sharing information by clear explanations to motivate users to fill out your form. Successful incentives can include discounts, trials or free gifts.
- A/B Test.
Changing as little as one-word can result in an increase in conversions, which means more leads and more potential profit. Choose one element to test at a time: design, form, length, submit button, incentives etc… Split test traffic that you drive to your landing page so you can fully measure what’s working.
When creating your web forms, continue asking yourself “why should I fill out this form?” This question will help guide you through the entire process, keeping you centered on the consumer’s experience and optimizing for a painless process. Web forms garner extremely valuable information about your customers but only if they complete the form and convert. It’s up to you to ensure that the way in which your web form interacts with consumers doesn’t encourage them to abandon the process.
Additional Resources:
Mashable – Tip to Designing a Web Form with a High Conversion Rate
The Daily Egg – Designing Slippery Web Forms
Outside the Jar – 10 Simple Tips on Designing a Form that Converts
Econsultancy – 12 Useful Tips For Web Form Optimisation
Hubspot – What You Can and Should Ask For on Landing Page Forms]]>
