Table of Contents
Introduction
Getting email signups and generating qualified leads is necessary to scale your business. That’s why most marketers focus on creating the most optimized landing pages. However, your lead generation forms play a crucial role in converting prospects into leads. In this article, we will discuss why optimizing lead generation forms is important, provide practical tips for optimization, and share examples of well-optimized forms from top brands.
Why you should optimize your lead generation forms
Creating an optimized landing page is not enough to score qualified leads. Your lead generation forms are the final point of conversion, and how you design them directly affects whether prospects will fill them out or not. To generate more qualified leads, it is important to fully optimize your lead generation forms. This article will explain why it is crucial to optimize your forms and provide practical tips to help you do so effectively.
The Importance of Lead Generation Forms
Your lead generation forms are an essential part of your marketing campaign. If your forms are plain-looking and ask for personal information without offering any incentives, you won’t get the conversions you need for your business to thrive. In order to generate more revenue, you need to create forms that are appealing to your visitors and remove any elements that might dissuade them from filling them out.
Optimize Your Forms Above the Fold
Placing your forms above the fold of your page increases the chances of people seeing and engaging with them. Research has shown that the majority of visitors do not scroll to the bottom of a webpage, so it is essential to have your forms easily visible without the need to scroll.
Write Compelling Copy
Clearly stating your value proposition on your forms is crucial. A compelling value proposition emphasizes the importance of your products or services and differentiates you from your competitors. It convinces people to fill out your form and move down the sales funnel.
Use the Right Number of Form Fields
Finding the right balance in the number of form fields is important. If your form is too long, visitors might feel that filling it out is not worth the effort. On the other hand, if your form fields are too few, you won’t have enough information to know which leads are worth targeting. It is important to find the right number of form fields that gather important information about your prospects without scaring them away.
Write a Strong Call-to-Action
Your call-to-action (CTA) is the final element that determines whether visitors fill out your form or not. Craft a CTA that conveys the value they will receive once they sign up. Make it clear and urgent, tailored to their needs and preferences. Use action-based CTAs that encourage visitors to take the next step.
Include Your Privacy Policy
If you collect Personally Identifiable Information (PII) such as names, emails, addresses, and credit card information, include a shortened version of your privacy policy in your lead generation form. This will improve your form conversion rates by assuring visitors that their information is secure and will not be used for shady operations.
How to optimize lead generation forms
In addition to the basic tips mentioned above, there are advanced tactics you can use to further optimize your lead generation forms and increase conversion rates. In this section, we will discuss some of these tactics.
Align Your Form With Your Buyer’s Journey
Not all your visitors and customers are at the same stage of your buyer’s journey. It is important to create forms that cater to their specific needs. Identify where each prospect falls in your buyer’s journey and create forms that gather the necessary information without being obtrusive.
Use Lead Form Extensions
Lead form extensions allow you to collect information from prospects directly from the mobile search results page. This is especially useful for businesses that run ads but don’t have a dedicated landing page. Lead form extensions make it easier for businesses to generate leads through their ad campaigns.
A/B Test Your Forms and CTAs
Conducting A/B tests on your lead generation forms is the best way to find out which elements produce the highest conversion rates. Test variables such as form fields, CTAs, and button colors. Compare the results to see which version improves your conversion rate the most. Test one variable at a time with data from at least 100 visitors per test variation.
Use Multi-Page Forms
Breaking up your form into multiple pages can make it less overwhelming for visitors. Divide your required form fields into 2-5 pages to make the form-filling process more manageable. This can increase the chances of visitors filling out the form to the end.
Provide Social Proof
Social proof is a powerful tool for driving qualified leads. Include testimonials, reviews, customer logos, awards, and third-party certifications to showcase the trust and confidence your customers have in your brand. This helps reduce hesitancy and convinces prospects to sign up for your product or service.
9 sign-up and lead generation form examples that convert
To illustrate how these optimization tips work in real life, here are some examples of well-optimized lead generation forms from top brands:
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forms.app: Their support request form and violation form are punchy and collect only necessary information without any distractions on the web pages. At the bottom of the form, forms.app generates leads by asking users to sign up with the tool.
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Jasper.ai: The signup form for this AI content creation tool keeps it simple with necessary fields for signup. The form copy emphasizes that the signup process won’t take more than two minutes. Social proof is provided through data and customer logos.
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Affinity: Their form to request a demo is placed above the fold for easy visibility. The form copy emphasizes the purpose of the form to collect data and asks for necessary information to cater to the prospect’s needs. Social proof in the form of customer logos, data/numbers, and testimonials is also included.
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HubSpot CMS: Their “Get a Demo” form highlights the popular features of their CMS platform. It asks for necessary information and provides an option to subscribe to their marketing blog. A clear privacy policy is included to address any concerns.
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Omniscient Digital: Their Contact Us form collects important information about businesses interested in content marketing. The form fields help narrow down leads, and required fields are marked with an asterisk. Social proof is provided through customer logos and information security assurance.
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Planable: The sign-up form for Planable is straightforward, with minimal required fields. The form copy highlights their unique selling point and emphasizes how easy it is to sign up.
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Uber: Uber’s form segments leads into different categories based on their needs from the app. This helps Uber collect the right data from the start and deliver unique forms to each lead group.
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Wealthfront: Their sign-up form is a multi-page form that segments leads based on their needs. It asks for necessary personal information and reassures prospects about the security of their information.
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Peloton: Peloton’s sign-up form is simple, requiring only an email address. The form copy and visuals highlight the benefits of signing up, and frequently asked questions address any concerns.
Conclusion
Optimizing your lead generation forms is crucial for generating more qualified leads and increasing your revenue. By making the form-filling process smooth, reinforcing the value of your offerings, and providing social proof, you can eliminate hesitancy and encourage visitors to sign up. Use the tips provided in this article to optimize your forms and continually test and adapt to find what works best for your business. Remember, creating a frictionless user experience is key to maximizing form conversions and managing leads effectively.