Landing-Page Forms — 7 Must-Do Tips for Capturing Leads

It’s the moment of truth — you’ve persuaded someone to click on a link in your email or online ad and go to your landing page. Will that new prospect fill out the form to join your list of subscribers? Here are seven must-do tips to help drive conversions on your landing-page forms.

1. Start short and simple. Typically, the shorter the form, the higher the conversion rate. So as you plan the strategy for your landing-page forms, first decide what information you really need. Keep in mind that the amount of money people are willing to spend with you is in direct proportion to the level of trust you have built with them. Even if you’re not selling something, the same holds true for the exchange of information.

   An email address and a name is all you really require to send a personalized welcome email, which is where you can begin to build trust and a relationship with your new subscribers. If you ask too many questions at the start, you’ll give prospects a reason to leave the page before completing your lead-capture form. Requests for age, income, telephone number, or street address, for example, tend to significantly hurt conversion rates.

2. Ask only for information that’s relevant to your marketing efforts. Once a prospect has submitted an initial lead-capture form, use subsequent emails to both build trust and find out more. If you sell children’s clothing, for example, it would be helpful to know the ages and genders of a subscriber’s children. Yet many people may not want to readily share that information with everyone. That‘s why it’s important to let subscribers know you respect their time and that the information they provide will enable you to send only relevant email promotions.
3. Always include a privacy link. This is a great way to not only let potential subscribers know that you respect their privacy, but also to help build trust from the start.
4. Determine and offer a relevant reward. Whether it’s valuable industry information provided in a free webinar or white paper, or a discount coupon for shoppers, giving potential subscribers an incentive to sign up and share their contact information is an effective way to drive lead-capture conversions. Plus, add a sense of urgency, such as a deadline for the incentive, to help encourage prospects to promptly fill out your form.
5. Keep the form above the fold. Ensure that your lead-capture forms are a major focus in the design of your landing page. The upper right corner, for example, is a premium placement that can’t be missed.
6. Make your call-to-action buttons clear, action-packed, and prominent. When it comes to call-to-action buttons, color, size, and position all matter. In addition, consider using compelling action statements on your call-to-action buttons. Although “Submit” is clear and concise, for instance, “Get your white paper now” may drive more clicks.
7. Test your landing-page forms to optimize conversions. Call-to-action buttons, form design and placement, and the number of fields, are all examples of form factors to test. Testing is the only way to find out what works best for your target audience and to help continually improve your lead-capture results.

Here we focused on landing-page forms. If you’re looking for ways to drive your subscriber signups, be sure to also check out a recent FulcrumTech blog on popover/popup forms — “The Power of Popover Forms — How to Increase Your Email List Growth by 300%” or give us a call at 215-489-9336. The email-marketing professionals at FulcrumTech have the expertise to optimize your email campaigns and consistently deliver the results you’re looking for.