The Art of Lead Conversion: Keep your online forms short and simple

Click to see how to properly build a lead generation contact form.

When I visit a web site and decide to request more information about a product or service my "user experience" is so much better if the contact form is quick and easy to complete. On the other hand...if the contact form is disorganized, too long and requests too much information - I may just click away.

What are the signs and symptoms of a poorly designed lead conversion form? Here are some things to look out for while analyzing your lead conversions and web site user experience.

• Use Google Analytics or Google Search Console and review your web site's bounce rate. If you have a high percentage of people landing on your lead form page and leaving quickly that's not good
• If you notice that visitors are clicking through your web site pages and spend more than a minute or two on your lead form page yet you are not receiving completed form submissions something is out of whack. Most likely the visitor is getting frustrated and clicking away mid form completion
• The leads that you receive are incomplete and missing important information for your sales and marketing follow up

At GBM Marketing we have tested thousands of online forms and lead generation tools since our first web site launch in 1998 - www.iModular.com. We now know that short forms are better for conversions and immediate follow up by phone or email leads to more sales. We use a powerful and very easy online form builder called JotForm. 

With JotForm we are able to create all types of contact forms for capturing leads from landing pages. These forms are easy to create and even easier to add to content pages on web sites. Most importantly the forms can be created for quick completion and email delivery to sales and marketing personnel.

Here are GBM Marketing's top form "rules" for maximum lead generation:

1. Provide clear instructions for visitors to complete the form and let them know what will happen next in the sales cycle.
2. Only ask for enough information so your team can contact the visitor by phone. Capture where they are located and what product they have a need for (Full name, phone number, email address, state and zip code.). Set the most important fields as mandatory for form submission.
3. Give the visitor a space to add some brief notes.
4. Always add your phone number in an obvious space on the form. Give every prospect the option to call you instead of completing the form if they choose.
5. Always add a refresh page that appears after form completion and include your phone number on this page as well. Some people just can't wait!
6. Always add an automatic email response message that has your company branding, contact information and your phone number again. Include a copy of the completed form in this email so the prospect has this for reference. 
7. ALWAYS - follow up to inquiries quickly. This is key to earning trust and beating your competition to the first conversation. 
8. Add some sort of security feature to protect against unwanted spam. JotForm makes this easy with a Captcha plug in.

This post is the result of plenty of successes and failures here at GBM. We've studied lead generation and generated thousands of high quality opportunities that have resulted in customer relations and sales across the United states and abroad. One thing is for sure - nothing beats a conversation with a quality prospect who is waiting for your sales team to answer questions, provide prices and move to a contract. When you create a phone call or an in-person meeting via an online lead you've done well.

Happy lead generation and don't forget - we are one phone call or form submission away from helping you. Contact GBM Marketing or call (714) 442-2757 extension 502.