Forms

In most cases when you're collecting contact data, you'll need a form. The design of the form can have a huge impact on the conversion rate of your landing page, so follow these tips to maximise the number of leads you generate.

102. Limit the length of your forms, particularly for lower-value offers

In general, the shorter the form the higher the completion rate. This isn't always the case, as some research has shown that for high value items, a longer form can perform better. In most cases, however, reducing the number of fields is a good thing so consider whether you can eliminate any fields from your forms.

103. Don’t just use the default text on the submit button

The submit button is a call to action. Make use of the text on the button by having a strong verb and sell the benefits of submitting the form. Leaving the button with the default “submit” text will reduce the conversion rate.

104. Don’t space the form out too much

Although design is important, too much space can have a negative impact on forms. If you space the fields out too much, the form looks bigger and your audience will be less likely to complete it.

105. Use progressive profiling

Marketing automation systems and most form managers can do progressive profiling, where once you have the answer to one question the system automatically adds a new one. By getting your prospects to fill in multiple forms, you increase the information you gain about them without ever making them face a form with a large number of fields. Progressive profiling can therefore enhance your data as well as increase conversion rates.

106. Auto-fill fields

If you know information about the contact, don't make them type it in again. Auto-filling fields reduce the amount of work to complete the form, and therefore increases conversion rates.

107. Hide auto-filled fields

If your systems offer the capability, it's a good idea to hide the auto-filled fields. This reduces the length of form that your audience sees, making them more likely to complete and submit it.

108. Use hidden fields to send more data

You can gather more information than your contacts enter on the form. Hidden fields allow you to gather additional data: a great use of this is to harvest the Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) parameters from the URL, which means you have information about the source of the lead added to the contact records.