5 Essential Elements of a Successful Lead Generation Page
Web pages that are intended to generate leads for a company must be designed for the maximum appeal to users so as to encourage the person to fill out a form on the page. The form itself on the web page should also follow some design guidelines to avoid any kind of visually discouraging cues to the user, or the chances of securing the lead will be diminished. Of course as the number of leads diminishes, so do the prospects for converting those leads into actual sales. Here are a few simple design rules to keep in mind for the most effective use of forms on web pages.
1. Location of the Form is Everything
You should make sure the form is entirely above the fold, so that the entire form can be seen at a glance, and does not require scrolling down. Total visibility is important, because it allows the user to see quickly that very little will be required of him/her in terms of filling out the form. If the user anticipates that more information might be solicited further down the page, interest is pretty much lost on the spot.
2. Length of the form
Including a longer form that requires more information to be filled out will certainly result in a higher quality of lead generation, because more details are supplied. However, the likelihood is that a long form will turn off a user, and cause him/her to ignore the form altogether. So the length of the form you design for your lead generation page will be tied to a business question – do you want a greater number of leads which might be of relatively inferior quality, or do you prefer far fewer leads that are of higher quality?
3. Make it Easy on the User While Still Getting the Data You Need
Requesting every imaginable piece of data from a user will most likely end up with very few leads being generated, while asking only for contact information might be way too little to characterize what kind of lead the user is. Before designing a lead generation form, some thought should be given to how the leads will be used, and what kind of information would be needed to support that usage. A good rule of thumb would be to include contact info, some question that allows you to characterize how strong a lead the user is, and another question which allows you to assess the user’s actual need for your product.
4. Help Ease their Security Concerns
Most users develop instant sales resistance when asked any kind of personal information, so if at all possible their security fears should be somehow disarmed on your lead generation form. One way to do this might be to include a link to your privacy policy, which will assure them that their information is being handled with care and discretion. Another might be to include a brief testimonial or two from other customers confirming the safety and value of the website. Endorsements by third party security organizations are a good idea, and even something like a good-standing endorsement from the Better Business Bureau will help to make users feel at ease.
5. “Click Here” Instead of “Submit”
It might come as a surprise, but the pushbutton label ‘Submit’ may not be the best way to identify the form submission pushbutton. Studies have actually shown that users feel less threatened for some reason by buttons carrying the label ‘Click Here’. Obviously there is no functional difference, but the whole point is to make the user feel comfortable about submitting personal data for being contacted. It may be a subtle point, but in the competition to secure leads, everything should be considered and everything helpful should be tried.
