The 3 Things All High-Converting Forms Have in Common

Picture this – you optimize your website with SEO best practices, you run Facebook ads, you even have a blog! And you can see from your Google Analytics that all of these efforts are definitely bringing traffic to your site. But … users aren’t converting.

They’re not subscribing to your newsletter. They’re not requesting more information, and they’re not asking for you to contact them to set up a meeting.

What gives?

Well, there might be something you neglected when planning all those strategies to get more form fills on your website. The form itself.

Believe it or not, there’s a lot that goes into creating a lead-generation form. There’s design, placement, even some user psychology to consider. So, what do high-converting forms have in common? We’ll tell you.

1. They appear “above the fold”

OK, we know there’s no fold on your website. “Above the fold” is a term that originated in the newspaper industry.

News editors quickly learned that if they wanted to sell papers, they had to place the most attention-grabbing headlines and content above the fold. Because the papers were folded once they hit the newsstands, and the content that appeared above that fold was all someone would see when they walked by. And if that wasn’t enough to catch their eye, they would just keep walking.

The same principle applies in web design. When someone first loads your website, they get only a snapshot of your content ­– whatever they can see on the landing page without scrolling. That’s your “above the fold.”

So that’s where you place your most important information to pull the user in. And that is where you need to place your form to increase conversions.

2. They have a strong CTA

There is nothing less inspiring than a form that simply says, “Contact Us.” It’s just … boring. Not to mention tired since it’s the basic formula that small businesses use when building a form.

So, what makes a strong CTA? First – a great headline.

We know that you’ve put a lot of thought into the copy on your landing page, but when it comes to lead-generation you can’t rely on that alone. Placing a headline above your form is a great way to A) capture a user’s attention and lead them to the form, and B) remind them what the next step is.

The next thing you need – a punchy button. Buttons leave so much more room for creativity than people think. Yes, technically clicking the button = submitting the form, but that doesn’t mean your button has to say, “Submit.”

Instead, have your button play off the headline at the top of the form. If you’re having trouble coming up with something, think of your headline as the “ask” and your button as the “answer.”

3. They keep it simple

It would really be a bummer if you were able to hook a potential customer only to lose them over a lengthy, complicated form. But it happens!

Many business owners make the mistake of asking too many questions up front. We understand the desire to know as much about a potential lead as possible, but some pieces of information are better left to a follow-up email or call.

Multiple studies have shown that, in most cases, conversions go up as the number of fields go down. Ask yourself, what information do I really need to contact this person? Typically, the answer is first name, last name and email address. That’s three fields. Tops.

A fourth field is OK, if you’d like to ask for a phone number or one other factoid that would make reaching out to a lead more meaningful. But try not to go much farther beyond that.

If you absolutely need more information than what three to four fields will give you, there is a way to ask for it without overwhelming the user. Rather than using a blank field to get it, consider drop-down lists and simple checkboxes. That can take some mental load off your user and keep them moving through your form even if it’s on the longer side.

Does your form meet these three requirements? If you need help reworking your lead-gen strategy and building a website that converts, then you need the team at Higgins Marketing Group. We have many years of experience building and optimizing small business websites that look great and deliver the goods. So don’t be shy. Get in touch with us and find out how we can help you take your small business to the next level.

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