When it comes to understanding consumers, data is your best friend. Data can tell you what consumers are interested in, better support you in satisfying consumer needs and prevent risks. In other words, you’ll want as much consumer data as you can ethically get your hands on. Your website can help.
Or better yet, the tools you implement on your site. Website lead capture is a technique used to gather information about potential customers via online means. To get better information on this data collection tactic, we reached out to Andrew Spence, Founder and Head of Operations at BrandConvert, a London-based brand and digital agency, and Greg Gillman, Chief Revenue Officer at MuteSix, a performance marketing agency in California.
Here’s what they shared:
What do website lead forms look like?
If you’re going to ask consumers to complete a task, you’ll want to know exactly what your online visitors are interacting with.
Think of website lead capture as a medium for distributing a call-to-action (CTA). It often comes in the form of a sign-up sheet, link leading elsewhere, landing page or pop-up.
“Common lead capture strategies involve asking visitors to provide their contact information in exchange for something of value..." Spence said. "Businesses can collect leads that they can then follow up with to convert into customers."
Challenges to look out for
Like any other marketing tool, website lead forms come with a set of challenges. Many of them revolve around your goal of engaging consumers and learning about them.
“The challenge in website lead captures is that while they provide critical data for brands, they are also boring for users, and this is why you should make them as interactive and rewarding as possible,” Gillman said. “Many lead form capture techniques require a great deal of time and effort on the user’s part, and with each input field they are required to fill out, the likelihood that they will click out and disappear as a lead increases.”
Not only do lead form captures require physical effort from consumers, but they also require a certain amount of your user’s consideration.
“Some consumers might be hesitant to provide their contact information because they may worry their data might be used by businesses to "spam" them. However, others will be willing to do so if they believe that the business can provide them with valuable information or services, and the lead capture makes it clear that their privacy will be protected when they subscribe,” said Spence.
With this being said, it’s still important to recognize how website lead forms can be used to increase conversions and better the consumer journey.
Tactics to implement
There are a number of tactics you can use to get the most out of your lead forms. We’ve listed four below:
- Keep it short. If it's too long, people will be less likely to fill it out. Keep the questions relevant to your product or service, and make sure the form is easy to understand.
- Visibility. Don't make people search for it; put it in a prominent location on every page.
- Offer a reward. This could be a discount on your product or service, or a free item. People are more likely to fill out a form if they know there's something in it for them.
- Use a call to action. This could be a button that says "Submit" or "Sign Up," or it could be a phrase like "Find Out More." Whatever you choose, make sure it stands out and is easy to see.
Website lead capture helps provide you with valuable data that can be used to provide consumers with great experiences and give you greater insight into what consumers want. Consider this blog an introduction to the topic and its impact on customer relationships.
