The lead gen form transforms anonymous visitors into qualified prospects, efficiently feeding the sales pipeline. This guide, developed by hipto, dissects the best practices for designing, optimizing and deploying high-performance forms, in B2B as well as B2C. From field selection to integrating GDPR constraints, including A/B testing, discover how to maximize your conversions and lead quality.
Table of contents
What is a lead generation form?
Designing a high-performance prospect form: the key elements
The different types of lead gen forms
Be careful not to confuse lead generation forms and landing pages
Are you familiar with LinkedIn lead gen forms?
What is a lead generation form?
It is a strategic tool designed to capture targeted and bc data malaysia relevant Lead gen form data on potential prospects. For example, contact details, position, age, education level, etc. It allows marketers to:
Qualify leads precisely, by differentiating between a qualified lead and an unqualified lead.
Enrich the prospect database.
Segment contacts to personalize communications.
Nurture through a value exchange (premium content for information).
Optimize the conversion rate by identifying the most engaged prospects.
Design an effective prospect form: the key elements
A poorly designed form discourages visitors from filling it out, thus reducing the number of leads generated. Ambiguous, poorly formulated or missing questions prevent them from targeting them effectively. Find out now how to make the difference in your strategy to generate leads and convert them.
Customized forms
Adapt the fields and design to the specific objectives of each best practices for building special databases for marketing campaigns Lead gen form campaign. For example, for a B2B tech product launch campaign, include fields on the IT position and the company’s technological challenges.
Identify the essential fields on your form
In B2B, essential fields typically include:
First and last name.
Professional email address.
Title.
Company name.
Company size.
Industry.
For B2C, key fields often include:
First and last name.
Personal email address
Zip code.
Relevant interests.
In both cases, limit the fields to what is strictly necessary asia email list Lead gen form for initial lead qualification. The goal is to collect enough information to allow for effective follow-up, without discouraging prospects with a form that is too long. Follow-up is about building lasting relationships with leads throughout the sales process, converting them into paying customers.
Consider adapting the fields according to the context. For example, a form for a white paper may be shorter than a demo request form, requiring more in-depth qualification of the lead.
Use a CAPTCHA to protect yourself from bot attacks or spam registrations, which can add false data to your lists. This feature helps distinguish human users from robots. It can take the form of a checkbox, a selection of images or the resolution of a simple calculation. There are also invisible CAPTCHAs.
Good to know: How to minimize errors when entering forms?
Before entering, the use of informative Lead gen form placeholders (examples of correct entry) guides the user on the expected format. During entry, real-time validation allows immediate correction, avoiding the frustrations of later rejecting the form. After validation, clear visual feedback makes it easier to identify problems. For example, a green icon for valid fields, red for errors.
Short form versus long form
Short forms, generally limited to 3-5 fields, promote a high conversion rate, but provide less information. Easier to fill out, they encourage visitors to take action. Long forms, even if they are potentially dissuasive, allow for more in-depth lead qualification.
The choice of form depends on the stage of the conversion funnel. At the beginning of the purchasing journey, favor short forms, to encourage subscription to a newsletter or downloading free content. At the end of the funnel, use longer forms to collect more detailed data, necessary to finalize the transaction.
Tip from our teams
To optimize data collection via more complete forms, a sequential approach is effective. The fields are presented one by one, encouraging the prospect to complete the entire form once the first field is filled. Integration
chatbots specialized in this process transform the data entry into an interactive experience. These virtual assistants guide the user smoothly through the different steps, making the collection of information more engaging and less boring. They are able to question the user precisely, for a quality qualification. For example, for a mobile operator, by asking the prospect about the type of offer they have, its price, etc.
CTA: use a clear call to action
A well-optimized Call-To-Action (CTA) is concise, impactful and clearly visible. It uses an action verb and highlights the added value for the user. For example, “Get your free audit now”, “Unlock your exclusive guide”, “Book your VIP place”.
Set up A/B tests for your forms
This method aims to compare different versions in terms of design, number of fields, Call-To-Action, or copy. For example, test a form with five fields versus one with three, or compare “Download now” vs. “Access your guide” as a CTA. Analyzing the results helps you identify the best performing elements and continually improve your lead gen forms.
What about GDPR?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires explicit user consent for the collection and use of their personal data. Including a checkbox to accept the terms of use and privacy policy is mandatory.
The different types of lead gen forms
There are several types of lead generation forms, each tailored to specific objectives:
Newsletter sign-up forms: short and simple, they aim to expand the contact base.
Content download forms: offer a value exchange (ebook, whitepaper) for information.
Demo request forms: more detailed, they target prospects at a later stage of the buying cycle.
Contact forms: versatile, they allow visitors to initiate a conversation with the company.
Be careful not to confuse lead generation forms and landing pages
A landing page is a web page dedicated to a specific offer, designed to convert visitors. The lead form is generally integrated into this page, but can also exist independently. The synergy between an optimized landing page and a well-designed form maximizes the chances of conversion.
Do you know LinkedIn lead gen forms?
LinkedIn offers advanced lead generation features, particularly relevant for B2B. Lead gen forms collect information directly from the user’s professional profile, thus simplifying the filling process. They often display conversion rates higher than the average observed on the platform.
These forms are accessible for different types of advertising campaigns: Sponsored Content and Sponsored Messaging. Users who have interacted with them can then be grouped into specific audience segments. This allows you to retarget them during future marketing actions.
A notable advantage of LinkedIn lead gen forms is that they do not generate additional costs, beyond the expenses related to the campaigns themselves. Thus, you can optimize your lead collection without increasing your advertising budget.
Designing a successful lead generation form requires a strategic approach, combining personalization, relevance of fields, continuous optimization. GDPR compliance, judicious use of CTAs and adaptation to different contexts (specific campaigns, platforms like LinkedIn) are essential. By combining these key elements, and regularly testing different configurations, you significantly improve your ability to generate qualified leads.
