In the end, I believe it’s all about achieving the highest possible conversion rate. If you can use tricks to increase your opt-in rate, then you’ll have an easier time hitting your bottom line which is to convert readers into loyal followers. However, some people still have trouble implementing the right type of marketing plans, and making sure they give their readers a sure way to contact them. Many people see a contact form as a form of a simple email, however I see it as a way to build long term engagement with my readers. It’s also a great way to capture an email address so you can market to that same person over, and over again. With that said,
What are some ways to increase your contact form conversion rate? I’ll be going over some of the strategies I learned over time, and will be looking at how you can apply the same tricks into your blog. Let’s get started, and we’ll explore the top “5” elements.
The Right Fields
Here’s one massive problem…
We simply ask people for too much information, especially, the information we don’t need to build a relationship with our readers. For example, just like when providing a free eBook, we have an opt-in form which asks for a name, address, and phone number, our contact form asks for way too much information. We are in a time where people don’t feel safe giving out their personal information over the internet so it’s going to be way too hard to get personal information. This becomes even more difficult when we are asking for this information, and we really don’t need it going forward. Here’s the point…
If someone just wants to ask a simple question, then ask for name, email, and the question – that’s all! Think about it…
Why do you need all the other info when it has nothing to do with your bottom-line…right? You’re getting the MOST important piece of information anyway which is their email address right? With that said, here are few things to think about when adding contact forms to your page:
Be simple – Just like Steve Jobs has said numerous amounts of time, people are looking for an easy way to get ahead, and don’t want to do things which are complex. Look at your form, and find ways to make it very simple.
What’s required – Ask yourself what’s required to get from A- B because you’ll notice that all you really need to ask for is name, email, and the question.
Get Feedback – Getting polls and survey’s added to your site is very easy now so why not ask loyal readers for way to improve your site especially the contact form. If they are loyal then they’ll provide you with the MOST genuine information.
Next,
Always look at your form, and find ways to make it easier. Go to your contact for right now, and ask yourself this question while looking at it: What information do I need to make sure this is simple, and they can contact me without any hesitation?
Visible Trust Statement
One main reason why NO really likes sharing information online, even when filling out a contact form is because they don’t trust what will happen with the information they provide. This is why it is important you always have a statement telling people what you plan on doing with the information. For example, here are some strategies you can use right now to build this TRUST element.
- It’s important to go through each piece of information you are asking for and re-evaluate if it’s required. You’ll notice some of it is very personal and sensitive. If you notice some of the information you are asking for is truly sensitive, then maybe wait to ask them at a later time. If it’s mandatory, then make sure you have the right TRUST elements on your site i.e. badges, site security, etc.
- Re-evaluate each field, and make sure it’s easy to fill in WITH very little errors when user has completed the input. The more frustrating for them to complete, the less they will be confident in submitting your form.
- It’s important to be user friendly by insisting the user add symbols which formats the content correctly. For example, emphasize the user should insert dashes when providing their phone number or making irrelevant fields mandatory doesn’t create trust, but it creates friction and unease.
- Clearly state why this information is required. Think about the amount of times you’ve been on a page, and didn’t understand why the owner required this information. Make sure you let the visitor know why it’s important to grab this information, and what you plan on doing with it. This leads to our final point.
- Let them know how you plan on protecting the information they have provided. Some people don’t like providing information because they don’t know it’s safely kept with the owner.
Help Visitor Along the Way
I’m surprised at the amount of blog owners who don’t understand how important it is to help people visiting their blogs. It’s doesn’t matter if they are reading content, or filling out a contact form because the same concept applies. However, many owners fail to understand this, and this pushes visitors away from filling out the form. For example,
Your contact form can be used to attract different types of people to your blog. You’ll have people looking for jobs, providing feedback, etc, and it’s important you know how to pull the right information from all of them. Here’s something else, when all of these people arrive on your page there all considered a very broad audience until you get them providing specific information.
At this point, it’s very important you get the specific information from these people which will help determine how you’ll be helping them out in the end. This means you have to provide them with a clear cut plan on what to do, and what information they need to provide you. By the end, the visitor should have provided you with the information you need to help them no matter if they provide feedback, need a job, require a partnership, etc. Here’s something else you have to remember…
Since the visitor is contacting you for help, it’s important you have the right information to segment your sending later on. By knowing what the visitor needs you should easily be able to put the information together, and deliver it to them in a short period of time. However, having all this information also means, you’ll be able to send follow up information and build something profitable going forward. Think about it this way…
Online marketers use name and email address to provide these very same people with value. Over time this leads to enormous sales which helps increase the bottom line. Head over to your contact form, and look for ways to help your visitors to fill out the form so you can get the information you need to help them out even more.
Get Rid of the Friction
Friction can push people away from completing a form which can translate into enormous traffic down the line. The concept of friction is not new because it involves finding ways to make the flow of the form smooth. For example, you’ll probably noticed one of the best ways to eliminate friction, and improve flow is by adding a “tab” scroll to the form. Here’s how this works…
When the user is filling out the form they can jump from field to field by pressing the “tab” button on their keyword. This can be setup so when the button is pressed it follows a certain sequence which is smooth, and asks for relevant information. For example, you want to ensure the tabs follow this sequence: first name, last name, email, phone number, etc.
From the example above you can see how everything is divided using personal information, then maybe go into feedback, etc. It’s a good idea to split test the way your form will look so you can find the one which converts the highest.
Compatibility
The funny thing is many people forget about the huge changes online in terms of the way we search for information. Online browsing has changed from desktop PC’s to laptops to mobile devices. You’ll notice all of these devices do require different screen resolutions so it’s important our site is designed for all of them too. For example, a form which is fully viewable on desktop PC’s won’t be too good on mobile phones. The mobile platform is completely different compared to others, and you have to create a different form. Here’s the problem when you delay doing this:
You have hundreds or even thousands of people viewing your website from their mobile devices. If they want to send you feedback or even sign up for an update, then they’ll have trouble doing this if your form has NOT been optimized. You want to make sure form is ready to go when they arrive on your page through their mobile phone. Create a mobile version of your phone, and test it to make sure you can completely view it with very little issues.
Here’s a few things you can do going forward…
- Create a whole different version of your form which is strictly for mobile devices
- Eliminate fields only keeping those essential to get the contact form conversion. By doing this you are creating a form more inviting compared to one which has too many fields. We forget how filling out information can be tough on mobile devices, and the last thing we want is for the visitor to fill out irrelevant fields using their mobile devices.
- Split test the call-to-action button because a clear button can will encourage people to fill out form, and convert through form.
Final Thoughts
Here’s the bottom line…
Just like an opt-in form, you’ll be surprised how important a contact form is at getting people to provide opinion or even feedback. This can lead to higher conversions if you know how to use the feedback constructively because you can make changes to your site afterwards which helps with engagement. I’m surprised at the amount of people who fail to pay attention to their contact form thinking it plays NO relevance in the bottom line of your website, product or service. Here’s what you can do right now to help you get started:
- Read over this content and make quick notes on some of the important elements discussed here. This way when it’s time to implement, you’ll have no problem following through.
- Implement the strategies, and track how they have improved your conversion rate. It’s all about split testing until you find a combination that works.
- Rinse and repeat until you have a solid contact form conversion rate which will help you improve the user experience. This will ultimately lead to profits, better user engagement, and an increased experience.
