Improve Conversion Rates By Optimizing Lead Generation Forms

1. Ensure the lead generation form messaging is convincing

Website visitors are more likely to fill out a form if the messaging is clear and consistent. Your lead generation form should say exactly what a B2B lead will receive by providing their information. 

The best way to craft a convincing lead generation form is by including a strong value proposition that states how your product will benefit the website visitor, and what distinguishes it from your competition, in order to improve your conversion rate. A value proposition is a sum of value (or benefits) that a buyer will receive from your goods and services upon doing business with you. A compelling value proposition not only reinforces the importance and ROI of your product, but it also convinces a B2B lead to fill out the form and take the next step in the buyer’s journey. 

3. Choose the right CTAs for the lead generation form

Every lead generation form should include an enticing call-to-action (CTA) that says something other than “Submit.” We also recommend choosing a high-contrast, attention-grabbing color for your form’s CTA. 

This is the final step a website visitor takes; it should stand out and indicate exactly what they should expect to receive after filling out the form. For example, are they downloading a white paper or are they registering for a webinar? Depending on the action you want a B2B lead to take as part of your lead generation strategy, the CTA messaging should be customized accordingly.

It’s important that your lead gen form CTA is action-oriented like the examples above. 

The action you want a website visitor to take should be based on the ideal content type and marketing channel. The ideal marketing channels are the websites that your target buyers spend the most time on when completing buying tasks, from identifying a problem and researching the solutions to reading software reviews. When crafting the CTA messaging, think about the landing page it’s on and how the CTA action fits into the overall buying journey for that B2B lead. 

If you’re not sure which CTA will work best, take this as an opportunity to try out A/B testing. A/B tests are designed to let marketers know what messaging, content, offers, and visual elements contribute to a lift in conversions. We recommend keeping A/B tests small and manageable. 

With CTAs, for example, you can A/B test the design and copy for a period of time on your landing page to see which one will improve your conversion rate the most. Make sure to mark your calendar and compare the results once the A/B testing is complete to see which changes made an impact on your conversion rate and lead generation strategy. 

Start generating more leads today

By optimizing your lead generation forms, you’ll see a greater number of website visitors convert into more leads. While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to optimizing your lead generation strategy, these steps are a great starting point for any business looking to improve their conversion rates. Implementing these small changes to your forms, like reducing the number of form fields and creating more compelling CTAs, will help improve conversion rates on your website and eventually generate more revenue for your business.

Maria Carolina Lopez

Maria Carolina Lopez is the Senior Manager of Marketing Services at Gartner Digital Markets. She specializes in conversion rate optimization, has experience in both web design and digital marketing, and has worked with companies of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises. Outside of work, Maria likes to rollerblade with her husband and dog or visit her family in Colombia. Connect with Maria Carolina on LinkedIn.