Everyone wants more leads and higher conversion rates, and there are plenty of tactics to help. However, one method has garnered some controversy and created a divide among marketers: popup lead capture forms. While some marketers swear by them, others have sworn off them. This begs the question: who's right? Unfortunately, it's more complicated than the question suggests. The answer isn't black or white, yes or no. The truth, as usual, is somewhere in the middle. Let's use a nuanced analysis to find out.
A lead capture form is a tool for collecting visitors' information and converting them into leads. Instead of having a form built into the page, it pops up onto it. But why are they so divisive? People conflate the different types of popup lead capture forms, making them ineffective. The same is true for popup triggers. It doesn't help that the 90s made the term "popup" wildly unpopular. All popups are not created equal, and the distinctions are important.
Every popup has unique aspects that, when used correctly, provide value. Needlessly intrusive popups just negatively impact the user experience. With that in mind, let's briefly go over the types of popup lead capture forms.
With the differences between the kinds of popup lead capture forms all cleared up, it's important to understand the various ways they can be triggered. A popup trigger is an action or circumstance that causes the popup to appear. Timing is an important factor in their success. Having the right offer in the right format means nothing if it's presented at the wrong time.
Here are some different triggers:
Putting aside the similarly named old-school third-party ads the term invokes thoughts of, popup lead capture forms absolutely work. The reasons those contemptuous 90s popups were universally despised were hardly confined to their name. They were annoying ads created by outside companies for products nobody was interested in.
They multiplied like bunnies and were frequently irrelevant yet impossible to close. Even worse, they were often complete scams. However, popup lead capture forms aren't ads, are from the site's owner, and do offer real value. Like any other tool, they can be good or bad depending on how you use them.
While they have an average conversion rate of 3.09%, the best popups, ranking in the ninetieth percentile and above, average 9.3%, with the highest surpassing 50%! When carefully crafted and used correctly, some popup lead capture forms converted 1,375% better than ordinary ones! Basically, it's not simply about the tool; it's about how you use them. Using them correctly requires an understanding of not just how but why they work.
The key is understanding your audience. If you can put yourself in their shoes and see each popup from their perspective, then you'll be able to craft lead capture forms that resonate with them. Let's go over some popup lead capture form best practices.
If you want them to cough up their email address, exposing their precious inbox to possible abuse, they need an incentive that makes sense to them. Don't make the offer vague. If they aren't sure what they're getting, they probably won't want it. Also, remember that they're constantly bombarded with generic advice and seemingly useful platitudes. If you really want to stand out, give them clear answers they can act on.
No matter how valuable, it needs to be relevant. Before allowing any popup on your site, ask yourself: What value does this offer? Who needs this content most? What page attracts them? If the popup appeared the moment the visitor needed this information the most, what page are they most likely to be on?
Think of popups as a conversation. If there's no connection to the current topic, it shouldn't come up. You wouldn't offer someone at a vegan restaurant a cheeseburger, so why would you offer someone reading about debt consolidation an e-book about using original artwork to lower taxes?
Likewise, the timing should make sense. A CTA popup shouldn't be triggered at the top of the page, and a subscription popup shouldn't offer "more great content" before they've finished reading the first line. Think through all the possibilities for this popup to appear and make sure the context is logical.
The key to conversion is understanding. But the key to understanding is tracking. It's all about understanding your audience and then creating the right conditions to convert them. Once you have popup lead capture forms that use the best practices proven to get results, you still need to monitor the results. If something isn't working, that's the only way to know what it is. When something is working, understanding it allows you to apply it elsewhere.
HubSpot has some amazing tools that work really well for this. Their Popup Form Builder allows you to create custom forms that engage visitors rather than annoy them. Get access to mobile and user-friendly popup lead capture forms in seconds, completely free. When a visitor fills out the form, their information is gathered in accordance with your data collection standards to be transferred to HubSpot's Free CRM automatically.
As soon as your forms are up and running, HubSpot's Marketing Analytics will begin tracking their performance. You'll know right away whether your forms are effective. You can even set up email notifications to ensure every new lead gets a warm welcome. From there, HubSpot's Free Email Marketing Tools can then take over the job of ensuring that each subscriber's individual needs are met.
Automatic email customization options use the CRM information available on your subscribers to ensure that every email has the subject, images, links, content, attachments, and CTA most likely to engage and delight them. This, in turn, improves your open and click-through rates. They'll even automatically receive the email at the most ideal time. With HubSpot's tools at your disposal, you can become a lead capture and conversion wizard!
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Eniture Technology specializes in helping e-Commerce merchants grow by providing useful information, digital marketing services, off-the-shelf apps that solve common problems, and custom programming services. If you're interested in accelerating the growth of your online sales, please contact us. You might also enjoy this free information on the 10 reasons why you should be using HubSpot to grow your e-commerce business.
