Experiment with adding some strategic iconography to your primary button. Choose actionable icons, such as forward-facing arrows, that suggest to the user that something expected is about to happen next as a result of clicking on it. For downloads, you might test out a down-facing arrow or even file type icons, such as the Adobe pdf icon. Actionable icons can reinforce anticipation, or even set expectations and can help persuade your visitors to take the next step.
Mention your privacy policy near the form or submit button
One of the top reasons users don’t fill out lead forms is the uncertainty of what might be done with their information. Set expectations. Provide a link to your privacy policy under or near your form that ensures their personal information will be safe and won’t be sold or distributed to third parties. If you don’t have an official privacy policy, try implementing a short line of copy that reassures users their contact information won’t be abused.
Align what you’re requesting of the user with the benefit being offered
Whether you’re utilizing some kind of link bait to drive email signups or campaigning for large scale initiatives, always make sure that what you’re requesting of the user aligns with the benefit being offered. As an extreme example, requiring users’ Social Security numbers might be completely acceptable for a college application. The benefit of obtaining a college degree outweighs any risk of providing personally identifiable information. On the other hand, if you were to require Social Security numbers in return for a flimsy pdf download, then you’d likely have a lot of trouble obtaining leads! But, it may not always be this obvious. Even more common fields, such as a phone number or street address, could have the potential to negatively effect your form completion rates, depending on the benefit being offered. Take a look not only at your form fields, but at any hoops your users are being required to jump through in order to get to what they’re looking for.
Provide incentive to sign up
Users rarely sign up for things just to sign up. They sign up in order to benefit in some way. Provide your users with some incentive to fill out your lead forms. Incentive can take the form of an informative email newsletter, a free trial, free guide, download or other type of link bait. Give your visitors something in return for their information. Make it clear to the user how they will benefit by signing up.
Reduce the number of form fields
Filling out forms annoys almost everyone. And the longer the form, the more annoying they tend to be. There’s usually a direct correlation between form length and completion rates. In general, the longer the form, the less users will be motivated to fill it out. Take a good look at your form fields. How important is it that you collect all of the information that you’re asking for? Is each field so valuable that you’re willing to lose leads over it? Remove any fields that hold no or minimal value. Consider collecting secondary information in follow up emails or phone calls.
Simplify the process
Don’t make processes any more complicated than they need to be. Remove all unnecessary options. Make it intuitive. Shorten the distance from point A to point B. Don’t make your users do any more work or thinking than they have to. The less options, the better. Whether it’s implementing a sticky menu to prevent unnecessary scrolling or adjusting the steps in a lengthy application process, the simpler things are, the less chance your users will become frustrated and leave.
Use action verbs that convey value to your users
The implications behind certain action verbs can often affect users’ willingness to follow through. Pay special attention to what your buttons and calls to action might suggest. A phrase like “order now” could imply to some users that they will have to wait to get whatever it is that they’re looking for. Others, like “apply now” or “join now”, could suggest that something might be required of the user in order to be a part of whatever the group is that they’re joining. Rather than focusing on what the group’s requirements are of the user to join, focus on what the user requires of the group. How will they benefit? Try using gain-focused words (ex: get, view, enjoy, discover, see, play) over effort-focused (ex: submit, start, activate, learn, pay, go). If the user is interested in a free download that you’re offering in return for them joining your email list, instead of “Join now” (what you want them to do), maybe your button reads “Get my free download”.
Use positive reinforcement in your calls to action or button text
It rarely ever hurts to remind your users what’s in it for them. Form buttons are often the tipping point between your customers deciding to follow through with the process or turning around and bouncing. Your button text should positively reinforce the user’s behavior of completing the form by reminding them, “If you do action (A), you’ll get (B) in return”. Try using specific language in your button copy that reiterates whatever it is they are expecting in return. Example: “Get (B) now”.
Stop using the word “submit” on your form submission buttons
It used to be that the word “submit” on a form submission button described what the system did when it was clicked. Now, with the tendency toward a more user-centered approach to website design, users have come to expect everything to be much more about them– and less about the technology.
Filling out a form is already one of those things that produces at least a little bit of anxiety in most users. It’s not something we ever really enjoy doing. Do you think the negative connotation behind the word “submit” helps relieve someone who’s already concerned about where their personal information is about to end up? It’s likely that it’s only reinforcing every worry about identity fraud that’s ever crossed their mind. Try using different language on your submission buttons that implies positive results. How are your users expecting to benefit from completing the form?
Make your button bigger
It’s not always the most eye-pleasing from an aesthetics perspective, but this is another one that can often yield some pretty dramatic results. Make your main call to action or “submit” button (read my post on why you should stop using the word “submit” on your form submission buttons) big enough so that it’s one of the first things your visitors will notice. Larger buttons are also much easier to click and will help you avoid a bad user experience and frustrating your users. Stop settling for the default browser-generated form buttons. Create something custom that will work nicely with your site or even use just a solid, clickable color block. I’ve made a habit of starting with my buttons around 250 pixels wide by 50 pixels tall.