When it comes to your website, your goal is to make it as easy as possible for your client to get information. If you make it easy, they’re more likely to look, and therefore more likely to buy from you.
Increasing the simplicity of decision-making by 20 percent increases the chances of clients purchasing by 86 percent.
Insert a form that allows clients to enter the criteria they are looking for, and provide tailored search results. This increases the chances that they are matched with a product that meets their needs exactly.
The main question is where to put your forms to get the most benefit.
On the Homepage
One of the most effective places to put a lead or search form is on your homepage. There is no faster way for users to get in touch with you, and it’s a very effective at getting a user’s contact information before they have a chance to leave and look elsewhere.
Take a look at the Tirebuyer.com, for an example. They have this down to a science. The search form is on the homepage and large enough to immediately attract attention. It’s short but allows visitors to put in the exact make and model of their cars. They don’t have to waste time searching through hundreds of products as the search results are limited to what is available for their particular make and model of car. Users coming to the site likely need this exact information, and the site immediately gives users just what they’re looking for.
Order Pages
When clients are ready to take the next step, you need a way to get information without bothering them with annoying forms. Take a look at W3-Markup.com as a great example of how to create a clean-looking lead form that displays a lot of information while still being user friendly. Instead of a ton of boxes, W3 makes it easy with 3 tabs at the top. A few clicks and selections later, they have gathered all the information they need and the users are satisfied.
A Lightbox
A lightbox is a form that pops up when a visitor reaches a selected page on your site. These are most often used as opt-in forms that prompt your visitors to input their email addresses or contact information. These forms can be quite effective because they’re attention-catching. Visitors must either opt-in or close off the form in order to get back onto your homepage or landing page.
These forms can be used to great effect if they are correctly timed. If they are triggered as soon as someone lands on your page, without giving them a chance to see what your page is about, they are likely to closed and noted as annoying.
Take a look at ElegantThemes.com as a good example of a timed pop-up. It comes up about 30 seconds after visitors land allowing them time to have a quick look at the site first. If they’re still on the page after 30 seconds, they’re likely interested in what you have to offer.
Keep your forms simple and easy to find on your site and they will work for you.