Pop Up Forms: Best Practices for Effective Lead Generation

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Popup forms are powerful tools for driving conversions and growing email lists. But if set at the wrong place and time, popup forms can affect user experience and put off readers. To make the most out of popup forms, you have to carefully plan the design and the time these forms appear on a webpage so they are engaging and not intrusive. 

How do you develop an attractive popup form to acquire more leads and, ultimately, drive conversions? Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

Best Practices for Effective Lead Generation

It's All About the Timing

The number of times a popup appears on a webpage affects its effectiveness. If the popup appears multiple times within a few minutes, you might annoy your readers. If the popup appears too late, you might completely miss the window for your offers. How do you get the timing right? 

Start by checking the analytics to determine how long an average visitor takes to visit your website before leaving. Assess the bounce rates and user behaviour to pick the right timing for the popups. Feel free to experiment to determine which setup works best for your audience. Most importantly, be sure that the popups won't affect user experience. 

Choose the Popup Form Placement

Where's an excellent place to set your popups? It depends on the type of popup you want to use and your current website layout. Don't be afraid to experiment with different areas to see which spot gets the most conversions. 

Whatever spot you choose, always keep optimal usability in mind. The placement should give the popup enough exposure without blocking the entire page or affecting the user experience. It should be responsive. Most viewers use mobile devices to view websites, so choose a mobile-friendly design. 

Choose an Attractive Design

A popup form's design should complement the website's overall design for maximum impact. This also gives a cohesive user experience for better branding. Of course, beautiful designs will capture the attention of potential clients, so choose the design well.

If you're on Showit, you can create on-brand popup forms easily. Find out more about it here. Customise the popup form with your brand colours and font. Use eye-catching visuals to make your popup forms unique and attractive.

Visual clues like arrows, buttons, or pointers that highlight the call to action are also recommended. Again, use a mobile-friendly design so your website and popup form look good on small screens. 

Sweeten the Deal

People are more likely to sign up for a product or service if they find the offer valuable. To increase your chances of garnering more signups, the offer should benefit your potential clients. Provide value, then add incentives to make the offer irresistible. 

The incentives do not have to be pricey; a free trial, a promo code, or a free ebook makes terrific incentives. Whatever value you offer, be sure it aligns with your brand and addresses your audience's pain points. 

Finish Up with a Defined CTA

A call to action highlights the value of your offer and encourages viewers to take the next step – to complete the signup process. A well-defined call to action goes a long way regarding acquiring hot leads and increasing conversions. It's persuasive and compelling. Complement a defined CTA with on-brand colours or an attention-grabbing copy. Highlight the needs of your audience and the value of the offer clearly. 

Use a Short, Simple Form 

Not all people have the time to sit down and complete a multi-step popup form. In fact, many will be put off by a lengthy signup process. To boost your chances of acquiring more signups, use a short popup form focusing only on the essential infos like the name and email address. 

Collecting user infos can be done gradually as interactions between your business and your customers grow over time. A short popup form that takes only seconds to complete will give you quicker results. And those who successfully signed up for your service will always return to your website at some point, which presents plenty of opportunity to acquire other essential infos. 

Types of Popup Forms

What kind of popup form should you use on your website? Some of the most popular popup forms are:

• Multi-step popup form
• Timed popup form
• Click popup form
• Persistent popup form
• Exit popup form

A multi-step popup form leads users to multiple steps to become qualified leads. These generate the highest quality leads but can be bothersome for many users.

Timed popups are the most popular form; they appear and disappear automatically. It's aggressive, but it can engage visitors quickly. One thing to remember when using timed popups is to get the timing right. If the popup appears too soon or often, it will turn off customers. 

A click popup appears each time a visitor clicks a button or calls to action on a website. For instance, a popup appears when a potential client clicks the “Get a Quote” or “Free Trial” button. This popup form has a high conversion rate and is less intrusive. 

This is one of the newest forms of popup designs. It's a small popup that stays on the screen during a user's browsing session. It won't disappear unless a user clicks the “X” button. Usually, the popup has a friendly greeting. 

Exit popups are forms that appear just as visitors leave a website. It's an effective way to get people to stay on your website longer and is less intrusive because it only occurs when a user leaves the site. 

Ready to add a popup form on your website? When done right, popup forms can help you generate more leads and grow your business. Keep the tips outlined above to get your marketing strategy right on the first try!

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