If you want to catch a trophy-sized snook, you’ll need impeccable casting technique, some tasty bait, and a first-rate spot in the river. Every good angler knows this.
Let’s apply this rock-solid fishing lesson to ecommerce entrepreneurship. All of your website visitors are essentially nibbling fish. For an unregistered user, submitting an email address is the digital equivalent of biting the hook. An effective lead capture strategy is the bait that draws them in.
What is lead capture?
Lead capture is the practice of gathering contact information from prospective clients. A lead is an individual or business that has expressed interest in your services, meaning they haven’t made a purchase yet, but they have the potential to become customers in the future.
Implementing website lead capture tactics can help grow your customer base and, over time, increase conversions. Once you’ve collected their contact details, new leads have officially entered the sales funnel. They can now receive conversion-focused messages from your sales and marketing teams.
Types of lead capture
Webpages use digital forms to collect contact information from interested visitors. These forms typically fall into two categories: in-page forms or pop-up forms.
In-page forms
In-page capture forms integrate directly into a website. They offer a simple, user-friendly way for interested parties to submit their contact info. In-page forms can be a single email newsletter sign-up box or a detailed information request with multiple form fields. The most effective design varies depending on the location. Common placements include:
- Footers. Including an in-page form in your footer ensures a consistent lead capture presence across your entire website. These are typically unobtrusive forms with simple, single-field inputs for email addresses.
- Contact pages. Clicking on a Contact or About page is a strong signal of intent—it shows that the visitor is looking for a way to interact.
- Product pages. Placing a simple lead capture form on a product page offers visitors a low-stakes way to stay in touch or get more information.
- Landing pages. Lead capture landing pages typically feature prominent fields where visitors can input information in exchange for exclusive perks like free trials or downloadable assets.
Pop-up forms
Pop-ups are hard to ignore and can appear anywhere on your website. Lead capture pop-ups often offer visitors an incentive, such as a discount, in exchange for contact details. Common pop-up strategies include:
- Welcome pop-ups. Welcome pop-ups appear on the first page a user visits. They are often targeted to unregistered users.
- Chat pop-ups. Chat pop-ups engage with visitors by mimicking real-time conversations. Chatbots can offer general information about your business and collect information from potential customers.
- Engagement-triggered pop-ups. Pop-ups can be programmed to appear after a user has demonstrated significant interest as evidenced by a long time on page or scroll percentage.
- Exit intent pop-ups. These messages appear when user behavior indicates they’re about to leave a page. They offer a low-stakes way for visitors to stay engaged if they aren’t ready to make a purchase.
- Sidebar pop-ups. Sidebar pop-ups are less obtrusive than full-screen displays because they appear on the edge of the screen and move down as the user scrolls.
- Mobile pop-ups. Mobile-optimized lead capture pages use larger fonts and respond to touch. These pop-ups are typically simplified to create a mobile-friendly experience.
How to implement lead capture
Implementing lead capture involves developing messaging, creating assets, and nurturing new relationships. Take these steps to design an effective strategy:
1. Develop incentives
Many websites offer perks, also known as lead magnets, in exchange for email addresses. Common incentives include order discounts, free gifts, and sneak previews. Brainstorm what you can offer to entice visitors. The right deal can help you capture more leads.
2. Build assets
Design and strategically place your lead capture forms. Focus on crafting compelling copy that corresponds with each input opportunity. Aim to include a strong call to action that grabs the viewer’s attention and makes the desired action clear.
For example, a welcome pop-up could display a message like, “Enter your email address for 10% off your first order.” Think about the average user experience and consider placing lead forms on high-traffic pages for maximum visibility.
3. Test and optimize
Keep track of your success once lead capture forms are in place. Take note of the opportunities with the best conversion rates and reevaluate your strategy based on their performance. Consider using A/B testing techniques to compare different messages and incentives. Experiment with placement, form type, and form length to find the most effective design.
4. Integrate data
Keep track of the information you collect so you can start to score and qualify leads. Sync your capture forms with your customer relationship management (CRM) platform or email system to store and process the data. Many lead capture tools offer automatic integration so that once a visitor submits their contact details, they’ll immediately be added to your email lists.
5. Follow through
After you’ve collected the data, it’s time to build relationships with your potential customers and turn them into qualified leads. Consider creating a customized onboarding experience for new leads. An ecommerce company, for example, could design a series of welcome emails to introduce users to their products. A SaaS (software-as-a-service) company might choose to have a member of its sales team follow-up with a phone call. Good communication is essential for converting leads into paying customers.
Tips for great lead capture
Lead form design, placement, and messaging can all affect your conversion rate. Try these strategies to create engaging forms and maximize your chance of capturing leads:
Diversify your strategy
Try experimenting with multiple lead capture techniques. Placing pop-ups on every page might overwhelm website visitors. Instead, focus on building a user-friendly experience packed with opportunities to submit information.
For example, you could include a welcome pop-up with a discount, a newsletter sign-up field, a “Contact” page with a write-in form, and an offer to sign up for back-in-stock notifications on sold-out product pages. This design would create multiple entry points that each offer a unique benefit.
Gamify it
Using interactive elements to capture leads can increase engagement. Many ecommerce sites use pop-ups with chance games like spinning prize wheels or scratch-off cards as an exciting way to reveal product discounts. For another approach, consider building a multiple-choice questionnaire or quiz that generates personalized product recommendations based on user responses; users receive their results after they enter an email address.
Try multistep forms
Asking users to input multiple pieces of personal information at once can be discouraging. If you want to collect several types of customer data, such as phone numbers and email addresses, consider breaking the fields apart into a multistep form that offers new incentives at each stage. A multi-step process can generate high-quality leads—users who make it through the entire flow are more likely to become paying customers.
Tailor your message
Audience segmentation can help you differentiate between first-time visitors and unregistered users who have viewed the same product 15 times. These individuals are at different points in their customer journey and have different needs. Adjusting lead form incentives and marketing language based on the target audience can ensure that visitors encounter relevant, compelling offers.
Lead capture FAQ
What is the difference between lead retrieval and lead capture?
Lead capture is an inbound marketing technique. It involves using digital lead capture forms to gather contact information from individuals who have demonstrated interest in a business. Lead retrieval, on the other hand, is focused on gathering information at in-person events including trade shows and conferences.
What is the difference between lead generation and lead capture?
Lead generation is the process of marketing and promoting a company to create interest. It’s an outbound marketing technique designed to attract new customers. Lead capture, on the other hand, is an inbound marketing technique focused on gathering contact information from individuals who have already shown interest in a business.
What is a lead capture rate?
Lead capture rate is a measurement of success. It’s calculated by dividing the number of leads collected by the total number of conversion opportunities. This metric is typically expressed as a percentage.
