![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/FEATURED-IMAGE-landing-pages-make-break-form-conversions.jpg\")
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The answer isn\u2019t always a simple one.<\/p>\n
Some will argue that forms only convert when they\u2019re short. Others say when they\u2019re multi-step (but separated by different sections). Some have even found success with full screen forms.<\/p>\n
But part of the issue of conversions has nothing to do with forms themselves. It\u2019s about landing pages.<\/p>\n
The information you include \u2014 or don\u2019t include \u2014 on the opt-in pages surrounding your forms can make or break your form conversions.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s right. Even if your form is strategically optimized, you might fail if you use the wrong headline.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a scary thought, especially if you\u2019re not sure what makes a good opt-in landing page. But there are a few things you can do to ensure that your forms (long, short or otherwise) stand the best chance at converting.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what to know.<\/p>\n
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[content_upgrade cu_id=\"12119\"]Free Download: The Anatomy of a Perfect Opt-In Landing Page[content_upgrade_button]Click Here[\/content_upgrade_button][\/content_upgrade]<\/p>\n
A landing page has only one objective: To compel a visitor to take a specific action.<\/p>\n
The success of your landing pages is measured by whether or not that action takes place. If someone reads your opt-in page but doesn\u2019t give you their name and email, for example, it\u2019s considered a bounce.<\/p>\n
If you have too many bounces, Google will start to view your site as low quality and penalize your search ranking.<\/p>\n
So it\u2019s important that your opt-in landing pages convert<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to Optimizely<\/a>, there are essentially 3 major elements to a \u201chigh-converting\u201d landing page:<\/p>\n Creating a landing page that is consistent with your branding message, trustworthy enough to elicit a buy-in, and easy enough to navigate isn\u2019t always easy.<\/p>\n But it is necessary if you want your forms to convert.<\/p>\n Here are a few strategies to ensure that your opt-in landing pages sell the way they should:<\/p>\n A form is relatively easy to understand. You put your information in the fields that ask for them. Anyone can do it.<\/p>\n But that doesn\u2019t mean that someone has a good reason to give you their information.<\/p>\n In fact, without a certain level of \u201csales\u201d copy surrounding your forms, it may be harder to convert. Approximately 96% of visitors<\/a> that come to your website are not ready to buy, so you need to give them a reason.<\/p>\n That starts with your headline.<\/p>\n As advertising legend David Ogilvy once said<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cOn the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n People follow specific patterns when they read content. Studies from the Nielsen Norman Group and the Poynter Institute show that people read headlines first (most often in an \u201cF\u201d shape) more than the will ever read your text.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why most landing pages or home pages look like this:<\/p>\n A bold headline, with some supporting text and a CTA. It\u2019s simple. It\u2019s understandable. And, studies show, it converts.<\/p>\n So what makes a good headline, exactly?<\/p>\n Studies show that things like headline type (questions vs. numbers vs. statements, for example), tone, and word count can all impact conversions differently<\/a>.<\/p>\n The key is to find headlines that work for your audience and move them through your sales funnel. This might mean creating several landing pages with different headlines to test relevancy and conversion rates.<\/p>\n To test your headlines, consider using a free tool like CoSchedule\u2019s Headline Analyzer<\/a>.<\/p>\n While you\u2019re personalizing your headlines and landing page copy, you also have to personalize your form fields.<\/p>\n Some say, \u201cForms should be short, because short forms convert better. People don\u2019t want to waste their time filling out long, complicated forms.\u201d<\/p>\n This is true.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s also true that people will fill out longer forms if it leads to content that\u2019s tailored to their needs.<\/p>\n When one company switched from a one-step form (collecting only emails and names) to a longer, multi-step form that asked specific questions about project needs, they saw a 214% increase in conversion rates<\/a> compared to their simple form.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s part one of their form:<\/p>\n And part two:<\/span><\/p>\n It worked \u2014 even with added fields and steps \u2014 because site visitors could explain what they needed a quote for directly on the form, without having to wait for an email from a sales rep.<\/p>\n These are questions that sales reps would ask anyway, so you get more information from your forms without having to do extra work. It\u2019s win-win.<\/p>\n In certain cases, adding more information to your forms can actually improve conversions, so don\u2019t be afraid to play around with form types if you\u2019re seeing a dip in conversions or a bump in bounce rates.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re noticing that your forms aren\u2019t converting, or that you\u2019re getting high numbers of subscribers but low engagement, there\u2019s another option you can try called the double opt-in.<\/p>\n A single opt-in looks something like this:<\/p>\n Someone gives their name and email and signs up for an offer. Once they\u2019ve hit \u201cSubmit\u201d they\u2019re automatically subscribed to receive content.<\/p>\n The problem with this, however, is that people:<\/p>\n This can cause a lot of problems with your conversion rates, because your email subscriptions or free trial sign ups may be growing without you seeing any actual revenue.<\/p>\n Double opt-ins work to correct this by asking someone to opt-in after they\u2019ve already given their initial information, like so:<\/p>\n They have to confirm that they do, in fact, want your content or free offer or coupon.<\/p>\n Contrary to popular belief, most people don\u2019t mind opting in a second time. It\u2019s relatively easy for most users, and it can be a great way to increase the number of subscribers<\/a> who will actually convert.<\/p>\n![\"Land](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/bounce-rate-by-industry.png\")
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1. Optimize Your Landing Page Headlines<\/h2>\n
![\"Land](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Screen-Shot-2017-08-22-at-10.34.26-PM-700x378.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Land](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Overall-Headline-Preferences.png\")
<\/p>\n2. Personalize Your Form Questions<\/h2>\n
![\"Land](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/advanced-grass.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Land](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/advanced-grass2.png\")
<\/p>\n3. Use a Double Opt-In Landing Page<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/optin.png\")
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![\"Land](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/image11-2.png\")
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![\"Land](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/image5-2.png\")
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