This one should be pretty obvious, but you still see a lot of forms out there with them. Offering your users an easy option to clear fields that they’ve already completed just doesn’t make a lot of sense when you’re trying to get people to complete the form fields. Stop making it easy for users to change their minds about whether or not to provide their information! Yes, there may be a case or two out there where someone might argue that providing this option helped them improve the quality of their leads or the accuracy of their database information because they were auto populating the fields, but in most cases it’s just plain not going to get you more lead conversions.
Buttons
Let your users know what to expect next
Leave out the guesswork. Set expectations. Being vague won’t get people to click on your button or call to action. People like to be in control. Don’t leave them guessing what the next step will be. Show your users where they stand in lengthy processes. Incorporate progress bars. Be clear about what will happen once they complete a lead form or place an order. Clicking submit without knowing exactly what to expect next creates uncertainty. Uncertainty creates friction—and friction can kill the success rate of your page.
Add an actionable icon like an arrow to your primary button.
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.
Focus on a single call to action
Multiple offers confuse the user and confused users means lower conversions. Determine which single call to action is most important and make it the focus of your page. Make all other options clearly secondary. Create an obvious hierarchy. All links are not equally important. Attempts to be all-inclusive can create leaks in your sales funnel by distracting users ready to commit with unnecessary information.
Pay attention to the page fold
In most cases, the higher on the page you can keep your most important information or calls to action, the better. Ideally, visitors will see the most important elements the second they arrive on the page, without having to scroll. However, if what you’re selling has a large price tag or is something that requires a significant amount of research or consideration before the sale, consider testing your call to action placement below the fold so that it follows the copy.
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.