Over 49% of companies say that online forms are a better lead generation tool than any other marketing tool.
Around 50% say that they certainly include them in their marketing plans.
Forms fulfill the key role of collecting data in a systematic manner and further using it for lead generation. Online form builders make creating numerous forms on a daily basis super easy.
However, they serve many more benefits than just ‘ease of use’. Let’s find out what they are and why businesses should absolutely use online form builders in their day-to-day operations.
5 Reasons why you should use online form builder
An online form is a page where users can fill in the information asked and send it back to the server for the processing of information.
Manually creating forms takes up a lot of time and energy. Online form builders can prove to be a boon in fast-tracking your data collection and lead generation.
If you aren’t already using them, here is why you should trust online form builders for the many, many benefits they offer.
1. Dynamic forms
An online form builder creates forms that work according to your needs. You can create feedback forms that can be sent to hot leads buying your product and long-time customers and tweak them to be as dynamic as you like.
Robust form builders do that not only in a timely manner but also without compromising on the quality. This is something physical forms cannot achieve as they cannot be adapted with such precision.
a) Personalize
Online forms are designed to suit the interests of the users filling them up. For instance, if a question doesn’t apply to a user, they can simply skip and move to the next one. The form will account for it as an unanswered question but rather one that was unsuitable.
You can create personalized membership forms that will help sort out the customer’s journey for you. There are numerous templates that can help open up ways for you to interact with customers based on the topics they have ticked on the form.
b) Customize
The biggest advantage online forms have over physical forms is the ease with which they can be customized. They can be customized in as much detail as you please. What is more, you can make them look like a part of your website with aesthetics.
In fact, this is something you should be doing to make an impression in the minds of the users. Your forms having the same structure and color theme as your website subconsciously lets the user know the form is from you, lulling them into a sense of familiarity and association.
c) A/B testing
Not only do you get to experiment with customization settings in your forms, but you can also test them then and there with the help of the A/B testing feature. As every business and every venture has different demands, you should be able to tweak every form you put out for the best optimization.
It can be the smallest tweak like changing the color of the submit button or bigger ones like changing questions. A/B testing helps you see what works better and make changes accordingly.
2. Convenience
Many people are under the impression that simply opting for online forms brings ease of use. That is not the case. Creating forms requires dedicated programming skills that many people may not be good at.
Online form builders offer the convenience of building forms without having to go through the programming. It gives you a shortcut, so to speak.
a) Manual work reduced
Physical forms require quite a lot of manual work from your end. They are messy to organize and store. Digital forms may not be as hard to organize, but they still require manual work in programming.
Online forms, however, reduce the manpower needed to be put in. All you have to do is set up the fields and send them to the intended user. The data collection takes care of itself. This leaves you more time to dedicate to other aspects of your business.
b) Shareable
Forms create via builders are extensively shareable. You can send them as a part of an email or include them in your social media posts. Email marketing and social media marketing are two of the most prominent marketing strategies used by brands.
Making forms a part of them increases makes them more dynamic and efficient. It some cases, it can even lead to direct lead generation.
3. Proactive data collection
The primary task of a form is to collect data that can be further used for lead generation and serving customers better. Online form builders take it a step further. They collect data in a systematic way and organize it for ease of future use.
a) Feedback
Online forms help you collect valuable feedback that helps you understand your customer’s needs and provide them personalized solutions. We recommend that you keep your forms short and avoid open-ended questions to get the best out of them.
Longer or open-ended questions may not interest many users. The USP of a form lies in it being a quick thing the customer doesn’t need to set aside time for.
b) GDPR data
Data security and privacy is a serious concern that companies should absolutely adhere to. GDPR guidelines state that all the personal data you collect should be recorded in a safe way that prevents any misuse.
Your forms will help you do just that. They will record every bit of data in a systematic way through a CRM. It will help you stay under the GDPR guidelines.
c) Analyze better
When you have all the data stored in an organized manner, it paves way for seamless data management. You can analyze and process all the collected data quickly and more efficiently.
You can look for key information better, segregate it into groups, perform analysis, and derive results that help improve your approach in the future.
4. Effective lead generation
As suggested above, forms are the preferred way of every second business when it comes to lead generation. They are a personalized way to interact with your prospects, widen your network and gain valuable information about them.
Collecting specific information about a lead helps you approach them in a way that is truly catered to them. It’s a much better approach than shooting in the dark, so to speak, with generalized content that may be a hit or miss.
a) Communicate with users
Forms help you establish authentic communication with your customers and prospects. You can tailor your questions to be as casual in tone as you want. It helps you humanize yourself in the eyes of the customers.
They are more likely to respond to the questions in an honest way as well as respond in a timely manner in general. It helps you establish a genuine relationship with your clients.
b) Decrease bounce rate
A bounce rate defines the percentage of visitors that spend very little time on your website or ‘bounce’ from the very first page itself. A user not finding the information they want can be one of the reasons they bounce.
Forms help you overcome that as you can lead the user to the desired page once they hit ‘submit’ on the form. It allows you to engage with the prospect and get them to stay longer.
In general, you should aim for a 25-30% bounce rate. Anything over 60% would be cause of concern.
5. Less paper, better organization
Online forms help us build a paperless society. Physical forms made out of paper are expensive along with the added cost of printing and stationery. They are also harder to manage and infer data from.
Online forms rid you of all those problems. They won’t get lost or damaged. They will save you time and money. More importantly, they are great for the environment.
a) Unlimited forms
You can technically make as many physical forms as you need. But you wouldn’t want that. There is the cost of making them and then the headache of storing them. Digital forms provide you with the luxury of creating as many forms as you like.
You don’t have to worry about storing them. Additionally, if you need to make a change, you can implement it in all subsequent forms without any hassle.
b) Enhance user experience
Lastly, forms give you a way of creating a network with your prospects and customers alike. Creating visually appealing forms helps enhance their user experience. You can learn from mistakes and make their experience better as you go along as well.
Conclusion
Online form builders provide myriad benefits, especially for small businesses. Not only do they make data collection easier, but they also aid in the analysis of data collected.
They are easy to create as well. You will need next to no training to make a personalized, well-functioning form. All you have to do is get started today.
Let us know in the comments what benefits of online form builders you find to be the most helpful.