How to Understand Your Customers Better with a Proper Online Form Strategy
Your customers are the most important component to your business. If you can’t understand your audience, you will struggle to sell to them.
The more you know and understand about your customers the easier it will be to provide them what they want, when they want it. Customers can always tell when a company gets them, and when a company does not.
When a customer feels understood by a company, it fosters a sense of trust and strengthens their loyalty and bond to your business. Loyal customers spread the word and buy more from companies they trust.
What are online forms?
Almost every website on the internet uses online forms in one way or another. Various registrations, the capturing of lead data, and exclusive premium content all utilize forms to capture and retain data.
It’s also an outstanding tool when looking at B2B lead generation, allowing the information to be used in a variety of ways that will grow your database.
Online forms allow companies to gather valuable data that is easily managed, stored, and organized all in one place. They’re meant to establish a communication channel between you and your customers, collect information about your customers, and make their lives much easier.
Types on Online Forms & Strategies to Use them:
Customer Feedback
This kind of feedback form typically comes after a customer has used your product or service, or following an interaction with your customer service support team or interactive voice response (IVR).
Getting feedback on customer satisfaction with the product/service, satisfaction with the sales process, and the likelihood of recommending it to a friend is crucial to improving your business.
Event Registration
If your company hosts an event, (online or in-person,) sending out an event registration form is a must.
Without a proper system in place to track your RSVPs, attendee preferences and questions, and distribute information to guests, event planning can quickly turn into a headache.
The event registration form allows your company to communicate directly with attendees regarding important information about your event. The QR Code event registration form allows your company to communicate directly with attendees regarding important information about your event. Simultaneously, you will be able to collect basic information about all your guests, regardless of whether they become customers or not.
Sales Contact
Once prospective customer has considered their options and decided to buy from your company, it’s time to send them a sales contact form.
A sales contact form allows your company to collect their information and lead them directly to your sales team to convert the lead.
Email Opt-in
If your company has regular marketing emails, offers periodical deals, or provides updates on news or events, an email opt-in form is a useful tool.
Through an opt-in form, you can collect basic information, like your leads’ email, along with the consent that your company will reach out to them with marketing material. You can later use this data for other strategies, such as creative billboard design, social media, etc.
Be sure your marketing teams are prepared with various types of campaigns. If someone gives you their information under the promise that they will be notified of a sale, make sure you have every intention of actually having a sale! You can also keep your customers and users updated by integrating a global SMS API for marketing, using website chatbots, or even sending emails.
Online Payment Form
No matter what industry your company is in, you should be equipped with an online payment form so customers can pay you directly. Payment methods can include either Debit or Credit Cards, or PayPal. Make sure you understand all invoice payment terms correctly.
Third-party payment forms or websites collect information about your customers that could be collected by you.
Immediate sales conversions should be a priority for your company and an online payment form is a convenient tool for both you and your customers.
Account Sign-up
If your company requires an account to use your website or apps, an account sign-up form is a tool that will collect massive amounts of information from users.
Social media websites use this type of form to withhold exclusive content to account holders. Some parts of these platforms are accessible without an account, but to unlock their full potential users must sign up.
Your company website can employ the same tactic. Users can browse your website and learn about the company without an account, but in order to actually shop or view pricing, an account is required.
Ways to Deploy Your Forms
You can easily add online forms to your websites with lead generation plugins, or a simple code. The form can be a link, show up as a lightbox, or the sign-up lines can be directly on the web page.
QR codes can be a great way of using forms when hosting in-person events or in other offline scenarios. By creating a dynamic QR code that directs to your form, you can allow people to fill out your online forms after engaging them in person.
In Summary
Online forms are a crucial (and easy!) tool for your company to gather information quickly and compile it all in one place. Customers will often have no problem giving you their information, especially when you have separate forms for varying purposes. Information collection is at the center of digital marketing campaigns and lead conversion, online forms make this collection easy and painless for your company and your customers.