How to Design and Implement Sign Up Forms That Convert Customers

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Whether you’re trying to build an email marketing list or get customers to start a product demo, sign up forms are a great asset. However, you need to know what you’re doing. A poorly designed form will hurt your chances of increasing conversions. There’s a fine line to be walked – and you want to make sure you’re on the right side.

The Role of Sign Up Forms

Sign up forms are valuable for a number of reasons. Primarily, they encourage interaction with users, allow you to collect information, and increase the likelihood of converting a user into a paying customer.

There’s also a lot of flexibility in how sign up forms can be used. For example, one company might use sign up forms to grow their email marketing list, while another company could use one of these forms to let users download a free trial or whitepaper.

Once you understand how to design compelling sign up forms, you can begin using them in a variety of ways. In fact, it’ll probably become one of your preferred methods for engaging website visitors.

4 Tips for Better Forms

There are big differences between a good sign up form and a bad one. In order to ensure you’re spending your time and effort on forms that will convert, keep the following tips and best practices in mind.

  1. Keep it Simple

If there’s one mistake marketers tend to make when designing sign up forms, it’s that they make them too complicated. You need to keep things simple and streamlined. If there are too many fields to fill out, or the form is overwhelming, you’re going to miss out on a bunch of sign ups.

If you absolutely must ask for a lot of information, then try to break the sign up form into multiple parts. By dividing this form into two or more steps, the act of signing up looks much less daunting. The result is a multistep form like this one that should convert higher. As a rule of thumb, never ask for more than four fields of information in a single sign up step – three or fewer is ideal.

  1. Keep the Form Above the Fold

It’s wise to keep your sign up forms above the fold. If a visitor has to scroll down your page in order to fill out the form, then you probably aren’t maximizing sign ups. People tend to gravitate towards the top of the page. Even if they scroll to the bottom, they’re likely to scroll back up before leaving. Putting your form at the top gives you added exposure.

Compare this example with this one. The first example has a sign up form that’s located at the bottom of the page, while the second one has a sign up page above the fold. Most would agree the latter one is more effective, if for no other reason than it’s more visible.

  1. Follow the Eight Second Rule

There’s a digital marketing rule that says you have eight seconds to get a visitor’s attention. While this number is probably more like two or three seconds now, the point remains the same. You need to engage your visitors as soon as possible.

Your strategy for grabbing attention will likely depend on the layout and design of the rest of the page/website. Go for something that contrasts the page, yet doesn’t look out of place. This means using a bright color, large buttons, or bold claims.

  1. Leave Out Phone Numbers

The key to designing a sign up form that provides maximum value is to ask for just enough information from the user, but not too much. In other words, you need to get some contact information to make the sign up worth your time, but you don’t want to overwhelm the user.

Ask for their first name, last name, and email address. Anything more and you’ll likely turn off the user. And while it used to be standard practice to ask for a cell phone number, this is now considered a mistake. People are hesitant to give out phone numbers and may skip a sign up form altogether if you ask for one.

Putting it All Together

There is no standard for a successful sign up form. Some websites will have success with flashy layouts that grab a visitor’s attention, whereas other websites will see better results when designing simple, concise forms. The only way to know what works for you – and what resonates with your target audience – is to start experimenting.

Over time, you’ll find that certain elements are helpful, while others are distracting. It’ll take time to discover these nuances, but you’ll be able to increase conversions the sooner you detect them. Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be well on your way to designing sign up forms that convert!

Larry Alton
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Larry Alton is an independent business consultant specializing in social media trends, business, and entrepreneurship. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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