The Real Estate Lead Generation Form that Works

When we're talking about website real estate lead generations forms, look at the strategy like a journalist using the 5 Ws rule. Who, what, when, where and why are the 5 Ws.

What's so crucial about a simple lead generation form? It's just a form asking for contact information. Let's analyze the question using the 5 Ws, starting with the last one first.

WHY are We Using Lead Generation Forms?

The simple answer is to generate leads! Sure, but we want our real estate lead generation forms to deliver quality leads in ways that contribute to a good relationship right from the first contact.

Considerations of the WHY

Think of the form as the first meeting with your prospect who you wish to become a client at the closing table. You wouldn't meet a prospect in person in your gardening clothes. Don't use an ugly or unfriendly looking form either. A little color that fits into the site theme is a good start.

WHO is the Target of the Lead Generation Form

The easy answer, seldom the best, is that it is someone who is wanting to buy or sell real estate. Sure, but which one is it in each form's case? In other words, do you have different forms for different targeted prospects and different purposes on the site?

Considerations of the WHO

Perhaps on your home page that's targeting the entire world of prospects, you can have a generic form. However, everywhere else, you should think of the form as the first meeting and greeting. If you're meeting a prospective buyer for the first time, you may shake their hand and say you are looking forward to helping them with their search for the perfect home. Create your form to show them you're already focused on their needs by using language for buyers or sellers as it applies.

The WHAT of Lead Generation Forms

Technically speaking, lead generation forms are HTML coded forms that collect data from the site visitor and forward it on to us. Practically speaking, they're a resource for money in our bank accounts. Thinking of them simply as a data collection tool can be a costly mistake.

Considerations for the WHAT

Consider your form the main component of the call-to-action for the website page on which you place it. If you're using effective landing page and SEO strategies, you have an anonymous suspect on the page, and you want to convert them to a known prospect. The effective lead generation form is trying to get the suspect to commit and provide personal information.

Using a page titled, "Making a First Home Price Offer" that's targeting buyer prospects, you'll want your form to reinforce the information and strengthen the call to action. In this case, it could be an offer of an example tracking of an actual offer and counter offer process on a home deal. Masking any references to addresses or names, you can show the way offers become counter offers, and it's going to be really interesting to buyers, particularly first-time home buyers. Those are the ones primarily drawn to a page with this title.

Use a call to action statement at the top of the form, something like "See How it Works. Get a transcript of a real offer and counter offer process in a home purchase negotiation."

WHEN We Use the Lead Generation Form

Papering your website with lead generation forms isn't the recommended approach. Too many forms can make them invisible to the site visitor as they tune them out because of frequency.

Considerations for the WHEN

Use a real estate lead generation form when you have a legitimate offer for the site visitor that they should find valuable. The old "sign my guestbook" forms are useless and shouldn't be anywhere on your site. Instead, use a form when you have some offer of more and valuable information supporting the content of the page on which you place it.

WHERE to Place Lead Generation Forms

Throughout this post, we've talked about placing forms that offer valuable information to the site visitor, and it stands to reason that you want the forms adjacent to the content that drew them to the site in the first place.

Considerations for the WHERE

The very topmost consideration for forms placement is to have them "above the fold" next to the content that should be part of the call to action you want the visitor to take. Above the fold is a newspaper term that means contained in the top portion of the page above where the paper folds. It commands more attention there.

Examine your content to place the most effective wording to get the action you want right next to the form. Another approach that can work is to place a link on the call to action wording that opens a form. Combining a form placed on the page with the link approach can increase your conversion rate.

There's a lot more to lead generation forms than just collecting information. Use these strategies to increase the number of leads from your real estate lead generation forms.

To view the original article, visit the WebsiteBox blog.