Years ago I hit a bump in the road with my event planning business. My leads had slowed down, sales had decreased, and so I did what most people do at a time like that. I panicked.
One of the first things I did was spend THOUSANDS of dollars hiring an SEO firm to go through every detail of my website to find out how I could better optimize it to rank for Google. And one of the very first things they pointed out was a simple fix that had a HUGE impact. My contact form was too long!!
How many times have you gone to a website and the contact form is just overwhelming? You know the ones that ask you things like what is your favorite cookie, asks you to “tell a little bit about yourself,” or has you put in every single detail about the potential event?
The people that have these types of contact forms (and you might be one) are well-meaning. They want to stand out or find ways to connect with you by asking you personal questions. Some want to be efficient and get as much information from you as they can so that they can properly quote you. But what they are really doing is asking TOO much from a potential lead.
If you are so niched that there is no one else out there that can fill their need, they may fill out your form. But if you are in a market where there are plenty of fish of the sea, you are going to lose some of your leads.
I will be honest, when I am looking for vendors for my clients and I come upon these types of contact forms, I go elsewhere. I don’t have the time or patience to fill out 50 questions when I simply need a quote. I scan the contact form for an email address and email them directly. If they don’t have an email address, I find someone else. And you may have done that too. Sadly, not everyone will even scan your site for the email.
So if you want to increase your leads in a big way without spending a ton of time, follow these steps.
- Make our contact form short. People shouldn’t have to scroll down to see it all.
- Only ask for critical information. Name, email (or number if you prefer), and what they need.
- Cut out all non-relevant questions. Do you really need to know their address, their partner’s name, etc. Those things are nice to know but if it cost’s you a lead, is it worth it?
Now sit back and enjoy the additional leads you will get simply from minimizing your contact form. If you are an Event Planner wanting to diversify your Wedding Business income, check out my FREE resources here:
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