Here is an example of a static "side by side" form which seems to work better than having all the fields running underneath eachother.

http://www.origsoft.com/The_great_software_testing/swindle.htm

and here is the conversational form
http://conversation.i-op.com/topic/start/original0801_dg/intro?SID=web

That’s tremendous. I have never tried starting with a multi-page, radio Q form. I assumed (and yes, I know what happens when one assumes) that idea wouldn’t work but never tested it. Just goes to show testing trumps instinct every time.

(Except in choosing a mate–somehow I found women didn’t appreciate my multi-testing of engagement rings. Go figure. I said the same words to all six of them with exactly the same inflection, yet they all got upset when they found out I was running a test.)

I know you are B2B, but do you have a form we can see as an example?

Firstly, i am amazed at the huge amount of companies (many of which should know better) that do not offer any qualifying questions on their forms at all.

Secondly, i have spent many years playing with different types of forms. Simple one pagers, forms with the fields that are side by side, or spread over 2 or 3 pages…etc etc. From my experience (B2B) you can expect 75-85% drop off. (i.e. 75-85% of the people that land on the form page will not fill it out.) Thats painful. All those potential punters slipping through your fingers.

However, i have also tried an interactive dialogue. Where the punter is taken through 7,8, or 9 pages of questions - each question is dependant on previous answer. The answers require only a radio button click or a drop down, and if it is used on a house list then the name address etc is pre-filled in. Not only do i TREBLE my response rates (I go from 80% drop off to a 60% fill in rate! - with the same list!) I can ask them more profiling questions and more qualification questions.

Not only this but we can view the stats and see at which question people start to bail and if we ask one or two too many we can easily cut back.

The dialogue takes time to work through and build, but it is definitly worth it. And proves that if the punter sees real value in what they are getting, they will answer many questions.

Thanks.

There are tons of businesses utilizing email newsletters and other types of opt-in follow up email marketing to reach their website visitors about tangible products.

One example is Dolls and Friends who sell collectible dolls.

http://www.dollsandfriends.com/
http://www.dollsandfriends.com/newsletter.php

Thanks