Form Build It!
Contents
Form Build It!
With Form Build It!'s help, you can...
- build forms for a variety of uses... contact, referrals, e-courses, surveys, special reports, data collection to learn more about your visitors and their attitudes, etc.
- view reports of the data each form gathers, helping you learn more about your visitors (which can help you market to them).
- respond to every submission of data automatically... anything from a simple Thank You Page to a confirmation e-mail to a 7 day AutoResponder course.
Form Build It! Library is where you create/edit/deactivate/reactivate/delete each form, as well as the rest of the process that follows after submitting it...
- Thank You Page -- the page your visitor sees after submitting a form
- AutoResponder E-mail (optional) -- the message(s) your visitor receives after submitting a form
- Notification E-mail (optional) -- the data submitted through the form, sent by e-mail to you and anyone you choose to cc.
The combined effect is extremely flexible and powerful.
Video
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Watch the SBI! Libraries Video in the DAY 6 section of the Video Action Guide to reinforce your understanding. |
The Four Categories of Forms
Although there is no limit to the ways you can use forms on your Web site, they all fall into one of four categories...
- "Contact Us" or Feedback Form
- Sequential AutoResponder E-Mail Form
- Visitor Survey or Poll Form
- Finder/Referrer Form
Let's look a bit closer at each type...
1) The "Contact Us" or Feedback Form...
Creating a "feedback" form on your Web site allows your visitors to contact you, while eliminating the need to post an e-mail address on your site.
This prevents spam bots from harvesting your e-mail address and adding it to various lists. The e-mail address of any visitor submitting a form is also added automatically to your Spam 'n Virus Blast It! whitelist, allowing you to build your relationship by e-mail.
Feedback forms can be as basic as a simple contact form, or as involved as a detailed registration form. You can even use such a form for the basis of a pay-per-lead monetization model, where you collect data about prospects for an offline partner.
Would you like to know each time a form is submitted? Choose the Notification option. FBI! also lets you send a confirmation e-mail to the visitor who submitted it! This is especially handy if you are collecting registrations, reservations, or leads for a partner.
2) The Sequential AutoResponder E-Mail Form
Providing a free e-course delivered over a series of days is a great way to maintain sustained contact, keeping your site, and your offers, in the forefront of your new visitor's mind. E-courses also go a long way towards establishing the credibility and trust required to build a successful relationship between you and your potential customer.
3) The Visitor Survey or Poll Form
With SBI!, you can create custom form fields (text, radio buttons, drop down menus, or checkboxes) to create a small poll or advanced survey of your visitors. All submitted data is stored in your database for your use. You can also present your visitor with all the data compiled so far (a strong motivator to complete your poll!) -- the current results, if you like.
4) The Finder/Referrer Form
Information publishers can further monetize their traffic by developing "pay-per-sale" or "pay-per-lead" referral programs with related offline merchants. This form collects information specifically related to the service the merchant provides, and forwards that information to the merchant, who then follows up with your lead. Of course, make sure you send a "cc" to yourself, so you can check up on your partners now and then.
An Overview of the Process
The data collection and follow-up response process follows an easy-to-understand sequence of events...
- Build (or edit) the required form with the help of FormBuilder in the Form Build It! Library.
- Place the form on your Web site using SiteBuilder's Form Block or add the code (which you'll find in the Upload Your Own HTML module) to your page, if you upload your own HTML.
- Your visitor fills in your form.
- S/he sees the Thank You Page (either the default message, or one that you customized).
- Optional -- She receives an AutoResponder e-mail that you created (customizable, using a single message or double-opt-in sequential messages).
- Optional -- SBI! sends a notification e-mail to you and/or others as requested.
- SBI! stores data in your database (click on the Get Form Data button in the BusinessCenter of Site Central).
- Review and analyze your data report, and react accordingly.
Now that you have the "big picture," you're ready to begin building a form.
Click on the Create a New Form button at the top or bottom of the FBI! Library page and you're off and running.
Tips
- All of your created forms reside in the FBI! Library. The newest form, or the most recently edited form, is always at the top of the list.
- You can edit, activate, deactivate or reactivate any of the functions associated with any form in the Library. In other words, nothing you do when creating your form is set in stone. You can always change your mind later.
- All forms are processed in batches, not in real time. Therefore, it can take 30-45 minutes before your visitors will receive an AutoResponder message, and before you'll receive any notification e-mail, if you set up an e-mail notification.