Forms have become so ubiquitous on the internet because of the way they help users interact with products and services. In their widespread popularity, they have started to come in all different shapes and sizes. So why is it that we think about them in such traditional terms?

The other day I met an old friend for coffee and we got to talking about our jobs. He’s a research analyst in the federal government so when I told him that I mostly work with forms, I could see in his eyes that he was imagining something like this:

Long, tedious, but necessary and practical.

Of course, this was a bit funny to me because we spend a lot of time here at Blitzen trying to get away from this stereotype and build forms that people actually want to fill out.

But this got me thinking that a lot of people still have the wrong idea about forms. We value them for their functionality, which is not their only purpose anymore. They have evolved into this amazing tool to engage your audience first and collect information second. Take a lead capture form for instance.

Let’s break down the components

A lead is a person who has indicated interest in your company’s product or service in some way, shape, or form. Lead capture then, is the act of collecting the interested party’s contact information. Sounds simple enough – just create a signup form and wait for the emails to roll in right? Not quite.

What we often forget is that user experience is fundamental for conversion. A form lives within different contexts which means that you need some variety. You wouldn’t put the same form on your blog as you would on the front page of your website.

What I am trying to get at is that it takes more than one kind of lure to catch all the fish in the sea, alright?  A generic offering doesn’t do it anymore. But that’s alright! Because there are so many other ways to capture an email. You just have to get a little creative. Here are a few ideas to get you started: