Lead generation: website form or Facebook lead ad?

Consider you want to generate leads online and your preferred marketing channel is Facebook. Targeting and creatives are catered for, but you are unsure of the data collection process. The main objective is to get leads that are likely to convert at the lowest possible price. How should you proceed?

As always there is no right answer to this, however there are certain things to consider before deciding on a lead gen model.

Let’s start looking at each of the models and the pros and cons associated with using them.

Lead ads

By far the easiest setup. No website required. Facebook lead ads hold the lowest barrier to entry. All that is needed is a Facebook page and access to an ad account.  

PROS

• Less friction: People don’t have to leave Facebook to submit their information. 

• Pre-populated form: Essential details (i.e. name, e-mail, phone number) will be populated by Facebook. From being served the ad, it is possible to submit data with only 2 clicks.    

• Facebook Lead Generation objective: Facebook knows their users and will find the most likely users to submit their details within the targeted audience.

• High quantity leads at a lower price point: Due the above mentioned points.

CONS:

• Lower quality: Conversion rates are usually very low. There are several reasons for this. (1) Due to the ease of signing up, there is no pre-qualification for a lead. (2) some people are not aware that they've signed up. (3) The lead has little to no investment in the product.  

Website form

Landing page specifically designed to generate leads. Requires more setup. Need some experience with building websites. 

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Note: Please don't mistake this section as sending people to the homepage, which rarely is a good idea.

PROS:

• Supports complex forms: Free range in terms of layout and can use a conditional form to tailor the form to each user.

• Indoctrination to product: Landing pages can provide additional information vital for the person to know. Multiple questions and steps can be vital for ensuring high lead quality.

• Control: The user experience is completely customizable (The one exception to this, is that the landing page should still follow Facebook policy guidelines, which can come with some limitations).

• Higher quality leads: Being able to pre-qualify leads which in return increases conversion rates and optimises the Sales team’s time spent on the phone. 

CONS:

• Taking people off Facebook: Bound to lose a few people before the landing page finishes loading. 

• Website maintenance: Regular checks and updates are necessary to make sure the page is not experiencing down-time.

• No pre-population of form: People need to type everything out

• Higher cost per lead.

Similarities

What is true for both methods is that, the more questions or steps you add, the more people you will lose in the process. It kind of makes sense, as it is easy to provide one or two details about oneself, but once you ask any additional information, it takes another level of commitment from the user. There might also be privacy concerns, because; why do you want to know so much about me? 

It is absolutely crucial that every step is absolutely necessary for the project. Do never add an extra step, because it “might” be useful in the long run. This could easily cost you 10% less leads.

What to do know

  

If you are in doubt and have the capability to set up a dedicated website landin gpage, it makes sense to test both methods.

If you are new to the game and are contemplating whether to use an in-built lead form or send people to your homepage. ALWAYS do the in-built lead form. 

If you have a specific landing page that is tailored for the purpose, then the website form is the recommended approach. BUT always test your form and monitor early behaviors from users immediately (Note: I use Hotjar). A well run form can make miracles. 

PRO TIP: Leads need to be contacted as soon as possible, after submitting their details. The rate at which a lead is likely to convert diminishes hour by hour. After 24 hours the chance of conversion has dropped more than 90%. Time is critical.

Endnotes

A few years back it was possible to get people to take a desired action no matter which campaign goal was chosen for a campaign on Facebook. Personally I’ve driven tons of leads and purchases from objectives like Link Clicks, Engagement and even Reach. Those days are numbered though. Today, if you want leads or purchases it is recommended to use the Conversions or Lead Generation objective.

This could potentially mean that Facebook’s own Lead Ads have a bit of an advantage by being able to set up a Lead Generation campaign. A website form off-site, can only rely on the conversion objective.