Let’s say you have a problem you want to solve, so you go online and do some research. You may find a website that provides details about, and suggested solutions for, your problem. As you read the page and start getting information, you might notice a form to the right with the suggestion that you complete it in order to learn more. Now imagine that you complete this form, hit enter, and then get this ugly message:

“Form submitted”

You will probably start wondering what is really happening. A few questions that may start going through your head include:

• What happened to my email address and my personal information?
• Did anyone receive my request for more information?
• What will they do with my personal information?
• Will they call me or email me? When will they do that?

And you may conclude with the thought, “Maybe I should go back to the search engine and find another website.”

My point is: the thank you page for your online forms, if not optimized properly, can be disruptive and counter-productive. You can, however, to optimize this page in such a way that it reaches its full potential.

I am a big fan of thank-you pages. Properly executed, they can instill peace in the minds of your leads and can help improve your conversion rate.

For this reason, I would like to introduce you to ways that you can improve your thank you pages.

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Understand the Flow

Let's start with the big idea—the flow.  You have to step into your visitors’ shoes and understand how they think and what they're trying to accomplish. There are things that happen and go through their minds before and after they fill out your request form.

This is how the flow usually goes:

1. People have some sort of problem that needs to be solved or about which they need more information, and they go online to research.
2. They arrive at your website. This can happen because they found your site through a search-engine request, a referral website, an online ad, or through social media. Alternately, if they are familiar with your business, they may have even typed your web-address directly into their browser.
3. They will then browse your website to learn more and find how your business might be able to solve their problems.
4. If they find that the information on your website is good, they may decide to complete your provided request form to obtain more information.
5. After they have done all of this hard work to research, read, and complete your web form, they will receive a message from your site.

• If all they get is a short message that is not helpful at all, they may start wondering if your business is one that they can trust in, and they may also feel like they just wasted their time and will move on to another site. By the time you return their inquiry, they may no longer be hot leads.
• If they get a well-executed response, or thank-you, they are likely to have a better opinion of your business and will be more likely to put their trust in you. That you will be able to turn these leads into customers is far more probable.

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Six Ways to Improve Your Thank You Page

#1. Thank your prospective customers for completing the form.

It’s that simple. These potential clients have gone through a lot to get to the point that they actually contacted you, and they have put some faith in your ability to solve their problems. Thank them for that.

#2. Tell your leads what is being done with their information.

First off, let them know that you have received their information. They will want to know that their name, email address and other information has not gone into a black hole or, worse, into a spam database that will be sold to Viagra or Jimmy Cho Shoes or some other unsolicited marketer.

#3. Let them know what will happen next. Your leads will want to know what to expect next. For example, if someone in your office will be contacting them soon, let them know that. Specify when they should expect an email or a phone call. You want to be sure to set the expectations as quickly as possible.

#4. Reinforce something valuable about your company.

I often have clients who want to be known for something but fail to communicate this to their prospects. A thank you page is the perfect place to drive home your strengths and reinforce your message about your business. And the best part is, you can do it right at the beginning of your relationship with your potential customer. For example, if you want to reinforce your value proposition, include a testimonial or two that demonstrate why your customers love you, or why you're a better choice than your competitors.

#5. Give them something to keep. If you will need your prospects to complete a form or read some documentation prior to coming to an appointment, this is a good time to provide the material. Or, if you are going to need specific information from your potential clients during a response phone call from your offices, giving them a checklist now will give them the opportunity to prepare this information.  For example, if you are a bankruptcy attorney, give your prospect a new-client bankruptcy questionnaire. You know you will ask them to complete it anyway.

A great benefit of doing this is that your prospects will remember you better. When people have invested time in completing your materials or reading something you asked them to read, they will be more likely to follow through on their transactions with your business.

#6. Be personable.

Take the five steps outlined above and make your messages personable. Make them sound like they came from the owner or the “face” of your company. A person who sees a thank you page as coming from another individual will feel more attached to the person representing your company than they will to a generic non-human website response. This will also help you to stand out among your peers and will enable a better connection with the prospect during future interactions.

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Final thoughts

A well-done thank you page can make a big impact on your business’s bottom-line, and you should capitalize on this. It is advantageous for your prospects as well, because you will be helping them feel better about themselves and they, in turn, will feel better about your ability to help solve their problems.

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