What is a client intake form?
Client intake in the marketing funnel
The client intake process
How to create a client intake form?
Tips for creating engaging forms
How can a form-builder tool help?
A client intake form is a standardized document or digital questionnaire used to gather information from potential clients at the beginning of their relationship with your brand.
This information typically includes personal or contact details, challenges faced by the client, and any specific preferences or requirements the client may have. These details are necessary for assessing compatibility and deciding on the next steps for client onboarding.
A marketing funnel represents a potential customer's journey, from initial awareness of a product or service to purchasing. The Top of the Funnel (TOFU) stage focuses on awareness. Marketing efforts in this stage (ads, social media, blog posts) aim to make potential clients aware of your business and the problems you solve.
Once potential clients know your brand, they enter the middle of the funnel (MOFU) or consideration stage. Here, they're actively researching options and solutions to their problems. Client intake is pivotal at this stage as it bridges the gap between initial awareness and conversion. Client intake forms collect information about the client's needs and challenges, which can help you identify high-quality leads and allocate your resources accordingly. With a thoughtfully crafted client intake form, you can avoid wasting time on leads that are not a great fit for your business, enabling you to operate more efficiently.
At the bottom of the funnel, marketing teams use product demonstrations, free trials, and special offers to encourage final purchases.
This is where a potential client first contacts your business. It could be through a phone call, email, website form submission, or live chat conversation.
The process of onboarding a new client or project can differ widely based on industry, customer value, and organizational structure. For example, financial service providers prioritize relationship-building through personalized consultations and financial planning sessions. In contrast, e-commerce businesses typically focus on automated processes to quickly handle a high volume of transactions and customer inquiries.
Industries such as insurance, finance, and law invest significantly in pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, with the average cost per click (CPC) for the keyword 'insurance' reaching approximately $55. Given these clicks' high expense, optimizing every click to generate valuable leads is crucial. Investing in a user-friendly contact form ensures you get all the potential leads from website visitors.
For example, consider Sarah, a potential client for a legal firm. She fills out a contact form after clicking on a PPC ad and landing on the firm's website. The firm reviews her response and requests initial details for a conflict check before scheduling a free consultation.
Once a potential client is qualified, additional information and relevant documents can be gathered using a client intake form. Clients may fill out these forms, or staff can complete internal forms during meetings to maintain consistency and standardize data collection.
For example, after confirming that Sarah's case falls within their expertise, the law firm schedules a free consultation with an attorney. During this meeting, Sarah fills out a detailed intake form, providing her contact details, a summary of the dispute, and her desired outcomes. This helps the attorney develop a tailored legal strategy.
Lead qualification typically involves several steps. Initially, basic information is collected to see if the lead meets general criteria. Further qualification occurs after a detailed intake form is submitted or during subsequent meetings.
This could be a consultation call, an in-person meeting, or the initiation of the service itself. For example, A customer fills out an online form on an auto mechanic's website detailing their service needs and receives an instant quote, followed by scheduling the requested service appointment.
After gathering information during the consultation call, a proposal or quote is prepared and presented to the customer. For example, an IT consulting firm would present a detailed proposal outlining the scope of work, project deliverables, timeline, and cost estimates.
The client reviews the proposal, negotiates any adjustments, and agrees to the outlined terms and conditions.
After the consultation, the attorney sent Sarah a follow-up email summarizing the discussion and outlining the proposed legal strategy. Sarah's decision to proceed resulted in opening a client file in her name, marking the formal commencement of the legal process.
When deciding between paper forms and online forms, it's usually best to go with online forms. Online forms are more efficient and convenient because they are easy to distribute, allow for quick data collection, and have lower costs. They also enable real-time data analysis, are accessible from anywhere with internet access, and can be updated easily. Furthermore, online forms help reduce the environmental impact of paper usage.
Capture basic details to identify and contact the client:
The client intake process usually begins with a simple contact form before progressing to a comprehensive client intake form. This step is commonly seen on 'Contact Us' web pages, which feature a simple form for submitting queries.
Identify the service they're interested in and gather specifics about their project.
Evaluate if the client's needs align with your services and determine their decision-making authority.
Provide space for additional information or questions not covered in the form. Clients may have relevant details you still need to request. Moreover, allow them to inquire about anything they'd like to know from you.
You can begin by exploring example to spark ideas for your form creation. Start crafting your client intake form here. Below are some essential elements of a client intake form, which should be tailored to fit your specific industry and services.
Studies have shown that following these basic guidelines for web form design can significantly increase form completion rates. These guidelines aim to enhance form usability, reduce completion times, prevent errors, and improve user satisfaction.
See here for the complete list of guidelines for usable web form design.
Gamification uses game elements in non-game contexts to boost engagement and motivation. To make client intake forms more interactive and enjoyable, you can:
Explain what data is being collected and why. Ensure that users know their information will be used responsibly to enhance their experience. 70% of consumers are more willing to share information when there is a clear benefit.
A form-builder tool like QuestionScout not only offers customizable themes but also handles essential automation and integration needs. Tools like Zapier connect your form with other apps to automate tasks like creating assignments, sending notifications, or updating spreadsheets. Similarly, integrations help transfer form responses to your CRM and process payments directly, centralizing client data and simplifying transactions. Additionally, you can monitor partial responses to pinpoint where leads are dropping off and make necessary improvements.
As discussed above, creating effective client intake forms goes beyond just collecting data; it's about ensuring a smooth and positive client experience right from the start. Remember, first impressions matter! By following design best practices, asking the right questions, and using a form builder tool, you can build effective forms that set the stage for long-term success.
