Regardless if you are using Referral Rock's Hosted Landing Page or Redirecting to your own website for your referral page, there are some general Referral Page guidelines and principles that we recommend for everyone.
Overview:
The referral page is your best chance to convince new referrals to take action and engage with your business.
This is often the first time prospects are learning about your company. Make sure referrals understand what your company does and why it's relevant to them.
Tips for your Referral Page:
Tip #1: Create a referral specific landing page
The number one mistake that we see companies make when it comes to their referral page is when they send referrals straight to the company's homepage, appointment calendar, demo request form, or e-commerce site.
This can be a jarring and unwelcoming experience for a new lead, who may not be aware of what your business does (or why they should care).
Even if your ultimate referral destination is an existing page on your website, you should first direct referrals to a stopover landing page built for them. This page will include a call to action button directing referrals to your website to complete your desired action.
Tip #2: Use language that is meaningful to the referral
Because you are directing referrals to a landing page built for them, use this opportunity to personalize the page and tailor messaging so that it's positioned for people participating in your referral program.
With the use of merge tags, you can pass the member's name into text on the landing page, personalizing the experience for the referral.
If you are offering a referral incentive (10% your first order!), be sure to make it prominent on the landing page.
Pull in social proof (testimonials, reviews, customer logos) to sell your product/service.
List out benefits for using your product and service. Why should the referral care?
Tip #3: Have a clear & simple call to action
Whether you are asking for referrals to fill out a form, purchase a product or schedule a meeting make sure that your call to action is clear and relevant.
The goal with the referral page is to get that initial conversion. It should be an "easy yes" for the referral to complete.
Forms should be short and simple. Focus on collecting only necessary information at first (such as name and email).
If you do have a more complicated workflow, consider a simple form first and then redirect to a longer form or follow up with an email to collect more information.
Don't ask for too much all at once! The longer and more complicated the capture process, the higher the risk for drop-offs.
Tip #4: Confirm that your referral journey is seamless & cohesive
Test your entire referral process from beginning to end to not only make sure that everything is operating as expected, but to confirm that the referral journey is a seamless experience.
Your share messaging, referral page, conversion process and follow-up should be cohesive, on brand, and follow one story line.
For example: If your share messaging promotes, "Cost savings and ease of use", that same messaging should carry forward through the remainder of the referral's journey.