Today we are going to talk about Landing pages and how to prevent our potential customers from clicking on the X button.
As an experienced marketer, you know how much landing pages matter. The ad makes a promise, and the landing page has to deliver on it. That is how you get the one thing every campaign is chasing: a conversion.
A lot of things in the digital marketing world have a close connection with psychology. And that's why, in this blog, we are going to talk about The Breadcrumb Technique.
Let's start by painting this picture.
The clock strikes at 5 pm, and we go home.
We turn on our computers, and then we become someone's potential clients.
We become somebody's target audience. They want OUR click. (or if you do it at work, it's ok too, we don't judge).
And we see something we really, really want and we REALLY, REALLY deserve.
We are so ready to get it, but a big red alarm in our paranoid head goes on when we see the form fields with words like Name, Email and Phone number on it.
Wait. What?
We have all seen the privacy headlines, and plenty of us put a piece of tape over the laptop camera. We are wary about handing personal details to anyone, so the alarm keeps going.
That's why we need the Breadcrumb Technique.
The short version
- The breadcrumb technique is a landing-page tactic that lifts form conversions by asking for commitment in small steps, not all at once.
- It works on the Yes Ladder principle: a few easy yeses make the big yes far more likely.
- Counter to "less is more", you add more fields, but you order them so the first question is easy and non-personal.
- Get the micro-conversion first, build a little trust, then ask for name, email and phone once the visitor is already committed.
- It pays off most on big asks like a consultation or a quote, and less on small asks like an ebook download.
What's the Breadcrumb Technique?
A lot of blogs and digital marketing experts suggest that you should take away as many forms, and leave only the one that you need, but this technique throws the 'Less is more' approach right out of the window and we are going to prove it to you in words and pictures.
In a few words, The Breadcrumb Technique is a landing page tactic proven to improve conversion rates. That is where psychology kicks in. It's The Psychology of Persuasion 101 and the modern application of a method called Yes Ladder. Just imagine yourself reading, for example:
Are you constantly tired and feeling overwhelmed with everyday chores? YES
Do you think you deserve a day just for yourself? OH, GOD YES
Don't you think that day should last for ten days somewhere near an ocean? YES, SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY
This is just a simple explanation of how persuasion (or a Yes Ladder) works.
Somebody identified with you. Somebody recognized your need. Somebody understood you.
And now you are more open to hear their pitch. They see you, and they hear you, so why wouldn't you listen to what they have to offer.
And that is precisely how the Breadcrumb Technique works. You have to work your way up if you're going to convert effectively.
How does the breadcrumb technique work on landing pages?
Let's start by explaining why 'Less is more' is out of the window.
Well, when you try to generate leads, trials, or demos and you keep taking fields away, you're left with the fields that visitors find the most intimidating (Name, Email and Phone Number) and you turn the alarm on.
That way, you're robbing them of their most precious thing- anonymity.
So, what you need to do is the exact opposite of 'Less is more', and that is to add more fields and more steps.
But of course, there is more to it. It is extremely important what is the order of your fields and steps.
You need to get the visitor to micro-convert on a step with questions that don't seem threating to him, preferably with as little "work" as possible. Once he does that, he is committed to your conversion path.
That why in this technique, you have to get your creative juices flowing. You have to get to that holy grail (the conversion) by getting visitors to say yes to a much smaller request first.
All you need to do is nail the first question. It can be the same questions you ask to qualify a lead. Or you might consider asking questions that make visitors believe that the answers they're going to give you are essential for what you give them, even if the information isn't relevant to your sales process. If you manage to do all that, your relationship begins, and you start building trust.
The first question is supposed to allow them to stay anonymous.
On our website, Diligent.biz, we offer a free proposal for our potential clients. By going through more than 40 dimensions in their PPC account, Google Analytics, and Funnel, we bring them ideas on how to maximize their profitability.
But we can't do that if people don't leave us their information. So we applied the Breadcrumb Technique like this.
Start building trust by first asking non-personal questions
We talked about asking the same question you ask to qualify a lead.
That is precisely what we are doing here in this example.
We ask 'What are your goals' and depending on their answer (is it to get more conversions or lower cost per conversion) we already know what we are dealing with and we save time for our salesperson who would ask them that same question later on, anyway.
They can concentrate on other important things while they are preparing for the meeting with our new potential client. There is no second chance for a first impression!
Also, you get more quality leads, because only the people who know exactly what they need can give you the answer to these kinds of questions. It prevents unwanted clicks.
Then comes the second one. Here you can ask them for a more personal, but reasonable information.
Then you can continue with asking a slightly personal information
By creating a relationship with your potential customers, you reduce the chance of the alarm turning on when you eventually ask them for their personal information.
By now, you've already gained trust of your visitor and they are likely to leave their private information
When does the Breadcrumb Technique work best?
Not every type of landing page performs well with The Breadcrumb Technique.
This technique works a lot better if you're asking for someone to request a free consultation or get a quote because that is a big ask. It's much more important to build a relationship and trust with your potential clients when you ask them for something big.
If you are, for example, promoting a free eBook and asking them to download it, which is a small ask, then this technique won't work quite as well.
What have we learned about the Breadcrumb Technique?
Let me just point out what we learned today, that can help you improve your conversion rate by using the Breadcrumb Technique.
- This technique is a modern version of a Yes Ladder approach.
- It works well because people are very cautious when it comes to giving their private information.
- It's based on getting visitors to say yes to a smaller request first.
- The order of your fields and steps can make it or break it.
- It's proven to work best if you ask them for something 'big'.
If you think about it, we all use that technique in our everyday lives.
Don't you remember when you were little, and you wanted to spend the night at your friend's house, you would first ask your mom if you can go there for an hour or two?
And then when she says yes, or maybe once you are already there, you ask her if you can stay for a sleepover.
Now you see why at the beginning, we said it's The Psychology of Persuasion 101!
You have to remember that on the other side of the computer is a person, not only 'one more conversion'.
That's why it's important to start a conversation, build trust, respect the value of their privacy, and guide them forward.
Now it is your turn to test the breadcrumb strategy on your own forms. It works across very different industries, and we would love to hear how it does on yours.
For more on designing pages that convert, read our take on conversion rate optimization and intuitive UX. And if you want a second pair of eyes on your funnel, that is what our conversion rate optimization service is for.
Frequently asked questions
What is the breadcrumb technique? A landing-page tactic that lifts form conversions by breaking the ask into small steps rather than one intimidating form. It applies the Yes Ladder from the psychology of persuasion: get a few easy yeses first, and the visitor is far more likely to give you the big one.
How does the breadcrumb technique work? You open with an easy, non-personal question that earns a micro-conversion and a sense of commitment. Only after that, once a little trust is built, do you ask for personal details like name, email and phone. The order of the fields is what makes or breaks it.
Does adding more form fields increase conversions? Counterintuitively, yes, when they are ordered well. Stripping a form down to only name, email and phone leaves the visitor facing the most intimidating fields first, which trips the alarm. Adding an easy first step lowers the resistance.
When does the breadcrumb technique work best? On big asks, like requesting a free consultation or a quote, where trust matters before someone commits. It works less well on small asks such as downloading a free ebook, where a short form is fine.
What is a Yes Ladder? A persuasion principle where each small yes makes the next, larger yes easier to give. The breadcrumb technique is the Yes Ladder applied to landing-page forms.
