Getting visitors to your website is hard work. But getting them to fill out your form can feel impossible.
If your form isn’t converting, you’re not alone. Most lead gen forms ask too many questions, look boring, or are just painful to build.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to build a lead gen form that actually converts without writing a single line of code.
I’ll use Tally, the free and easy form builder I created after years of struggling with expensive, overcomplicated tools as a marketing manager.
Why Most Lead Gen Forms Don’t Convert
A lot of forms miss the mark for the same reasons. They ask for too much information before offering any value. They look unbranded and generic. They aren’t optimized for mobile users. Or they’re completely disconnected from your other tools, which means you end up copying data manually.
If you’ve been there, you know how frustrating it is to spend time and money on traffic, only to see visitors drop off when they hit your form. The good news is that fixing this doesn’t have to be complicated. You just need the right setup.
Step 1: Create Your Form and Add the Basics
Start by opening Tally.so and creating a new form. Give it a clear and direct name, like “Request a Demo” or “Get in Touch.”
Now add the basic questions you absolutely need, such as First Name, Last Name, and Email Address. Keep it short. The fewer fields you ask people to fill in, the higher your chances of getting a response. Each question should have a purpose. If it doesn’t help you qualify or follow up with a lead, it probably doesn’t belong in the form.
Step 2: Ask Smart Questions to Qualify Your Leads
Before your main contact fields, it’s a good idea to add one or two qualifying questions. These help you understand who’s filling out your form without adding friction.
You could ask about company size, budget range, or the service the person is most interested in. Keep the tone light and conversational. The goal isn’t to interrogate the visitor but to learn just enough to send them relevant follow-up.
Tally makes this even easier with conditional logic. That means you can personalize the form based on each person’s answers. For example, if someone selects “Enterprise,” you can show extra fields that only apply to larger companies. If they select “Freelancer,” you can skip those questions entirely. The result is a faster, friendlier experience that feels personal.
Step 3: Make It Look Like Part of Your Brand
Nobody likes filling out forms that look like they were copied from somewhere else. Your lead gen form should feel like part of your brand.
In Tally, you can easily add your logo, choose your brand colors, and adjust fonts to match your website. You can even upload a background image or banner.
A branded form creates trust. It reassures visitors that they’re in the right place and helps you stand out from competitors who use the same bland templates.
Step 4: Publish and Share Your Form
Once your form looks good, it’s time to share it.
You can publish it as a standalone page with its own URL, embed it directly into your website, or trigger it as a pop-up on specific pages such as your pricing or blog.
No coding required. Just copy and paste.
After you publish, check your built-in Form Analytics. You’ll see how many people viewed your form, how many completed it, and where they dropped off. This data gives you a clear idea of what’s working and what might need tweaking.
Step 5: Manage and Automate Your Leads
Your form is live and leads are coming in. Now what?
Head to the Responses tab in Tally. There you’ll see every submission neatly organized with names, emails, and answers to your questions. You can filter or search through your results, or export them if you prefer working in a spreadsheet.
But the real magic happens when you connect Tally to your favorite tools. You can send new leads automatically to Google Sheets, Airtable, or your CRM. You can create automations in Zapier or Make to notify your team in Slack, add leads to an email sequence, or even book meetings automatically.
This means your form doesn’t just collect data; it starts a process that runs on its own.
Step 6: Keep Testing and Improving
Even a great lead gen form can be better. Keep an eye on your analytics and experiment with small changes.
Try asking fewer questions or reordering them so the easiest ones come first. Play around with button text. A small change like replacing “Submit” with “Get My Demo” can make a difference. Always make sure your form looks perfect on mobile, since that’s where most people fill it out.
Think of your form as a living part of your website. Review it regularly, and you’ll keep improving your results over time.
Start Building Your Own Lead Gen Form
That’s it. You now know how to build a high-converting lead gen form that captures, qualifies, and routes your leads automatically. No code. No expensive software. No limits.
Tally gives you everything you need to create forms that look great and perform even better.
You can get started for free today.
👉 Build your lead gen form: https://tally.so
FAQ: Building Lead Gen Forms
What is a lead gen form?
A lead gen form is a simple way to collect contact details from people who are interested in your product or service. It usually lives on your website or landing page and asks for basic information like name, email, and company.
The goal of a lead gen form is to turn anonymous visitors into real leads you can follow up with later. Think of it as the handshake that starts the relationship between you and your future customer.
How to create a lead generation form?
Creating a lead gen form doesn’t have to be technical or time-consuming. Here’s how you can do it:
- Choose your form builder. Pick an easy tool like Tally.so that lets you create forms without code.
- Start with the basics. Add fields for name, email, and company.
- Ask a few smart questions. Keep them short and relevant to qualify leads.
- Customize your design. Add your logo, colors, and fonts so your form matches your brand.
- Publish your form. Embed it on your website, share it as a link, or use it as a pop-up.
- Connect your tools. Send new leads automatically to Google Sheets, Airtable, or your CRM.
The entire process takes just a few minutes in Tally, and you can build unlimited forms for free.
What is the best tool to use for creating lead forms?
If you want a tool that’s powerful yet incredibly simple, Tally is one of the best choices.
Tally lets you create unlimited forms for free and gives you features that most other tools lock behind a paywall. You can add conditional logic, apply your own branding, connect to tools like Zapier and Slack, and track analytics without writing code.
It’s built for marketers, founders, and creators who want to collect leads quickly and look professional doing it.
What are the different types of lead forms?
There’s no one-size-fits-all lead form. The right type depends on your business goals and where your visitors are in the customer journey.
Here are a few common examples:
- Contact forms – for general inquiries or demo requests.
- Newsletter sign-up forms – to build an email audience.
- Free trial or demo request forms – for SaaS or product-led businesses.
- Download forms – to share an ebook, guide, or checklist in exchange for an email.
- Event registration forms – to collect RSVPs or webinar sign-ups.
You can create all of these easily in Tally and customize them to fit your brand and tone.
How to generate leads step by step?
Lead generation is a simple process when you break it down. Here’s how to do it:
- Attract traffic. Bring people to your website through content, SEO, ads, or social media.
- Create a valuable offer. This could be a demo, a free trial, or a piece of downloadable content.
- Build your lead gen form. Make it short, friendly, and relevant to your offer.
- Publish and promote it. Share your form on your homepage, in your blog posts, or through ads.
- Follow up quickly. Once someone fills out your form, contact them or send an automated email.
- Track and improve. Use form analytics to see what’s working and make small adjustments.
With the right setup, your lead generation system can run almost automatically.
What are lead generation tools?
Lead generation tools are software that help you attract and capture potential customers. They can help you build forms, track performance, manage data, or automate your outreach.
Some tools focus on specific stages of the funnel. For example, Tally helps you capture leads with easy forms. Tools like HubSpot or Pipedrive help you nurture and manage those leads later.
A good lead generation stack usually includes:
- A form builder (like Tally)
- A CRM to store your leads
- An email or marketing automation platform
- Analytics to measure results
Start simple. You can always expand as you grow.
How to create a lead in CRM?
Once you’ve collected a submission through your form, you’ll want that information in your CRM so your sales team can follow up.
If you use Tally, this step can happen automatically. Just connect your form to your CRM through integrations like Zapier, Make, or a direct connection if your CRM supports it.
Every time someone fills out your form, Tally will send their details to your CRM, where a new lead record is created. From there, you can assign it to a salesperson, send a personalized email, or move it through your pipeline.
No more copying and pasting between tools. It’s all automated.