How can I add friction to my ad to ensure higher intent from potential customers?

The short answer is that you can add friction to your ad by requiring users to provide more information through additional questions before submitting, rather than allowing the ad to automatically fill in their details. This extra step means that users invest more time and effort, which reflects a stronger intent to follow through with your service.

Full Explanation

Adding friction to your ad means deliberately increasing the effort a potential customer must invest to complete the action. Instead of simplifying the process by automatically filling in their information when they click the ad, you introduce a few more questions. These added steps ensure that only individuals who are genuinely interested will take the time to respond. The extra commitment required serves as a qualifier, helping you identify leads with true intent to receive the services you offer.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Remove automatic form filling: Do not auto-populate the user’s information when they click on the ad.
Ask additional questions: Incorporate a few more questions in your form that require thoughtful answers.
Increase time commitment: Make the form slightly longer so that users must dedicate more time and effort to complete it.
Filter for higher intent: By doing this, those who complete the form are demonstrating greater motivation and interest in your offering.

Real Examples

While specific examples are not provided here, the principle involves replacing quick, one-click submissions with forms that ask relevant questions about the user’s needs or preferences. This screening process naturally weeds out casual browsers and encourages only committed prospects to proceed.

Common Mistakes

Making the friction too high: Asking too many questions or making the form excessively long can deter even highly interested users.
Automatically filling user data: Automatically filling out forms may decrease the perceived effort, leading to lower intent submissions.
Not aligning questions with service goals: Irrelevant or unnecessary questions can frustrate users instead of qualifying them.

FAQs

Why add friction instead of simplifying the ad? Adding friction helps filter out users who are not genuinely committed, making your leads more valuable.
How many questions should I ask? Just enough to require noticeable effort, without overwhelming the user.
Can adding friction lower overall conversions? Possibly, but it improves the quality and intent of those who do convert.
Does this apply to all ad types? The principle focuses on user effort and intent, so it is generally applicable wherever lead qualification matters.

Key Takeaways

Introducing friction by asking more questions helps identify users with higher intent.
Avoid automatic form autofill to encourage genuine effort from potential customers.
Balance added friction carefully to screen leads without discouraging true prospects.
This strategy ensures your ad attracts motivated users more likely to engage with your services.