Have you generated leads through Cognito Forms but can't trace their source?
Implementing this method will help you easily track your lead sources in Cognito Forms.
You’ll discover which sources contribute most effectively to leads, sales, and revenue generation.
Let’s get into it!
How to track the source of lead in Cognito Forms
1. How LeadSources collects the lead source data
Leadsources simplifies the tracking of lead origins for marketers. Once incorporated in your website, it can capture data from up to 7 sources for each lead generated.
Leadsources use cookies and UTM parameters to monitor visitor details on your website.
It efficiently captures key lead source parameters including channel, source, campaign, keyword, the content they accessed, and the landing page along with the landing page subfolder.
After submitting the form, the lead’s contact details (like email and name) are passed on to Cognito Forms, together with the source data collected by Leadsources (channel, source, etc.).
2. How LeadSources passes the lead source data into Cognito Forms
Complete your setup in 3 simple steps:
- Start using Leadsources.io by registering for free.
- Implement the Leadsources tracking code on your website—follow the guide for assistance.
- Add hidden fields to your Cognito Forms form for tracking lead source data—check this article.
You can now track the origins of your leads with confidence! 🎉
Following form submission in Cognito Forms, Leadsources populates the hidden fields with crucial lead source data:
- Channel
- Source
- Campaign
- Term
- Content
- Landing page
- Landing page subfolder
This data will be reflected in your submission records, along with the lead’s personal information (including name, email, etc.).
This strategy enables the accurate identifying of lead sources for every single lead.
How to analyze the lead source data
What data is tracked in Cognito Forms?
The system enables monitoring of 7 types of information for each lead:
| Lead source data | Definition |
| Channel | LeadSources refers to traffic types by sorting leads into 10 channels: Paid Search, Organic Search, Email Campaigns, Paid Social, Organic Social, Referrals, Direct Traffic, Affiliates, Display Advertising, and Other. |
| Source | Highlights the specific source or platform leading visitors to you. For instance, within "Organic Social," the source could be LinkedIn, Instagram, etc. |
| Campaign | Outlines the name of the specific marketing campaign. For instance, if you’re managing different marketing activities, you can identify the exact campaign responsible for your leads. |
| Term | The keyword that a campaign is targeting. For example, in a Google Ads campaign labeled “Search campaign personal insurance,” LeadSources.io will classify your leads based on targeted keywords like “Personal insurance in Chicago,” “Personal insurance in Denver,” etc. |
| Content | The specific aspect of your advertisement that users engaged with. |
| Landing Page | The specific URL of the landing page where the lead engaged. For example, domain.com/services/personal-insurance-denver. |
| Landing Page Subfolder | The exact subfolder component of the landing page URL. For example, if a user lands on domain.com/services/personal-insurance-denver, the subfolder recorded would be “services.” |
Creating your first performance reports
1. Leads source reports
Cultivate a better understanding of your lead sources by analyzing detailed lead reports that offer actionable data.
Take the first step by determining which channels drive the most leads by classifying them accurately.
After that, shift your attention to one channel, for instance, Organic Search, and categorize your organic leads by particular campaigns to determine which campaign successfully attracts the most leads.
The concluding part of analyzing a particular campaign's performance is to examine the leads based on their keywords and advertising channels in the reports called “Number of leads by keyword” and “Number of leads by advertisement.”
2. Sales source reports
You have identified which advertisements and keywords are effective in generating leads, but does this have a positive impact on your revenue?
By managing your Cognito Forms leads with a CRM, you can isolate the leads that turned into paid customers and develop sales reports based on channel, source, landing page, etc., and if you lack a CRM, check GoHighLevel.
Imagine the following scenario:
| Channels | Search Paid | Social Paid |
| Leads | 50 | 75 |
| Sales | 5 | 6 |
| Average order value | $150 | $100 |
| Revenue | $750 | $600 |
After launching your campaigns on Google and Facebook, the initial "Leads by Channel" analysis showed that Paid Social ads were more successful in generating leads than Paid Search ads.
Following a few weeks of analysis, tracking which leads converted into paying customers demonstrated that the Paid Search channel was more effective at driving revenue, even with a lower number of leads than the Paid Social channel, leading to a decision to increase the investment in the Paid Search strategy.
