Section 1
Your Contact Form is Not a Lead System
```Most solar contractor websites have a contact form. It says something like "Get a free quote" — and it sits there, waiting. The problem? Most visitors don't fill it in. They browse, compare, and leave. You never know they were there.
Imagine a hardware store where customers browse the shelves, pick things up, put them down, and walk out — and the owner has no idea who came in, what they looked at, or why they left. That's your website without a lead capture system. A lead magnet turns your website into a store with a loyalty card sign-up at the door.
A contact form asks for commitment upfront — "I'm ready to buy, call me." A lead capture system meets visitors where they are: curious, comparing, not ready to commit yet. It trades something valuable for their email address, and from there, your automated follow-up sequence does the work.
| What you're comparing | Contact Form Only | Lead Capture System |
|---|---|---|
| Who it captures | Ready buyers only (≈3%) | Curious + ready (up to 30%) |
| What visitor gets | Nothing until you respond | Instant value (guide, tool, checklist) |
| Follow-up | Manual — easy to forget | Automated email + SMS sequence |
| Works while you're on-site | No | Yes — 24/7 |
| Builds a list you own | No | Yes — your CRM grows automatically |
Section 2
What Is a Lead Magnet?
```A lead magnet is a free, high-value resource you offer in exchange for a visitor's name and email address. It solves one specific problem for your ideal client — fast. The better it solves that problem, the more people opt in.
For solar contractors, your ideal client is a homeowner or business owner who is thinking about solar but hasn't committed yet. They have questions. They want to know if solar makes financial sense for them. A good lead magnet answers that question immediately.
Free Solar Savings Calculator
Shows the visitor their estimated monthly saving and payback period. High perceived value, highly shareable.
Free Site Assessment
"Find out if your roof qualifies for solar." Books a no-obligation call — warm leads with intent.
Solar Buyer's Checklist
What to look for before choosing a solar installer. Builds trust and positions you as the expert.
"Is Solar Worth It?" Guide
A short PDF breaking down costs, savings, and ROI in plain language. Great for residential clients.
Load Shedding Cost Calculator
Calculates how much load shedding costs the visitor per month. Highly relevant in the South African market.
Free Installation Timeline
"From quote to power on — here's what to expect." Reduces buyer hesitation with clarity.
Your lead magnet must solve one specific problem for one specific person in under 5 minutes. Don't try to cover everything. The more specific it is, the more people will opt in.
Section 3
Set Up Your Opt-In Form in CMART-App
```Now that you know what a lead magnet is and have chosen yours, let's get your opt-in form live inside CMART-App. This is a 5-step process — follow it in order.
Create your lead magnet asset
Before you build the form, you need the actual resource ready to deliver. This can be a PDF (checklist, guide), a Canva document, or a booking link for a free site assessment.
If you're using a PDF: design it in Canva, export it, then upload it to Marketing → Files inside CMART-App. Copy the file URL — you'll use it in your automation.
Build your opt-in form
Inside CMART-App, navigate to:
Keep the form simple — Name + Email is enough. Adding a phone number is optional but increases the friction slightly. For a free resource, Name + Email converts best.
Label your form clearly, e.g. "Solar Savings Calculator Optin" so you can identify it in your automations later.
Add the form to your website or funnel page
Once your form is saved, go to your SMART Website or funnel page. Add a new section and choose the Form element from the page builder. Select your newly created form from the dropdown.
Place the form in a visible location — ideally above the fold or in a dedicated section titled something like "Get Your Free Solar Savings Guide."
Create a simple delivery automation
When someone submits your form, CMART-App needs to automatically send them the resource. Navigate to:
Set your trigger to: Form Submitted → [Your Form Name]
Add an Email action with the subject line: "Here's your free [resource name]" and include the download link (the file URL from Step 1) in the body of the email.
This email sends instantly the moment they opt in — no manual work required from you.
solar-lead-magnet — so you can segment and track everyone who opted in for this specific resource.Test it before going live
Submit your own form using a personal email address. Confirm that:
- The form submits without errors
- The success message appears on the page
- The delivery email arrives in your inbox within 60 seconds
- The download link in the email opens the correct file
- Your test contact appears in the CRM under Contacts
- The tag has been applied correctly to the contact
Section 4
How Your Leads Flow Into the CRM
```Every time someone opts in, CMART-App automatically creates a contact record in your CRM. You don't need to do anything manually. Here's what happens behind the scenes:
The automated lead flow
Visitor submits the opt-in form on your website or funnel page.
Contact is created in your CRM with their name, email, and source tag applied automatically.
Delivery email fires instantly with the free resource and a warm welcome message.
Your nurture sequence begins — follow-up emails and/or SMS go out on a schedule, keeping you top of mind until they're ready to get a quote.
This is the compounding value of a lead capture system. Every opt-in grows your list. Your list is an asset you own — unlike social media followers or paid ad traffic, these contacts are yours regardless of what any platform does.
```Section 5 · Your Action Steps
Your Implementation Checklist
Work through these before moving to the next resource. Tick each item as you complete it.
```0 of 7 completed
- I've chosen my lead magnet (resource, calculator, or free assessment)
- My lead magnet asset is created and ready to share (PDF uploaded or booking link ready)
- I've built my opt-in form inside CMART-App (Sites → Forms)
- I've added the form to my SMART Website or funnel page
- I've created a delivery automation (form trigger → email with resource link)
- I've tested the full flow end-to-end using my own email
- My contact record appeared in the CRM after testing