Using a global form vs dedicated forms when embedded on external web page?

[Nyota_Peek1]

Would love to hear how other Marketo users are managing forms and tracking sourcing when hosting a Marketo form on a non-Marketo Landing page. Are you using a single form or are you using separate forms for each form request?

For example, when using Marketo landing pages, there's the flexibility to use a single form to represent let's say any and all content downloads. It's the dedicated landing page that is driving the tracking back to the type and name of the collateral download.

If the element of moving the landing page to a non-marketo landing page, can this setup still be managed using a single form or is it best practices when using an embedded form on a non-Marketo landing page, there should be a separate form for each download item?

[SanfordWhiteman]

...is it best practices when using an embedded form on a non-Marketo landing page, there should be a separate form for each download item?

It's really never a best practice to use separate forms, whether your forms are embedded on 3rd-party sites or not.

The sole exception (and even there it's shaky) it when you're cloning programs with local forms inside. But even that is a maintainability nightmare if multiple still-active programs need to have their forms modified.

When using embedded forms, you can detect the related content in multiple ways:

• in a trigger campaign, use the Referrer constraint, which is the URL that hosts the form
• add document.location.href to the form as a hidden field like LastFormFilloutURL and switch follow-up and/or emailed URLs based on that value
• add the asset URL directly to the form (after all, you have to know it on the 3rd-party site) and redirect to it in the Forms JS onSuccess event

[Nyota_Peek1]

What about concerns with multiple submissions in prospect's session and data values overwriting before Marketo processes the form workflow to send the autoresponder and set the sourcing and/or would the length of the URL string be concerned and if the URL string changes or is appended with parameters would the URL trigger properly?

[SanfordWhiteman]

What about concerns with multiple submissions in prospect's session and data values overwriting before Marketo processes the form workflow to send the autoresponder and

It you use the Referrer constraint, this isn't relevant. If it's a wider concern, you can use a Data Value Changes trigger and you won't miss any overlapping updates.

if the URL string changes or is appended with parameters would the URL trigger properly?

Yes.

[Anonymous]

I'm going the route of embedding Marketo global form code on external landing pages (with munchkin).

Global form is created (add hidden parameters for additional reporting)

Create a global thank-you landing page

Create a global email template with a download button (we'll email content after it has been requested via form)

For every page you embed global Marketo form code, create a program with a campaign (can be templated)

Program name will provide attribution + to contain a token with the content's url (assuming whitepapers or videos)

Call token in the global email (link in "download now" button) on your program level (can do this for content name via text token too)

Campaign will trigger off of "fills out form" and page "contains url" and send global email

Your munchkin code will track the site activity which tells you on which page a form was filled out which then helps set the "contains url" filter

I intend to create separate global templates for different types of content (whitepaper, video, demo requests) so to be able to manage the fields required - I'll need less data for whitepapers than for demo requests. This also allows me to update content links on a program token basis should these digital assets move from wp to aws.

*note - "fills out form" filter takes priority over "change data" flow steps. If someone fills out multiple forms at once, then the content will all reach that individual. The last form completed would be the source of truth data for that person (changes to name multiple times or phone number, for example, during the form fill-outs). Please keep in mind that external landing pages lack prefill capabilities. Honeypot fields can prevent spammers.

[SanfordWhiteman]

Campaign will trigger off of "fills out form" and page "contains url" and send global email

The reason constraining on Referrer is preferred over Web Page for global forms is that the Page will not include the query string, which may be critical for tracking the source (resource locator pages that use the query string to determine core content, for example).

[Dana_O_Connor]

In regards to this suggestion:

When using embedded forms, you can detect the related content in multiple ways:

• in a trigger campaign, use the Referrer constraint, which is the URL that hosts the form

Does the Referrer have to be the full URL where they page lives or just the top level.  For example, if the global form lives on www.filloutform.com/form1, does the referrer have to contain the /form1 or can it just be www.filloutform.com?  I am asking this in reference to a form that is used on multiple pages of a singular website but the form has the same function through out the website.  Thanks.

[SanfordWhiteman]

You can search the Referrer any way you want, including just the hostname.