Web to leads are a wonderful tool – right from your blog/website, you can collect information from your visitors, and begin to nurture a relationship with them. But one of the pains many people have is the fact that Country is a text field. I think of our friends from the south, and I realize why this could be such a pain. Dependant on what someone felt like typing, they could see a Country listed as:
- USA
- US of A
- U.S.A
- United States of America
- The United States
- US
And I am sure I could write about twelve more. But you get the point. There is no control of what they enter. So all those nice validation rules, assignment rules, territory management configuration which could possibly use static Country information (such as 2-letter ISO Code) are rendered useless.
So, how can you save yourself time and effort in data quality coming in? A simple change in your Web to Lead form can do this. We’ll use the Country field as an example. After you generate the HTML from salesforce.com, your line which will collect information for the Country field is
<label for=”country”>Country</label><input id=”country” maxlength=”40″ name=”country” size=”20″ type=”text” />
As you see, it has a maximum size of 40 characters, and is a free form text field. Now, to set this as a picklist, you need to know the data you wish to have your visitors choose from, and then set up the Country portion to look as follows (note: we are Canadian – thus Canada, and the US are at the top. This can be easily changed to allow you whatever Countries you would like to have right at the top):
<label for="country">Country</label>select id="country" name="country" title="Country"> <option val<option value="">--None--</option> <option value="CA" >CANADA</option> <option value="US" >UNITED STATES</option> <option value="">-----------------------------</option>
<option value="AF" >AFGHANISTAN</option> <option value="AL" >ALBANIA</option> <option value="DZ" >ALGERIA</option> <option value="AS" >AMERICAN SAMOA</option> <option value="AD" >ANDORRA</option> <option value="AO" >ANGOLA</option> <option value="AI" >ANGUILLA</option> <option value="AQ" >ANTARCTICA</option> <option value="AG" >ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA</option> <option value="AR" >ARGENTINA</option> <option value="AM" >ARMENIA</option> <option value="AW" >ARUBA</option> <option value="AU" >AUSTRALIA</option> <option value="AT" >AUSTRIA</option> <option value="AZ" >AZERBAIJAN</option> <option value="BS" >BAHAMAS</option> <option value="BH" >BAHRAIN</option> <option value="BD" >BANGLADESH</option> <option value="BB" >BARBADOS</option> <option value="BY" >BELARUS</option> <option value="BE" >BELGIUM</option> <option value="BZ" >BELIZE</option> <option value="BJ" >BENIN</option> <option value="BM" >BERMUDA</option> <option value="BT" >BHUTAN</option> <option value="BO" >BOLIVIA</option> <option value="BA" >BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA</option> <option value="BW" >BOTSWANA</option> <option value="BV" >BOUVET ISLAND</option> <option value="BR" >BRAZIL</option> <option value="IO" >BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY</option> <option value="BN" >BRUNEI DARUSSALAM</option> <option value="BG" >BULGARIA</option> <option value="BF" >BURKINA FASO</option> <option value="BI" >BURUNDI</option> <option value="KH" >CAMBODIA</option> <option value="CM" >CAMEROON</option> <option value="CV" >CAPE VERDE</option> <option value="KY" >CAYMAN ISLANDS</option> <option value="CF" >CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC</option> <option value="TD" >CHAD</option> <option value="CL" >CHILE</option> <option value="CN" >CHINA</option> <option value="CX" >CHRISTMAS ISLAND</option> <option value="CC" >COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDS</option> <option value="CO" >COLOMBIA</option> <option value="KM" >COMOROS</option> <option value="CG" >CONGO</option> <option value="CD" >CONGO, THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE</option> <option value="CK" >COOK ISLANDS</option> <option value="CR" >COSTA RICA</option> <option value="CI" >COTE D'IVOIRE</option> <option value="HR" >CROATIA</option> <option value="CU" >CUBA</option> <option value="CY" >CYPRUS</option> <option value="CZ" >CZECH REPUBLIC</option> <option value="DK" >DENMARK</option> <option value="DJ" >DJIBOUTI</option> <option value="DM" >DOMINICA</option> <option value="DO" >DOMINICAN REPUBLIC</option> <option value="EC" >ECUADOR</option> <option value="EG" >EGYPT</option> <option value="SV" >EL SALVADOR</option> <option value="GQ" >EQUATORIAL GUINEA</option> <option value="ER" >ERITREA</option> <option value="EE" >ESTONIA</option> <option value="ET" >ETHIOPIA</option> <option value="FK" >FALKLAND ISLANDS (MALVINAS)</option> <option value="FO" >FAROE ISLANDS</option> <option value="FJ" >FIJI</option> <option value="FI" >FINLAND</option> <option value="FR" >FRANCE</option> <option value="GF" >FRENCH GUIANA</option> <option value="PF" >FRENCH POLYNESIA</option> <option value="TF" >FRENCH SOUTHERN TERRITORIES</option> <option value="GA" >GABON</option> <option value="GM" >GAMBIA</option> <option value="GE" >GEORGIA</option> <option value="DE" >GERMANY</option> <option value="GH" >GHANA</option> <option value="GI" >GIBRALTAR</option> <option value="GR" >GREECE</option> <option value="GL" >GREENLAND</option> <option value="GD" >GRENADA</option> <option value="GP" >GUADELOUPE</option> <option value="GU" >GUAM</option> <option value="GT" >GUATEMALA</option> <option value="GN" >GUINEA</option> <option value="GW" >GUINEA-BISSAU</option> <option value="GY" >GUYANA</option> <option value="HT" >HAITI</option> <option value="HM" >HEARD ISLAND AND MCDONALD ISLANDS</option> <option value="VA" >HOLY SEE (VATICAN CITY STATE)</option> <option value="HN" >HONDURAS</option> <option value="HK" >HONG KONG</option> <option value="HU" >HUNGARY</option> <option value="IS" >ICELAND</option> <option value="IN" >INDIA</option> <option value="ID" >INDONESIA</option> <option value="IR" >IRAN, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF</option> <option value="IQ" >IRAQ</option> <option value="IE" >IRELAND</option> <option value="IL" >ISRAEL</option> <option value="IT" >ITALY</option> <option value="JM" >JAMAICA</option> <option value="JP" >JAPAN</option> <option value="JO" >JORDAN</option> <option value="KZ" >KAZAKHSTAN</option> <option value="KE" >KENYA</option> <option value="KI" >KIRIBATI</option> <option value="KP" >KOREA, DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF</option> <option value="KR" >KOREA, REPUBLIC OF</option> <option value="KW" >KUWAIT</option> <option value="KG" >KYRGYZSTAN</option> <option value="LA" >LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC</option> <option value="LV" >LATVIA</option> <option value="LB" >LEBANON</option> <option value="LS" >LESOTHO</option> <option value="LR" >LIBERIA</option> <option value="LY" >LIBYAN ARAB JAMAHIRIYA</option> <option value="LI" >LIECHTENSTEIN</option> <option value="LT" >LITHUANIA</option> <option value="LU" >LUXEMBOURG</option> <option value="MO" >MACAO</option> <option value="MK" >MACEDONIA, THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF</option> <option value="MG" >MADAGASCAR</option> <option value="MW" >MALAWI</option> <option value="MY" >MALAYSIA</option> <option value="MV" >MALDIVES</option> <option value="ML" >MALI</option> <option value="MT" >MALTA</option> <option value="MH" >MARSHALL ISLANDS</option> <option value="MQ" >MARTINIQUE</option> <option value="MR" >MAURITANIA</option> <option value="MU" >MAURITIUS</option> <option value="YT" >MAYOTTE</option> <option value="MX" >MEXICO</option> <option value="FM" >MICRONESIA, FEDERATED STATES OF</option> <option value="MD" >MOLDOVA, REPUBLIC OF</option> <option value="MC" >MONACO</option> <option value="MN" >MONGOLIA</option> <option value="MS" >MONTSERRAT</option> <option value="MA" >MOROCCO</option> <option value="MZ" >MOZAMBIQUE</option> <option value="MM" >MYANMAR</option> <option value="NA" >NAMIBIA</option> <option value="NR" >NAURU</option> <option value="NP" >NEPAL</option> <option value="NL" >NETHERLANDS</option> <option value="AN" >NETHERLANDS ANTILLES</option> <option value="NC" >NEW CALEDONIA</option> <option value="NZ" >NEW ZEALAND</option> <option value="NI" >NICARAGUA</option> <option value="NE" >NIGER</option> <option value="NG" >NIGERIA</option> <option value="NU" >NIUE</option> <option value="NF" >NORFOLK ISLAND</option> <option value="MP" >NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS</option> <option value="NO" >NORWAY</option> <option value="OM" >OMAN</option> <option value="PK" >PAKISTAN</option> <option value="PW" >PALAU</option> <option value="PS" >PALESTINIAN TERRITORY, OCCUPIED</option> <option value="PA" >PANAMA</option> <option value="PG" >PAPUA NEW GUINEA</option> <option value="PY" >PARAGUAY</option> <option value="PE" >PERU</option> <option value="PH" >PHILIPPINES</option> <option value="PN" >PITCAIRN</option> <option value="PL" >POLAND</option> <option value="PT" >PORTUGAL</option> <option value="PR" >PUERTO RICO</option> <option value="QA" >QATAR</option> <option value="RE" >REUNION</option> <option value="RO" >ROMANIA</option> <option value="RU" >RUSSIAN FEDERATION</option> <option value="RW" >RWANDA</option> <option value="SH" >SAINT HELENA</option> <option value="KN" >SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS</option> <option value="LC" >SAINT LUCIA</option> <option value="PM" >SAINT PIERRE AND MIQUELON</option> <option value="VC" >SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES</option> <option value="WS" >SAMOA</option> <option value="SM" >SAN MARINO</option> <option value="ST" >SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE</option> <option value="SA" >SAUDI ARABIA</option> <option value="SN" >SENEGAL</option> <option value="CS" >SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO</option> <option value="SC" >SEYCHELLES</option> <option value="SL" >SIERRA LEONE</option> <option value="SG" >SINGAPORE</option> <option value="SK" >SLOVAKIA</option> <option value="SI" >SLOVENIA</option> <option value="SB" >SOLOMON ISLANDS</option> <option value="SO" >SOMALIA</option> <option value="ZA" >SOUTH AFRICA</option> <option value="GS" >SOUTH GEORGIA AND THE SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS</option> <option value="ES" >SPAIN</option> <option value="LK" >SRI LANKA</option> <option value="SD" >SUDAN</option> <option value="SR" >SURINAME</option> <option value="SJ" >SVALBARD AND JAN MAYEN</option> <option value="SZ" >SWAZILAND</option> <option value="SE" >SWEDEN</option> <option value="CH" >SWITZERLAND</option> <option value="SY" >SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC</option> <option value="TW" >TAIWAN, PROVINCE OF CHINA</option> <option value="TJ" >TAJIKISTAN</option> <option value="TZ" >TANZANIA, UNITED REPUBLIC OF</option> <option value="TH" >THAILAND</option> <option value="TL" >TIMOR-LESTE</option> <option value="TG" >TOGO</option> <option value="TK" >TOKELAU</option> <option value="TO" >TONGA</option> <option value="TT" >TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO</option> <option value="TN" >TUNISIA</option> <option value="TR" >TURKEY</option> <option value="TM" >TURKMENISTAN</option> <option value="TC" >TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS</option> <option value="TV" >TUVALU</option> <option value="UG" >UGANDA</option> <option value="UA" >UKRAINE</option> <option value="AE" >UNITED ARAB EMIRATES</option> <option value="GB" >UNITED KINGDOM</option> <option value="UM" >UNITED STATES MINOR OUTLYING ISLANDS</option> <option value="UY" >URUGUAY</option> <option value="UZ" >UZBEKISTAN</option> <option value="VU" >VANUATU</option> <option value="VE" >VENEZUELA</option> <option value="VN" >VIET NAM</option> <option value="VG" >VIRGIN ISLANDS, BRITISH</option> <option value="VI" >VIRGIN ISLANDS, U.S.</option> <option value="WF" >WALLIS AND FUTUNA</option> <option value="EH" >WESTERN SAHARA</option> <option value="YE" >YEMEN</option> <option value="ZM" >ZAMBIA</option> <option value="ZW" >ZIMBABWE</option> </select></td>
Now, the above uses Countries (which seems to be a large area of possible difference) – however, this could be used for many fields which are not set as picklists natively through salesforce.com, such as Number of Employees, Annual Revenue or State/Province.
Hope this helps!
Nik