Boost Conversions with These Online Form Best Practices
Online forms are a crucial part of any marketing strategy today. Whether it's lead generation forms, contact forms, or ecommerce checkout flows, optimising these touch points is essential for converting site visitors into customers.
Here are some top tips for creating high-converting online forms. After years of testing and optimisation across various industries, marketing experts have discovered best practices for creating online forms that engage users and capture more leads.
Keep It Short and Sweet
Let's start with the basics. Don't make your forms overly long or complex. Every additional field you add creates friction and risks losing users. Prioritise only the essential information you truly need.
The exception is if you can segment your form into multiple shorter sub-steps. Breaking it up makes it feel less intimidating and easier to digest. Just be sure to limit each section to 3-5 key fields.
Autocomplete is Your Friend
Validating and autofilling fields is hugely beneficial. Address validation verifies user entries are real, deliverable addresses. It checks the address against a database to ensure accuracy.
Address autocomplete then intelligently fills in missing postal code, city, county, etc based on the address entered. As users type in the first line of their address, it will populate the complete address.
You can also validate email addresses and phone numbers. This saves users tons of time compared to manually looking up and filling in their details.
Use Smart Fields for Known Users
If a visitor is already logged into your site, take advantage by pre-filling any known information in your forms. Pull their name, email address, mailing address etc. from their user account to streamline the process. Pre-filled fields significantly reduce friction since they don't have to tediously type out data you already have on file. It also builds trust and makes them feel valued as an existing user.
Use Conversational Copy
Your copy should feel like a natural conversation. Every form requires users to take an action, so make call-to-action (CTA) buttons conversational and crystal clear. Avoid robotic "Submit" buttons. Use clear language that feels more human instead, like "Get My Free Guide" or "Join Our Newsletter."
Personalise with Conditional Logic
You can make your forms even more customised and relevant using conditional logic. This allows you to show or hide fields, change messages, or update options based on a user's responses.
For example, if they choose "B2B" as their customer type, you can tailor the questions to focus on business needs. When users feel the form is tailored and responsive to their input, it feels like a personalised conversation rather than a generic form.
Optimise the Mobile Experience
Today, the majority of your visitors will be accessing your forms on mobile devices. That means optimising the mobile experience is non-negotiable. Use large tap targets, thumb-friendly input types, and avoid unnecessary typing whenever possible.
Also ensure your forms are responsive across all screen sizes. Do plenty of testing on actual mobile devices, as the desktop experience won't always translate properly.
Your online forms are essential for converting site visitors into leads and customers. The time invested in optimising each aspect of your forms will pay dividends across your marketing and sales funnel.