9 Tips For Getting A Better Response Rate From Your Online Forms

By Author: Josh Story
Total Articles: 53
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Each website contains an online form that allows a better communication with the site's visitors. You absolutely have to remember your target visitors and know how they think, as a restaurant's website may have a different approach than a construction company.

Here are some very useful things you should have in mind when designing your online forms:

1. Specify the exact information you want. That means you should clearly indicate what each form field requests and clearly indicating whether the field is mandatory. Use a text label or description of each form field above or before the input field.

2. Make user input as simple as possible. Allow your users to tab between input fields from start to finish and to have their data still populated if they have to navigate back to correct any form errors like a missed mandatory field. If your potential customer fills out your form and clicks back after a submission error and their work is gone, so are they. Make sure you make input text boxes long enough for the text to be entered so it's easy to see what was typed.

3. Offer quick options. Radio button selections ...
... or pull down menu items are great time savers. Also, have a different version of your from that is shorter. Just a quick contact form works well. On our own website we use a quick contact form on every page because we realize not everyone wants to fill out the full blown version or our web design form.

4. Avoid long forms. We know attention spans are severely restricted on the Internet. But if your form must be long break the form into smaller web site pages, provide easy navigation for Next, Previous, Submit etc., and provide an indication of where your website visitor is in the process so they can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

5. "Design" Your Form. We are more visual than we think. We can get a feeling for a website more quickly from a layout than from reading directions. Poorly organized forms are perceived as more complex and time consuming. Line everything up to minimize eye movement from the first field down to the submit button. Design your form with all related data (personal, account, services, products, comment areas) together to help the user follow the form intuitively. This also helps the user in minimizing being forced to repeatedly switch between mouse and keyboard input methods.

6. Submit button should stand out. It should be prominent and draw attention. If you need a cancel button it should appear smaller. Preferably, you will want to avoid secondary actions altogether.

7. Highlight fields with errors. Red is a good color to draw the user's attention. Place error explanations beside the relevant field. In line validation is a good technique to utilize when designing website forms because it immediately draws the user to the error. However, it typically requires JavaScript which can present its own issues and be finicky in different web browsers.

8. Use a captcha. We know they may be annoying, as some may not get the right code, but you have to protect yourself against spammers.

9. Let your potential customer know they're all done while thanking them.

Josh Story is the webmaster of Tgwebmedia, which is a Tampa web design firm that provides web design Tampa, as well as search engine optimization and secure hosting for its clients.