At the core of every website conversion, is web forms. Web forms convert users into a subscriber, lead, and customers eventually.
But the challenge is this: How can you make users fill in those forms?
Note that even a well-optimized landing page or site will still suffer if the web forms are poorly designed. Thus, it’s crucial that you also optimize your web forms.
Web form optimization involves reducing any “form friction,” making it more intuitive.
In this post, we’ll share with you an eight-step guide on how to optimize website forms to gain more leads.
Use the correct layout
Having the right form layout is essential. Here are some facts you need to know according to an eye-tracking study by Google:
- Your input fields size should be directly proportional to the predicted range of the answers. Let’s say, most users have eight or fewer letters on their first name. Therefore, you shouldn’t make the input field at least 20 characters long.
- For easy reference, the field levels should be put on top of the corresponding input fields.
- Ideally, there should only be one row per question. It shouldn’t be divided into multiple columns.
All of these points matter. Not only that they make your audience comfortable, but it also avoids necessary confusion.
Minimize the number of fields
When it comes to designing web forms, adopt the mindset, “less is more.”
In a study by Hubspot, forms with only three fields have the highest conversions. Taking off other unnecessary fields gives you an easy-to-use form that converts.
Note that users will only be compelled to fill up a form if the value that is offered is greater than the effort required to complete it. But also take note that if you’re giving a high-value resource, you can ask the user for additional questions.
If you want to have a successful web form, the best route is probably to adopt a minimalist approach.
Mark all required fields
If you’re critical on how long will your web form be, know which information is a must-have and which ones are a nice-to-have.
Required fields are usually represented with an asterisk (*). On the other hand, optional fields don’t have an asterisk. So, on your forms, define which ones of the fields are required, as well as the optional ones.
As much as you can, don’t use optional web forms. If you couldn’t avoid it, then state clearly which one of the form fields are optional.
A lot of times, users will be frustrated if they still need to distinguish which ones are optional and which ones are mandatory. Why? Because it takes time.
Offer rewards
More often than not, users will fill and submit forms if they think that they’re getting something valuable in return.
This value could be anything ‒ from product purchase, accessing a specific tool, or a content that’s helpful to them.
If you’re not getting as many conversions, then most likely, you’re not offering users enough value.
So, to make your offer even more enticing, you can put additional (or better) rewards after they complete a form.
For instance, if your newsletters feature “exclusive offers” or the “latest industry news” is not enough for users to sign up, giving them a free discount coupon will probably encourage them to sign up.
Eliminate captchas
Research has found out that CAPTCHAs, boxes used to determine if users are human, can significantly decrease conversions to up to 30 percent. That’s because asking them to unscramble some letters creates a lot of frustration and user friction on their part.
So, if you’re quite concerned about spambots, you can utilize a honeypot instead.
Spambots tend to fill in hidden fields (due to honeypot CSS or JavaScript) that a human cannot see. Thus, the honeypot can block their submission.
It’s an excellent way to reduce spam and optimize the whole user experience.
Position your form above the fold
On your landing page, your form should be above the fold.
What does it mean? Well, users won’t have to scroll down the page to see the entire form. Otherwise, users will look at your website page, completely unaware of what the next step is or how to get the offer.
Incorporate a call-to-action
In the final stages, you need to encourage visitors to take the final step and fill in the entire form by including a call-to-action (CTA) on top of the form.
If you’re not sure what to say in this part, here are a couple of examples:
- Offer: Sign up for…, Get your free…, Claim your [offer] now, download the [offer]!
- Webinar or Event: Register at …, Save your seat at …
Promote the form during peak times
Targeting the right audience to fill up your forms is a great way to boost your conversion rates. That’s why it’s increasingly important to target users at times when they’re most likely to convert.
You can promote your web forms using a variety of tools like blogs, social media, emails, online ads, and so on. It’s also an excellent idea to study your previous campaigns.
Take note when you gained the highest number of conversions. Those peak times can either be specific days of the week or hours in a day.
Over to You
As posted on Sytian Productions (Outsource Web Design Philippines), “Owning a website is a worthy investment, but if you do not know how to make the most out of your investment, you will not get any profit from it.”
The reality is, nobody wants to complete web forms just for the sake of it. But surprisingly, a lot of users fill them up to access to something that gives them significant value.
In fact, according to a survey, 34 percent of people fill in one or two web forms every week.
That’s why your business is sure to benefit from it if you offer web forms that are effortless.
Aiming for an intuitive web form experience is sure to boost your conversion rate. So, why not try out these methods and create variations for your website forms?