The Learning Lab

May 07, 2024 Marketing, UI/UX Design, Web Development

Turn Your Website Forms Into Conversion Champions

Have you ever gotten stuck filling out a super long form online? It's not a pleasant experience. That's why it's crucial to make your website forms quick and easy to use. The more user-friendly they are, the more likely people are to complete them, leading to higher conversion rates. Here are 10 tips to turn your forms into conversion champions.

1. Minimize the Number of Fields

Nobody likes a long-winded form. Only ask for the information you absolutely need. The shorter the form, the faster people can fill it out.

2. Use Clear and Concise Labels

Make sure your labels are clear and easy to understand. Put them right next to the corresponding field, so people know exactly what to type in.

3. Group Related Fields

Organize your form like a good grocery store – group similar things together. Put contact info in one section and payment info in another. This makes it easier for people to navigate the form.

Image of a form that organizes related fields into groups

4. Implement Field Validation

Nobody's perfect! Use field validation to help people catch typos as they type. This can be something simple like making sure an email address has an "@" symbol. Field validation helps prevent errors and improve data quality.

Demonstration of an email address being validated while the user types

5. Provide Helpful Error Messages

When users make mistakes, provide clear and helpful error messages. These messages should explain the problem and how to fix it. Avoid generic messages like "Error" and instead use specific ones like "Please enter a valid email address."

6. Use Placeholder Text Wisely

Placeholder text can be a helpful hint for users, but don't rely on it too much. It disappears when they start typing, so use it for extra guidance, not as a replacement for clear labels.

Demonstration of a password field with placeholder text that disappears as the user types

7. Enable Autocomplete

Autocomplete saves users time by suggesting previously entered information. For example, when entering an address, autocomplete can fill in the city and state based on the ZIP code. Enabling autocomplete improves the user experience and speeds up form completion.

Demonstration of a form allowing browser autocomplete

8. Show What You Need

Use conditional logic to make your form even more user-friendly. This hides or shows questions based on what someone answers earlier. For example, if a user selects "Yes" to owning a pet, additional fields about the pet's type and name can appear.

Demonstration of a field appearing conditionally when the user answers a previous question

9. Make Forms Mobile-Friendly

More and more people are using their phones to browse the web. Make sure your forms work well on all screen sizes. Use clear buttons and big enough fields for easy tapping.

10. Test, Test, Test

Just like a recipe, sometimes you need to tweak things to get the best results. Try out different versions of your form and see which one gets the most completions. This is called A/B testing, and it's a great way to make your forms super effective.

Conclusion

Optimizing web forms for conversion is vital for businesses looking to improve user experience and increase conversion rates. By applying techniques like minimizing fields, using clear labels, and implementing field validation, digital marketing professionals and web developers can create user-friendly forms that encourage conversions.