Are you in the market for a new online form creation tool? Or perhaps you have just implemented one and are now struggling to create forms that are both effective and visually appealing to your contacts. Here are some best practices you may want to follow before and after you implement your online form creator.
Functionality over flash
When looking for an online form creator tool, you want to be sure you pay attention to the functionality the software provides and don't get caught up with choosing the one with the "prettiest" interface. Sure, you want the interface to be intuitive and easy to navigate, but it doesn't have to be flashy in order to provide these capabilities.
What you really want to focus on when selecting the right form creation tool for you is the features it possesses. Can it do everything you need it to do? How easily? You don't want to have to fight with the tool in order to get the finished product you want.
Start small
After you have chosen your preferred online form creator, you can begin creating your forms to be shared online with your contacts. When you're creating your first form, you may be tempted to ask for all the information you need at once, ending up with a massive registration form.
Don't do this.
Contacts are more likely to complete a form with only a few fields rather than one that is the length of a small census. Start by only asking for the information you need right off the bat. This could be the submitter's name, address, and contact information. Once you have this information, you can always reach out to them at a later date to gather the "nice-to-have" information such as education and general preferences.
Simplicity is best
Another thing a new user of an online form creator may be tempted to do is include as many question types in the form as possible for "variety." Too many different question types, such as dropdown selection, radio buttons, checkboxes, long answer, short answer, and the like, causes the form recipient to become overwhelmed and possibly confused as to what you're asking.
It is best to stick with a maximum of three question types throughout the form. However, of course, this depends on the overall length of the form and you can include more or less as is appropriate. Use your best judgement. A little bit of variety is great, just make sure you aren't making your form more complicated than it has to be.
Project reports help optimization
Oftentimes when people create and distribute their online form, all they care about are the responses and the data they contain. The thing is, you should also care about the form's performance stats as well. The data in a form's report will show you the total number of conversions your form had, as well as a breakdown of each of the questions — how many people answered it and, more importantly perhaps, how many didn't.
These reports can help you improve your form creation in the future. They can help you determine which question types were most effective and whether you need to come up with a better way to ask a specific question to get the information you are looking for. Pay attention to the data — you will see the benefits when your forms continue to collect more conversions as you continue to optimize the content.
Still searching for an online form creator?
If you are still on the hunt for an effective form creation tool, why not check out SimplyCast's Form Builder application? Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface will allow you to create dynamic and sophisticated forms in minutes and you have access to robust reporting capabilities to help you ensure your forms are as optimized as possible.
Contact our team today if you have any questions about the Form Builder or any of our other applications. We're happy to help!
