Ever wanted to know all there is to know about creating effective web forms? While, admittedly, we never have personally given much thought to the art of contact form building, now there’s the “Eight Rules for Effective Web Forms” courtesy Webpage Design for Designers: http://www.wpdfd.com/issues/87/eight-rules-for-effective-web-forms/
In the article they discuss the eight so-called rules for building effective web page contact forms. Rule one points out how no one likes filling out forms so it should be creative and quick to the point. The form should be tailored to the questions at hand. They recommend avoiding a reset button at all costs to keep from angering people who might accidentally erase the whole form. Keep the forms friendly and make the first communication with visitors to the website. The article is very informative about how to make a successful form.
Example contact form from a client’s website. Basic information such as Name, E-mail, Subject and Message is required: standard format.
Preview of our very own contact form from our consultation page, which includes many extra information fields and boxes to help us qualify our leads.
Overall, the points are well made and contact forms should be given serious consideration as for many website owners they indicate the “most-wanted response” a sort-of point-of-sale for the website, if you will. Contact forms that are simple and short are more likely to have higher conversion percentage. However, including important questions that can help you “grade” your leads can help you better identify whom might be a proper prospect for your service.
In the end, it’s up to you. Our advice would be to experiment with different contact form arrangements and study the data closely to see which provides the highest percentage of high-quality leads.
LavaLink is an award-winning, premium WordPress design and web marketing company. Bootstrapped and built in the trenches, LavaLink teaches designers, small businesses and entrepreneurs a results-by-design approach to marketing their business online.
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