The primary objective when it comes to an online form is to get the user to fill it out and hit the submit button. If the user finds the form too overwhelming or complicated, chances are good that they will stop when they become frustrated and not complete the task. This means the loss of valuable information on your end and a customer who is thinking twice about giving you their business.
Here are some tips to consider to make online forms more user friendly:
- Don’t ask too many questions: Ask yourself – “What are the key pieces of information that I need to glean from this form?” The last thing you want is for your user to become bored or irritated and abandon the task mid-form, so stick to the bare minimum of what information you need them to provide.
- Don’t ask your users to type or scroll: Drop-down forms, radio buttons and checkboxes are much easier and faster to fill out than a text field so whenever possible give this as an option. This will also insure consistent data. Make sure your form doesn’t require scrolling for users to complete. If you need a lot of information, use multiple steps.
- Be upfront about the form’s length: If you do have a long form you need your user to complete, don’t create a gigantic one-page form. Break the long form up into smaller, clearly-labeled chunks and let your user know how many steps the form will entail to complete. Also, show the user how far they are in the process as they fill out the form.
- Group fields logically: Users have become accustomed to providing their information in a certain order, generally following a flow like: name, company name, address, phone number, email address and credit card information. If you mess with this standard order, users will become disoriented and may leave your site without completing the form.
- Make your security and privacy policies crystal clear: Show that privacy and security are priorities and reassure your users that their information is safe by including a link to your privacy policy. For shopping carts, offer visual indications of your site’s security with verification badges from third parties like VeriSign, the BBB and TRUSTe.
- Show your appreciation: Once your user has hit the send button, make sure to provide them with a confirmation that their information has been submitted along with a thank you for completing the form. This will give the user a sense of accomplishment and let them know you value their time.
Let the web development team at West Press help take your website where it needs to go. Contact West Press or your Account Executive at 520-624-4939 today.