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What is a Web Form and How can it Improve your Business

A web form is an online document, for communication or surveys, that works as a setting for communication between customers and businesses. The form is where visitors and prospects can add their information, request services or products, and add any details or specifications that the business needs to provide the service or product - including payment information.

For example, let’s say you have a contact form on your website. This form exists only for establishing a conversation. To allow the lead to get in touch with your business. You can add fields, that are the questions you make, with space for the visitor’s answer. Your fields must be related to the type of form you’re building. In this example, you must add the fields for name, email address, and allow the visitor to make a comment. Any other field must be fully explained for being there. Otherwise, you can lose leads and have a high abandonment rate.

The objective of providing a form is to establish a communication channel and make yours, your customers’ and prospects’ lives easier.

Web Form Example

What is a Web form

Forms are used for most of all business activities. From an order service form to a feedback form. You are always filling out forms. If you need to take your car for a check-up, you’ll fill out a form for it. If you need to go to the doctor, another form. Different purposes, same approach.

Forms are documents that work as a statement or proof of some action, purchase, or service. A form contains fields, aka questions, that must be filled out, or answered, by the respondent, which can be the customer, patient, or requester.

You collect data and information using forms that can be used to accomplish a service, for example.

When to use web forms

Web forms are used to create a closer relationship between company and customer. You can trust in your forms to collect data and to guarantee the request will be sent straight to you. You even have the possibility of having it all organized on your Google Sheet.

There are several uses for web forms:

  • collect data
  • evaluate your product or service
  • start a conversation
  • sell your products
  • Get information in order to provide a service 
  • Allow the visitor to make comments
  • Get feedback from your offers
web form use cases infographic

Any web form must be optimized and the respondent must be able to manage the forms from any device they are using to access your website.

Structure of a web form

You must be able to identify a web form on the websites you visit. They are built in a way that leaves no doubt you’re using one. But, what are the elements and features needed to build web forms?

Although web forms are similar and have a structure that can be easily identified, ideally you make yours as part of the page. You would still know you’re in a form, but it is concealed on the page.

All forms have fields that must be filled out by the respondent. Those fields are what collect data for your business. Therefore, you must always ask the right questions and add the proper number of fields, to guarantee the form’s completion.

Another particularity of a web form is the fact that they are online. They can be responded to, be managed, and stored entirely online. 

What are web forms for?

When you’re building an online form you have its purpose in mind. It’s how you choose the fields and on which page it will be placed. You can’t embed an order form on the contact page, for example.

Knowing the form’s purpose allows you to build the perfect form for each situation.

There are several types of forms, designated for different actions on the website. Each form can collect one kind of data and accomplish a specific task.

You can have a contact form, which works to generate a conversation. Its form’s purpose is to start a relationship between the lead and your business. 

If you are an e-commerce, it is natural that you have an order form on your website. And order forms' purpose is to collect information about products to be sold and their prices.

In short, if you need information, you can use web forms to collect it for you. And with the right integration, you can have any data sent to you to the URL or app you choose.

Web forms integrations and features

Web forms are easier and simpler to use when you compare to paper forms. You can streamline the workflow using web forms, and with integrations and the right tools and features, you end up building forms that work for you, not the other way.

Using MightyForms you have several options of integrations and features that can improve your forms and capture more leads, or generate bigger revenue. Check them out:

Google sheets 

Send data from submissions automatically to your spreadsheets with this integration. You can keep all the data organized and manage it from Google Sheets if this is your preference. Use the Google Sheets integration to keep updated on the information you have from the leads and customers. This helps you create a better user experience since you can gather any customer knowledge in a single place.

Google Drive and Dropbox

With the Google Drive or Dropbox integrations, you can have any file submitted with the forms sent straight to your cloud account.

Let’s say you have a contact form that allows the respondent to attach files to the message. You can have automatically any file sent on your Drive account, organizing all data and documents.

Zapier

Zapier is a service platform that connects to other apps or URLs. This means you can send data using Zapier to any other app that also has the integration.

Streamline your processes and speed up your workflow using this integration. Send and receive data that can make your form completion rate rise.

Google Calendar

If you need to book a service or a meeting, Google Calendar integration is for you. You can allow the respondent to select the best date for them for several reasons. Add the calendar to the form and let it set an appointment, without overlapping or overbooking.

Webhook

One more integration to make the connection between apps. With the Webhooks option, you can select where you want data sent and from which form fields.

Like Zapier, webhooks enable you to send and receive data from third-party websites or apps.

Stripe Payment Platform

Selling products or services online got simpler now with the newest integration with Stripe. Now it is possible to receive payments straight on the forms. You can add your products to the website, creating a product page, adding the price, and giving the option to the customer to choose the quantity. All of it using forms.

Field-Keys

You can pre-populate your form fields using the field-keys feature. You can have the respondent data to be sent to other forms on your website. Doing so makes it faster and easier for the visitor to fill out any form you have on the page.

Logic Rules

Enable the logic rules functionality to build a personalized form for each respondent. Select which answer will trigger the next question, guiding the respondent through the form. This functionality helps you to avoid form abandonment since it creates a personalized experience.

Custom URL

You can give your forms more personality and more customized by making a URL exclusively for them. Brand your forms and create custom webform URLs to make it easier for you to manage them and to promote them as well.

Undo and Redo functionality

Details make all the difference when you’re building the perfect form. And sometimes you add or remove something from the form and you just regret that action. But you have nothing to worry about. All you have to do is undo the action and reset everything in the way you prefer.

Save and resume

You don’t want to lose leads. That’s a fact. Therefore, you must do everything in your power to keep the lead with you, and, better yet, to convert. One more resource you have to avoid web form abandonment and get more leads is the “Save and Resume” option. By providing this button you allow the respondent to come back to finalize the form later.

Form as a landing page

Build a beautiful form and make it as your landing page. With a custom URL and a beautiful design, you can have your forms as a landing page, containing all the necessary information, and get more leads.

Web form examples

Contact Form

Among the pages most visited on your website is the contact page. The contact page has some elements and features that must be on it. Including, the contact form.

Is through the contact form that the visitor can reach you and start a conversation with your business. Offering such resources helps with brand awareness and trust.

Building a contact form is simple. You need basic information:

  • name
  • email address
  • comment field

If you ask for more details, make the reason clear for you to do so. Research shows that 37% of the respondents will abandon a form that has the phone number field as required. This means that any field you add to the contact form must be there for a clear reason. 

Lead Generation Form

The simplest form you’ll have on your page is the Lead Generation Form. Sometimes it has a single field for the email address request. But you can add more fields, like asking for the lead’s name, as an example.

Any more fields than these two can cause form abandonment and making you lose instead of capturing leads.

Again, if you need to ask for more details about the lead, remember to explain the reason why you need such information.

You have some steps and best practices to follow when building a lead generation form. Remember that your CTA must be attractive, and also that your form can have a better performance when you offer free value content in exchange for the lead email address.

Feedback form

Feedback forms can transform your business, they are a great guide to know how your business, services, or products are performing. You ask for the customer to send feedback after a purchase. This gives you reviews and testimonials that you can use to help your SEO efforts and to create brand trust. Visitors will trust this feedback, increasing your chances to build up the revenue.

Feedback forms are generally longer than other forms. You can ask for the name, email address, and add fields about how the client perceives your business.

Survey

Like feedback forms, survey forms are a longer type of form. You usually do surveys when you need more information about your customers, like how they interact with your product and business. 

It’s not about their opinion, that's why you have feedback forms. Surveys are research you do from time to time, to investigate and get to know your target audience better, and with the collected data you can improve your business.

Order form

Order forms are used to collect information about sales. You can add your products and, with Stripe Payment Platform integration, you can charge for the product straight on the form.

Build a complete order form that allows the customer to make the purchase, selecting the amount of each product, visualizing the price, and paying for it, all on the form. Don’t make the lead look for ways to make the purchase. Your form must be clear and easy to access.

Booking form

Booking forms are not only for hospitality industries. If you have to book a service or meeting, you can use a booking form. 

For example, let’s say you have an air conditioner repair business. You can have on your website a booking form where the lead adds their needs and choose the best day for them that you’re available for a visit.

Setting up a booking form can speed up your services and streamline your workflow.


Final thoughts

MightyForms is more than just a form builder. It’s a platform that helps your business increase traffic, getting more leads, and conquering more customers. Get the assistance you need when building your forms, track their performance, and find the solution that your business is needing.

Sign up for free today.


WRITTEN BY

Heloise Montini

Heloise Montini is a journalist and SEO specialist. She writes about travel, news, and, as a hobby, creative writing. She is always available for new challenges and learning.