5 Key Form Field Details You May Be Missing
How to optimize your forms for better results
In June, Clicktale released a great ebook called 21 Great Tips on Website Form Optimization.
The full ebook is available for free here, but in summary there are 5 key points to be aware of when designing forms.
The Call to Action
- Avoid technical jargon when converting a customer. A friendly call to action such as “get started” is far more effective than “submit”.
- Ensure your call to action is above the fold. Less reason for abandonment and less second guessing, resulting in higher conversion rates.
The Supporting Elements
- Adding customer testimonials increases conversion rates, as long as the flow of the form is not interrupted, and the layout is kept as simple as possible.
- Adding an incentive to complete a form, such as a free download or prize, can be a big conversion driver.
The Page Design
- Design a smart layout that minimises completion time. If you’ve got a long form, consider splitting the form into multiple steps with good reasoning given for each.
- Don’t create distractions. Offering navigation when a potential buyer is in the conversion funnel is a recipe for distraction. Keep them on the path of conversion by removing any other potential paths from their way.
The Form Fields
- Use Side by Side field captions – putting text above form fields increases form size. Where possible, keep the captions for a form in line with the form fields, reducing space on the page.
The Convenience Factor
- Be up front about your correspondence plans. Nobody likes getting spam.
- Let customers use cookies to remember their passwords. If you have the information and can prefill a form, you remove another obstacle from the purchase/conversion process. This can only be good news for your business!
