What is web form optimization?

Web form optimization is all about turning your visitors into customers, getting more conversions, and ultimately making you more money. In simple terms, It’s the process of structuring and arranging a web form so that visitors are more likely to complete it. 

If you’re not optimizing your forms, now’s the time to start. Here are some general principles to help you achieve optimal form design and ultimately increase your conversion rates..

General principles for web form optimization

It’s important to understand that these principles are not designed to be a list of rules you should always follow. They’re more like ideas or suggestions, and different situations will require different decisions. That’s why it’s important to know when to break the rules.

The general principles for web form optimization are:

• Keep your web forms easy 

• Be concise and specific

• Implement usability testing 

• Make web forms interactive

Form Optimization Methods: 10 simple ways to optimize your forms for more conversions!

Everybody wants higher conversion rates, right? Optimizing web forms can be easy. Here, I will list some of my favorite methods to optimize your web forms. By applying a combination of these methods, you can increase your conversions by as much as 30%.

Make sure your forms are short

When it comes to mobile forms, the shorter the better. If you’re using a long web form to convert customers, you’re going to be leaving money on the table. Long web forms are especially problematic for mobile users. They have a lower tolerance for long forms than desktop users. To know more about optimizing your mobile forms, read here.

Leverage familiar language to improve your form completion rates 

One of the most important elements in web form optimization is using familiar language. When you use familiar words and phrases, it helps your audience understand what you need from them. It also sends a signal that you understand them and their needs.

For example, Instead of using the standard “Name,” try using “First Name” and “Last Name” or use “Full Name.”

Eliminate Captcha to improve signup rates 

If you want to make sure your site is user-friendly and your conversion rates are as high as possible, you really need to get rid of Captcha. Even some “innovative” Captcha systems that use images instead of text can be a pain for users.

Here’s why:

User experience suffers. If users have to deal with a Captcha system in order to use your site, they’re going to have a negative view of the site and brand. Read how you can implement captcha alternatives here.

Users who have vision impairments or don’t speak English may have difficulty getting past the Captcha, which means they won’t be able to complete the form and you’ll be missing out on valuable leads. Want to design forms that are accessible to all? We’ve got you covered with our comprehensive article.

Save time by using auto-fill option in your web forms

Using an auto-fill option can help you in speeding up the process of filling out forms on your website or mobile app. You can automatically populate the fields with information from other sources such as credit cards, bank accounts and many more.

Test your web forms to see what your customers struggling with

When you are testing form design, you are able to get all the data that you need in order to create the best forms possible. That is why it is important to tackle errors openly while doing web form optimization. You can use error messages on your form to see what your customers may be having trouble with. You can also see if there are any features or elements that are confusing and causing them to not submit the form.

Place your forms above the fold to boost conversion

There are several reasons why forms should be placed above the fold. But first, let’s make sure we’re on the same page about what “above the fold” means.

Simply put, it refers to everything a user sees without having to scroll down. 

Why is it important?

When a website loads, users see the top part of it first. The question is: What will they see there? Will they see an easy way to contact you? Or will they have to scroll down to find your form? So, the forms should be placed above the fold so users can find them easily.

Build positive relationships by labeling field names correctly

It is important to label the fields correctly so that the customers don’t give up on filling out the form and move on to another site. It is important to set clear expectations for your visitors before they even start filling out an online form, so they have a better idea of what information will be asked of them.

Help users complete the form with progress indicators

If you are conducting a web form optimization with the goal of increasing its completion rate, one of the most important things you can do is to make sure that your form shows clear progress indications. The simplest way to show progress is through page numbers. 

Confirm correct input with green checkmarks

Confirming user input on the fly can help users avoid mistakes, prevent frustration, and decrease time spent verifying their own data. It’s a simple technique that can smooth out the bumps in your forms and increase conversions.

Communicate what is happening when someone submits a form

When people submit a form, they are hoping for some kind of feedback from the system. If you don’t manage to get that across after the user hits “submit,” then you can end up with users resubmitting or typing in their information multiple times. To prevent it from happening, you need to provide your users with a clear response when they click the submit button. 

Experiment with CTAs to see what a user likes

The single-most important element that decides whether you get submissions or not is the CTA in every form (Read why, here). Experiment with different button colours, CTA text and CTA placement to understand your users better.

Top issues you might run into when optimizing web forms

Conversion rate optimization is a very important task which every website owner has to perform regularly. As a conversion rate specialist, I have optimized many forms and learned some lessons along the way.

I would like to share these lessons with you so that you can avoid making the same mistakes, and instead turn your forms into lead generation machines.

1. Your visitors need to trust you before they will give you their contact information. Therefore, it is crucial to use social proof on your landing pages, for example client logos, testimonials and security certificates.

2. When people arrive at a page on your website, they should know exactly what to do next in order to get what they want (your offer). If you are trying to collect too much information in your form, then people will get confused and leave without completing the form. 

3. Progressive profiling enables you to collect additional information about your leads at a later stage in the buying cycle (e.g. when they need more value from you in order to progress).