Web design components that your users can interact with, are essential for an engaging and successful website. From the navigation bar, to call to action buttons, its a great idea to put a lot of effort into making these features very visual, and unmissable. But, what comes next. Once a user has clicked through, they frequently need to fill out an online form. And this can be a big barrier. Forms that aren’t designed correctly will simply drive users away. While easy and effective forms will improve conversions and increase your sales and sign ups. Here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester, we are Manchester’s leading web design experts, and we provide high quality, effective, web design solutions for a range of local companies and businesses across Manchester, and the surrounding area. This includes Blackburn and Stockport. As a result, we have produced these tips for effective online forms.
Online forms in web design
One part of your website that you want users to interact with, is often the form. This could be the form to sign up to your mailing list, or it could be the checkout form. Either way, the user needs to be persuaded by your web design, and professional content, that filling out your online form is a good use of their time. And once they do, the last thing they expect is to be let down by the form itself. But users unfortunately often are. So what do users expect from your online form? And how can you make sure yours is effective.
Tips for effective online forms
To make sure your online form will be successful, you should consider:
- Research, research, research- take a look at the online forms on pages you use regularly. What kind of similarities do they have. Are they good or bad? Once you’ve put the research in, you’ll be able to plan your online form, from positive examples.
- Consider the language you use- for online forms to work, users need to know exactly what you want from them. So be very clear, concise and specific with your language. This will help your potential clients or customers to provide the answer you’re looking for, and avoid any problems or errors.
- Keep it simple- Make filling out your form easy and simple. Nobody wants to have to type in multiple boxes. Instead, use drop down choices wherever possible, and let people choose from a set of options. This works really well for address searches from a postcode, or for general questions with only a small number of answers.
- Increase the whitespace- increasing the whitespace around the form, and between the questions should help to make your form feel less cramped and more spacious. This can help make your online form look more attractive, and less ominous. As a result, more of your potential customers will fit it in, increasing your sales and sign ups.
For more information or advice, or for high quality, professional web design solutions, get in touch with the experts today, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester.