Forms

Let's begin

Forms are an important element on a website, from contact forms and newsletter signups to account creation and online checkouts. They generally signify a key final stage of a customer’s journey and are usually used by businesses to measure success.

1. Don’t be greedy

Forms are a great chance to tease out a customer’s details, but you don’t need everything upfront.

Only ask for personal data that is required for them to complete the action. If you only need the customers email and a password to register, only ask for this information. Not the company or job title.

2. Be clear and honest

Avoid sacrificing substance for style;

• Don’t remove/hide field labels
• Don’t use placeholders as field labels
• Add helper text below the field (or label)
• Use example data as a placeholder for each field
• Offer a visual indication of which fields are required and/or optional
• If you can, provide a clear feedback message when there’s an error — may require a developer

3. Clear call to action

I just sent you some tips on call-to-actions 👀 but here are some form-specific ones;

• The colour should contrast (it should match other call-to-actions in style)
• They should be the main call-to-action on the page
• Make them descriptive (avoid generic terms like “Submit” or “Subscribe”) and transparent (so they know what they’re getting)
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