Web forms, as simple as they may seem, are one of the most important pages on any website looking to attract new customers. The following are some simple tips for a better user experience. Whether the objective of the form is to get the user to sign up for a service or simply contact a company there are many considerations to improve user experience.

Keep it Simple Stupid

For forms this is very true. Most people do not like filling out forms, especially long forms. So keep them as brief as possible. If the form is rather lengthy and cannot be chopped down it is always a good idea to break it into sections and inform the user how much of the form is left and how much is completed.

Indicate Required Fields

The most common way to indicate if a form field is required is by using an asterisk (*). Indicating which fields are required speeds up the process for the user. You can even bold or add color to the asterisk make it stand out more.

Confirmation Page

After the the user submits the form it should be clear to them that it went through. A confirmation page is essential for a user to have the peace of mind that their email has been sent. It is also a good idea to state on the confirmation page when they should expect a reply and sometimes provide a phone number for emergencies, customer assistance or other inquires.

Error Messages

Make sure error messages on the form are as clear as possible to the user. Make sure to highlight invalid form fields (often in red) so the user knows which field is wrong or missing. Text with all the error messages should also be prominent or at the top of the page explaining what needs to be added from the user.

Prominent Submit Button

Ensure that the submit button looks and acts like a button so there is no question that users should click it to submit their message. The button should stand out and be highly legible.

Web Form Suggestions

The following are considerations for your contact page that allows users more options to contact you.

Social Media on Contact Page

Social media offers users more ways of contacting or connecting with you. You can place the social media sites that you are active in on your contact page as well.

Contact Information

Adding all of your contact information such as your company’s email, location, and phone number is also a good idea.