If you need to create online forms for IT professionals, the way you ask questions or write the fields to gather data can make or break your business. In order to get the most out of this valuable resource, it’s worth following some advice on how best to create online forms for the people who you want to gain some insights from.
Online forms are often used in the IT industry to collect data from customers or employees, but the results can be disappointing if they’re not designed well. In this blog post, we will discuss nine best practices for making effective and user-friendly forms for use in the IT industry.
Online forms in the IT industry
There are many different reasons for creating online forms in the IT industry. Some of the main uses are listed below:
- Registration forms – collect information easily in order to create customer profiles, begin subscriptions to services, and sign people up for events, courses, or training. IT support London by Computers In The City introduced a quick registration form on their site.
- Feedback forms – conversational surveys can be used as a customer or employee feedback tool with high completion rates in order to improve products, services, and the work environment.
- Quote or calculation forms – online forms can automate the process of estimating costs and recommending products or services by gathering customer information and requirements in order to provide value to users.
- Lead generation forms – an effective method of obtaining qualified leads, as determined by tools such as Apollo alternatives, with interactive quizzes or offering something of value in exchange for contact information.
- Real-time online forms – conduct surveys during live events, webinars, and other types of virtual meetings to collect data and insights from participants.
Best practices for making forms in the IT industry
Below are our top tips for making better forms in the IT industry:
1. Keep it short and sweet
The first rule of thumb for online forms is to keep them concise. Nobody wants to spend hours filling out one, so get to the point as quickly as possible or you’ll risk losing people’s attention.
In the IT industry, you might be asking for a lot of information that is essential to your business. However, try to focus on the most important questions and leave the rest for another time.
2. Use clear and concise language
Make your online forms easy for anyone who might fill them in to understand, as you don’t want to lose people’s attention by using jargon or overly technical language. This is especially the case in the IT industry where things can quickly get very complicated.
If you must use technical terms, take care to explain what they mean in layman’s terms as well. You can also provide links to further reading for those who want to know more.
3. Write unambiguous questions
This may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many online forms have confusing or ambiguous questions. If your questions are unclear, you won’t get accurate answers.
Be as specific as possible, and only allow for one possible interpretation of each question. In the IT industry, this is crucial because some technicalities can often be open to interpretation.
4. Avoid leading questions
These are fields that guide respondents towards a particular answer. For example, a leading question might be “How satisfied are you with our product?” followed by response options ranging from “Very Satisfied” to “Very Unsatisfied”.
This type of question doesn’t allow for neutral responses, and as such they can bias your results. Instead, try using an open-ended question such as “What did you think of our product?” to encourage honest feedback.
5. Use answer piping
This is a technique that allows you to customize subsequent questions based on previous responses. For example, if someone answers “No” to the question “Have you ever used one of our products?” they would then be skipped ahead to the next question on the forms (e.g. “What made you decide not to use our products?”).
This process means that respondents only see questions that are relevant to them, which makes for a better experience in completing your online form and more accurate results. Answer piping can be a game-changer for saving time and reducing frustration for both you and the respondents, especially In the IT industry where online forms can often be long and complex.
6. Randomize your answers
If you’re using multiple-choice questions on your online form, it’s best to randomize the order of the answer options. This is to avoid any bias that might occur if the answer options are listed in a particular order (e.g. from most to least favorable).
Randomizing the answers means that each respondent will have an equal chance of selecting any one of the options. That way, if someone filling out your form is unfamiliar with the terminology or concepts and is thus more likely to select the first answer alphabetically, say, the results won’t be skewed by the order of the answers.
7. Use field labels wisely
The labels you use for your online form fields can make a big difference in how easy it is for people to fill them out. For this reason, you might want to use specific labels such as “contact name” or “company website address” instead of generic ones like “name” or “address”.
This will help to avoid any confusion and make it clear what kind of information you’re looking for. Additionally, you can use placeholder text within the form fields themselves to give people an idea of what you’re expecting.
8. Don’t ask for too much information at once
Another common online form mistake is asking for too much information up front. This can be overwhelming for people and make them less likely to complete the form.
Instead, try to break up the form into smaller sections and only ask for the information you need at that particular moment. You can always follow up later for more details if necessary.
9. Allow respondents to continue later
If your online form is long or complex, it can be helpful to give people the option to save their progress and carry on completing it when they have the chance. This is more likely to be the case for online forms about IT services, which are often lengthy and detailed.
All you need to do is add a “save and continue later” button to your form, which will then generate a unique link that the respondent can use to pick up where they left off without having to start from the beginning again. This can increase completion rates thanks to giving people the flexibility to complete the form in their own time.
Conclusion
Following these best practices will allow you to create online forms that are clear, concise, and free of biases. As a result, your online forms will be easier for respondents to complete, and they will provide more accurate data that you can use to improve your business operations.
So, regardless of the purpose for creating an online form – be it for a registration process, collecting feedback, lead generation, or providing a quotation – keep these tips in mind to make it as effective as possible.
