Enhance Your WordPress Site with Smarter Web Forms


When we think of web forms, the first thing that often comes to mind is the simple contact form – we see it on just about every website. You add your name, email and write some comments and it gets sent to the website owner as an email. And that’s it. But today, with the evolution of web technologies, we can do much better than that. Web forms can be transformed into powerful tools that can perform complex tasks, provide personalised user experiences, ask questions based on previous answers, and much more. In this blog post, we will explore how smart forms in WordPress can go beyond simple contact forms by utilising features such as conditional logic and calculations.


What Are Smart Forms?

A ‘smart’ form is a web form that adapts based on what the person filling it in chooses from the form options. Smart forms can streamline processes, improve user experience, and increase data accuracy by leveraging advanced features like conditional logic, calculations, and integrations with other systems.

Key Features of Smart Forms

Conditional Logic

Conditional logic allows forms to change dynamically based on user responses. For instance, additional questions or fields may appear if a user selects “Yes” to a particular question. Conversely, selecting “No” might hide those fields. This feature ensures that users are only presented with relevant questions, reducing form fatigue and improving completion rates.

We recently used conditional logic when building a family reunion website – so that the input fields for the names of those attending changed based on a pricing field.

Conditional logic can also be used to change which auto reply gets sent after the person completes the form. An example of work we did for a client is we used a calculation in a survey to provide an assessment based on the answers provided. The form was a test of how ‘busy’ and distracted a person was – with each item ticked adding up a tally of busyness. Based on the score the person then got a specific email with just how ‘busy’ they were and some tips on how to become more mindful.

Personalisation

After entering their name in the form field, you can start to refer to them by name for the remaining questions. This is a great way of standing out from the competition, as very few people bother with doing this. This feature is often used in conjunction with conversational forms (a form that presents questions one by one, rather than showing all of the fields at the same time).

E-Commerce & Calculations

Calculations within forms can automatically compute values based on user inputs. This is particularly useful for price estimations, budget calculations, and e-commerce forms. Pricing fields can be a much simpler option than using a full e-commerce system.

Multi-Step Forms

Breaking a long form into multiple steps can make it more manageable and less overwhelming for users. Multi-step forms guide users through a sequence of related questions, improving completion rates and data accuracy. Often these forms also have an option to save the form and come back later.

Integration with Third-Party Services

Smart forms can integrate with various third-party services, such as payment gateways, CRM systems, and email marketing platforms. This seamless integration helps automate workflows and manage data more effectively. 

  • Dropbox – have files submitted via a webform saved to a Dropbox folder
  • MailChimp – add users to your mailing list with segmentation based on how they completed your form.
  • HubSpot – automatically sends new form data directly to HubSpot.
  • Google Sheets – send and sync form data to a Google sheet.

Create a PDF file from the form

For more advanced forms that need to be kept on file, an excellent smart feature is to create a PDF document of the form entries. This document can have the company branding and other data relating to the form submission.

Advanced Validation

Ensuring that users provide accurate and complete information is crucial. Smart forms come with advanced validation rules to check the correctness of inputs, such as email addresses, phone numbers, and credit card details.

Examples of Smart Forms in Action

Example 1: Event Registration Form with Conditional Logic

Imagine you’re organising an event and need to collect detailed information from attendees. A smart event registration form can use conditional logic to tailor questions based on the type of attendee:

– If the attendee selects “Speaker,” additional fields like “Presentation Title” and “Bio” can appear.

– If the attendee selects “Sponsor,” fields related to sponsorship packages and requirements can be displayed.

This ensures that each attendee type provides relevant information without cluttering the form with unnecessary questions.

Example 2: Online Quote Form with Calculations

A cleaning service website could use an intelligent online quote form to provide instant price estimates:

– Users select the type of service (e.g., residential, commercial) and input details like the size of the area to be cleaned.

– The form can automatically calculate the estimated cost based on predefined pricing rules and display the total instantly.

This not only saves time for the users but also reduces the workload on the service provider’s end by providing quick and accurate quotes.

Example 3: Survey Form with Multi-Step Navigation

Conducting a detailed survey can be challenging if users are faced with a long, single-page form. A multi-step survey form can enhance user engagement:

– The form breaks down the survey into sections, guiding users through a logical flow of questions.

– Users can see their progress, which encourages them to complete the survey.

This approach can lead to higher completion rates and more reliable data collection.

How to Implement Smart Forms in WordPress

We use Gravity forms when building our smart forms for clients, often combining this with the excellent Gravity Perks plugin which delivers even more smart form functionality.

Conclusion

Smart forms are essential for any WordPress website looking to improve user experience, streamline processes, and gather data efficiently. By leveraging features like conditional logic, calculations, and multi-step navigation, you can create forms that are not only functional but also engaging and user-friendly.

If you’d like to further explore the capabilities of smart forms and transform the way you interact with your website visitors, get in touch with Web Matters and find out how we can help you with your unique form requirements.

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