An ultimate guide to form design: How to design converting online forms

Have you filled out an online form recently?

Chances are that the answer is yes. According to recent research, 84% of people fill out at least one web form per week.

But you may not have realized, because filling out web forms has become an almost integral part of the fabric of our lives.

In fact, almost every online interaction that takes a user from A to B is an online web form: getting in touch with a company, booking a train, buying a product, organizing a hotel stay…

Web forms first started to be used for online sales in 1994, with the first ever drag-and-drop forms popping onto our screens in 2006. Since then, forms have become the lynchpin of online interactions.

They are the gateway between a company and their customer. From small town blogs to global government portals, it’s almost impossible to imagine a website without one.

So why do online forms have such a bad rep?

Sure, very few people actually love forms. But most won’t mind filling one out as long as it’s clear, concise and well-designed.

And that’s where the rub lies. Too many online forms are overly long, confusing or invasive (and sometimes all three at the same time).