The form is the last step

Before a visitor even considers getting in touch, they need to be inspired and trust you first. That happens elsewhere on the site — not in the form. If case studies, service descriptions, and a human face are missing, the form is pointless.

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In other words: if you're not getting enquiries, the problem may not be the form.

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Short or long — which is better?

A short form generates more enquiries. A long form acts as a filter — it weeds out time-wasters. Either can be the right choice depending on what you sell.

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A good question to ask yourself: would I fill out this form myself to get what It's offering? If not, the form is probably too long.

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But more important than the number of fields is whether they're the right ones.

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It is possible to accidentally lower the conversion rate while reducing the number of fields by removing the fields users actually want to fill in.

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Don't scare people with required fields

A mandatory phone number field puts people off — they worry about sales calls. Mark optional fields clearly with the word "optional". The form feels lighter even if there are more fields.

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If you're asking for something that isn't obvious — phone number, date of birth, company size — briefly explain why you need it.

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Users are quick to abandon a form if a question feels unnecessary or suspicious.

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Add a human face and tell them what happens next

"Write to Hannah" lowers the barrier more than "Contact us". Add a name and photo next to the form.

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Also consider trust signals near the form — a customer quote, a reference, or a mention of data security can tip the balance for a hesitant visitor.

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And tell people concretely what happens after they submit:

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1. You'll receive a confirmation email
2. I'll get back to you within one business day
3. We'll arrange a short introductory call — free of charge and no commitment
4. After the call you'll receive a written proposal

The more concrete the promise, the lower the barrier to hitting send.

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Offer alternatives and test

Not everyone wants to fill out a form — some would rather call or book a time directly in a calendar. Offer alternatives.

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And finally: fill out your own form. Check that it works and that messages actually arrive. The biggest improvements are usually found within minutes.

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A couple of interesting statistics

There's a lot of surprising data around forms. Here are some findings worth keeping in mind when building or reviewing your own contact form.

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• 66% of people who open a form complete it — but for contact forms the figure is only 38%. (Zuko)
• More than 67% of visitors who encounter problems with a form abandon it permanently — only 20% follow up with the company in some other way. (Formstory)
• The most common reason for abandoning a form is security concerns (29%). Form length comes second (27%). Ads or upselling cause 11% of abandonments, and unnecessary questions account for 10%. (Feathery)
• Only 3% of users prefer to fill out forms on a mobile device — 84% prefer a laptop or desktop computer. (The Manifest)
• On average, marketers use around five fields in their forms. (HubSpot)
• Multi-step forms convert up to 86% better than single-step forms — yet only 40% of marketers use them. (HubSpot)
• 60% of users copy their email address when asked to retype it for confirmation — meaning the field doesn't do what it's supposed to. (UX Movement)
• Making the phone number field optional doubled one company's form conversion rate from 43% to 80%. (ClickTale / Small Farm Design)
• Changing button text from second person to first — "Get your free trial" → "Get my free trial" — increased clicks by 90%. (Unbounce)
• The phrase "We will never spam you" reduced conversions by nearly 19% — the word "spam" plants doubt even when the opposite is promised. A more neutral "Your information will not be shared" increased conversions by a similar amount. (Unbounce)
• Returning users convert at a higher rate than new ones — but not by much. (Zuko)
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Source: fluentforms.com/online-form-statistics-facts

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Good luck winning new customers!