Forms are the main source of communication between the users and your product.
They are commonly used to gather information, process payments, provide feedback, grant access to restricted features and contact your company, among others.
Studies show that 80% of users abandon forms without filling them out. Bad UX practices lead to common mistakes that add to this number.
These UX tips can help you adapt to your user’s needs and reduce form abandonment.
1. Don’t include irrelevant data fields
Think about the questions you want users to provide and evaluate how important they really are. Ask only for the information you need. Forms should be as short as possible and to the point.
If you want to gather a lot of information in one long form, separate the requests by steps. It helps users feel less overwhelmed.
2. Label the fields that are optional
Instead of indicating the mandatory fields, label the optional fields. By highlighting this positive aspect, users feel the choice is theirs.
3. Make clear and kind validations
Error and success messages should be clear. The user has to understand if they completed the action properly or if something went wrong.
Create positive messages focusing on the solution instead of making the user feel guilty for committing an error.
4. Group fields by topic
In long forms, grouping the fields by topic makes the information clearer and easier for the user to understand.
5. Align fields in a single column
It’s better to place the fields in one column with the title at the top, rather than to place them in several columns.
Otherwise, users might get lost or feel confused when filling them out.
6. Use colors properly
Create form templates that match the brand’s color palette and style. However, remember to leave out actionable colors from the main form scheme.
Use red for errors, orange/yellow for alerts, and green for successful messages.
If you want your website to rank well and get more conversions you need to focus on creating positive experiences that lead to brand and product loyalty. Forms are a good way to start enhancing your website, but they are just one aspect of UX good practices.
✍️ This article was written by our copywriter, Sofia, in collaboration with our UX/UI expert, Marcos.
