How to design the registration form so that as many visitors as possible to complete

Whether for registration, payment, or contact, we always need to get the user's information through the form. Unfortunately, in reality, there will always be a lot of visitors to see the form immediately click the Back button on the browser. There are a number of reasons for this, such as the length of the form, the friendliness, the lack of trust, or the fact that the user is not really ready for the deal, and so on.

Every time this happens, we lose a potential user.

The challenge that designers must face is how to design the form so that as many visitors as possible are willing to fill it out. From the user's point of view, we can divide the problem into four aspects.

What can I get?

When it comes to "transformation", the first thing designers think about is the details of the operation, including the color of the button, the font size of the title, the contrast, the way it is, and so on. Of course, these must be considered, but the most important question is: as a visitor to the site, why should I fill out the form? What can I get?

Visitors will not simply disclose their personal information to you because you have asked for it, and you need to show them the benefits of doing so. Think of this as a transaction in which your visitors provide their name and email address in exchange for something they need, such as access to services, free trial software, download of PDF documents, and so on.

In addition to letting viewers know what they can get, you'd better tell them why it's what they need. To focus on the value of the product, if you can use the simplest introductory text to describe how your product can help users solve problems and arouse their empathy, even if the form itself is slightly more complex, they will be willing to fill it out, otherwise, even the least-field forms will not interest them.

Why should I trust you?

When people visit your site for the first time or come in contact with your product, they do not have any reason to generate trust all of a sudden. Try to show some "evidence" of a public effect, such as media coverage, approval from existing users, and any element that can inspire a positive attitude toward a product.

Pocket changed's subscription form is a good example of how many people are currently subscribing to the download, and it's very straightforward to let visitors know what they can get when they fill out a mailbox. If you can add some approval feedback from a real subscriber, the form will translate better.

Another very effective "proof" is that all the well-known media coverage of your product is displayed on the page, of course, if there must be a relevant report of the real existence. These elements with high recognition effects can effectively enhance the user's sense of trust.

Recommended reading:

Giving personality to products--elements of affective design and practical cases

Communication between real people – enhance the individuality and affinity of the product through hand-painted elements

What are you going to do with my information?

While providing positive guidance to our visitors, we should also try to avoid those negative factors. One of the biggest concerns when filling out a form is the use of information after it is collected by the site. Users do not want to receive spam and are less likely to have their personal information spread out. If you do run a trustworthy product, so let users know that you don't sell their information or send spam to them, as Fogbugz did, by telling the user in a very straightforward manner next to the registration form, "We're not selling or sharing your email address, That's it. ”

Related reading: How to promote the conversion rate of the website through a better user experience

How long will this take me?

As we said in the previous article, if visitors can get a clear idea of the value of the product, evoke their needs and get their trust, then the length of the form will not be the most important factor affecting the conversion, but that doesn't mean we don't need to simplify the form. Even if a visitor decides to perform a transformational act, their time and patience are very limited.

I bet that in many cases, the "required" form fields are not really needed.

Gumroad removes a number of common "required" fields in the unpaid payment form, leaving only text boxes for entering the email address, credit card number, expiration date, and CV code. If you can simplify the payment process without logging in, I believe there is no room for optimization in other complex forms of business.

After making a full simplification of the form, we can also try to use some design techniques to make the form look lighter. In this regard, my personal favorite case comes from the registration form of the prototyping tool Invision. They present the form as a floating layer, and as a visitor, I can feel that when I fill it out, I can immediately go back to the previous interface and continue with the application process.