Posted 9th September 2024
Businesses can use web forms for various reasons, whether it is completing an order, collecting lead information or anything else, there is no denying the powerful impact they can have. In this guide, we’ll be exploring exactly what a web form is, how it can be used, and the benefits it can provide to organizations across a wide range of sectors.
A web form is a document in which users can input data or personal information, that is then sent to a server to be processed. These digital forms offer a faster and more efficient solution for organisations that rely on paper documents or PDF fillable forms. Web forms can vary in length, appearance, and formatting depending on the type of information you want to collect from your recipients. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.
Creating an online form is an ideal solution if you’re looking for a more efficient way of collecting user data. However, it’s important to note that your web forms should be created in an easy-to-use and interactive way. Or it could negatively impact the user experience and deter them from filling in their details. See the statistics below as examples of this.
Some of the main reasons why you might want to consider using web forms in your business include:
A web form can be tailored to meet the unique requirements of your organization and the specific information you need from respondents. This ensures the data collected aligns accurately with your goals. Additionally, since web forms are compatible with most mobile devices, they can reach a broader audience, increasing accessibility.
Web forms enable you to gather information in a structured and secure manner. Once collected, the data is safely stored, ensuring both your organization and respondents that their information is protected against cyber threats. This method also eliminates the risk of data being lost or misplaced, which is a common issue with paper forms.
Creating web forms is fast and straightforward with eSign’s new web form feature. You can choose a pre-made template from your eSign library or design a custom template for your form. The drag-and-drop functionality allows you to customize it to fit your business needs, ensuring recipients provide the necessary information easily.
Traditional paper-based processes can be slow, expensive, and may create delays in your workflow. By switching to online forms, you eliminate the need for paper. Which not only speeds up data collection but also reduces your organization’s carbon footprint, contributing to a positive environmental impact. This transition streamlines your processes, allowing for faster and more efficient data capture.
In many cases, web forms are a great way to collect website visitor details, such as their name, date of birth, email address, preferences etc. Also, they can offer a useful method for customers or website visitors to contact a company, provide information, or send a request/enquiry. Below are a few web form examples that are used across various industries.
A web form link can be embedded on your website, or app, or sent via email, allowing recipients to complete it at their convenience. This flexibility makes web forms an excellent solution for remote access. As they can be opened and filled out from any device or location. Users can also take their time to provide accurate and complete information, ensuring the data is reliable.
Web forms offer improved oversight of the information you’re collecting. In cases where users may enter incorrect details, like misspelt names or fake email addresses, web forms can be designed with validation controls to prevent the submission of invalid information. This ensures that your team captures accurate and reliable data from the start.
Web forms can greatly reduce the time spent on administrative tasks, especially if you’ve been relying on paper forms. There are no delays in delivering forms to customers or waiting for completed documents to be returned. Everything can be done in a matter of minutes instead of days. By streamlining this process, you can enhance operational efficiency, allowing your organization to achieve successful outcomes and grow sustainably.
Switching from physical paper forms to web forms can lead to significant savings for your organization. You’ll eliminate expenses for printing, ink, postage, and other related costs, freeing up your budget for more critical business areas. Additionally, as web forms reduce the risk of lost documents, they save both the frustration and costs associated with finding or recreating misplaced forms.
Web forms offer great value for marketing by ensuring your content reaches the appropriate audience. By including subscription options, users can select the types of information they wish to receive from your organization by ticking the relevant boxes.
This approach provides your marketing team with valuable insights. Allowing them to target leads more effectively and send only relevant content based on user preferences. As a result, you can boost customer engagement and improve conversion rates.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) mandates that businesses handling personal data must record consent for lawful data storage and email marketing. Web forms streamline the process of obtaining and documenting these consents directly in your CRM platform.
With web forms, you can seamlessly request and automatically record consents, eliminating the need for external file storage or manual data entry, which can lead to errors. This ensures that consent information is securely and accurately maintained.
With eSign’s web form feature, your forms can go beyond the generic by incorporating your company logo and customizing banner colors to align with your corporate branding. This level of personalization helps your organization present a professional image, enhancing brand recognition and contributing to a positive reputation. These branding efforts are crucial for building trust and expanding your customer base.
At eSign, we’re consistently working to improve the products and services we provide to our customers. Which includes the introduction of features like web forms. This feature is available to clients on our Enterprise plan and allows them to create web forms using new or existing templates in their eSign library.
The process is fast and efficient, with users having the ability to include their own branding colors and company logo. In addition to adding the relevant fields for recipients to fill in their details on the form. Once you have reviewed the form and are happy with it, a secure link will be generated which can be embedded on your website, in your application, or attached to an email depending on how the form is going to work for your business.
Web forms are an incredibly useful tool for many organizations across a range of industries, that regularly collect relevant data from large numbers of people. If your business is looking to move away from slow and inefficient paper form processes, eSign’s web forms could be the perfect solution for you.
Contact us today to find out more about our web form feature and how it can support your business. You can also get started with eSign by registering for our 14-day free trial. This will allow you to explore some of the features and functionality of the platform including our secure electronic signatures and see how they can benefit your document processes.
