Increase your conversion rates by using multi-step forms

In previous blog posts, we were telling you about forms in AMP as an excellent way to increase your conversion rate in a form. Now we want to tell you about multi-step forms.

If you don't want your visitors to run away and ruin your conversion rates, multi steps forms are the key. You don't need to give up data in order to get users. Follow our tips on multi step forms and start getting better numbers with smart forms.

Hereon you can find the advantages of the multi-step forms when it’s about increasing your conversion rate.

Tips to increase conversion rates on a multi-step form

Of course, the main objective of your form is generating leads and conversions. This is not always an easy task, but taking into account the following suggestions, you’ll have more possibilities to get them.

1. Include 2 to 5 steps

Multi-step forms have been proved to be a better option to increase conversion rates. But, how many steps should the perfect multi-step form have? Of course, the answer to this question doesn't apply to every business. Not every platform has to ask for the same data, so the number of steps and the organization of the questions may vary.

Still, we can establish some common rules. Multi-step forms shouldn't be longer than 5 steps. Dividing long forms into different steps eases the process for the user, but having too many steps may make your visitors drop the form and decrease your conversion rates.

2. Include 2 to 5 fields per step

We've set some general rules for the number of steps your form must have. But, what about the number of fields in each step?

Having several steps with just one question is counterproductive. Having too many steps with just one field will increase the number of clicks, adding friction to the process.

A better approach is to get the most of each step, displaying 2 to 3 questions in each step.

3. Organize the fields into steps correctly

There are no magic tricks to acquire a 100 % conversion rate on any landing page or form. But there are many tips you can apply to increase this rate. One of them is taking care of the structure of your form – the way you organize your questions is crucial.

Different steps on a form allow you to organize questions in a logical and progressive way.

The best way to start a multi-step form is with the easiest questions. Try asking first for the basics: name and email, for instance. This way, your conversion rates won't drop at the very beginning of the process. Then, continue with a progression and finish up with interesting or sensitive questions. For instance, 'What goals do you expect to reach with this tool?'.

Fields should also be grouped together in categories. For instance: personal data, password setting, and profile setting. Or: personal data, shipping details, payment details. Think about the most logical way of organizing the fields into steps, so the form feels as intuitive and easy as possible.

4. Highlight the progress

People are more likely to finish an action if they feel they are progressing. And this applies to every aspect of our daily lives!

Highlighting the progress all throughout the form will 'award' users with a feel of completion. As users are filling out the form, highlight the progress they’ve made. This way, users will have a feeling of completing tasks, which will encourage them to pursue the task and finally complete it.

There are different ways to display progress on a multi-step form. A good idea might be specifying the percentage of a form that is already complete with the progress bar (e.g. 15 % complete) or simply showing how many steps they completed already (e.g. Step 1/4).

5. Be smart: use conditional logic

Smart forms allow you to display different forms to different users. You can even set different steps and questions, depending on what users have already answered. People are different, so why should everyone fill the same fields?

Using conditional logic on forms enables you to ask specific questions considering previous answers. This is a good idea to avoid asking people questions related to issues they won’t provide.

Let's take a look at it with an example! Imagine you ask your visitors if they have a dog. On the following step, you'd like to ask more specific question about the dog and its habits. But, if some users answered they do not have a dog, this wouldn't make sense. Instead, answering 'no' to this questions will jump to another step, instead of simply going to the following one.

Asking questions that are not associated with the user might retract them from answering. Conditional logic also transfers the feeling of having a conversation thanks to its automatic customization.

Arengu allows you to add personalized logic to your forms without having to code. If you wish to add jump steps according to the user's answer, just drag and drop the actions 'Jump to a form step' or 'Go to the next step' and link them to your own logic.

6. Ask the right questions

Displaying the right number of questions is important, but asking the right questions is crucial. Regardless of the kind of business you run, data and qualified leads are key to get good numbers.

Finding a balance between too general questions and asking for sensitive data is not always easy. Imagine you’re asked for filling out a form of only 3 fields: name, email, and phone number. Conversion rates may be good, since the form will be short and easy to fill in. But these answers won't provide you with interesting insights, and your leads may be good enough to convert to a sale. You will definitely need more context to get better numbers.

In many cases, asking forward questions may hurt your conversion rates. But, there are tips you can follow to get qualified leads without ruining your conversion!

Did you know there are tools that can offer you valuable information without asking your users? Adding smart integrations to your forms can help you get advantageous data without asking for it. Platforms like Clearbit gather information out of the users email address, without asking questions to the user.

With Arengu, you can connect your form to other services -including Clearbit- without code. Thanks to this kind of data enrichment tools, you can get valuable insights on your submissions, without hurting your forms. All you have to do is drag and drop one of the native actions into your flows and include the API details.

7. Don’t forget to provide immediate value

Reminding the users with the benefits of completing the form is a useful tip to increase your conversion rates.

Depending on the type of form, the reward may vary a lot. For instance, if you're building a form for an online contest, you may remind them about the great prize they may win. If it's a survey, you may want to encourage visitors with an actual present, a discount, an exclusive promotion or an invitation to participate in a special raffle, a free information pack, a free trial of your services, and so on!

If you can't offer a reward, simply showing your product's benefits can be enough to convince users to fill out the form. Your visitors started filling the form for a reason. Try a smart and subtle way to remind them about it so they don't give up!

Build smart multi-step forms with Arengu

What about building a form with several steps that follow all these tips? Arengu is a platform that can help you build this kind of form and increase your conversion rates efficiently.

With Arengu, you can build personalized multi-step forms. With it, your can easily add as many fields and steps as you want with the drag-and-drop editor. But you can also add server-side logic to it, without coding. Integrate external providers, easily and without code, to enrich your form's questions and apply logic to smarten up your steps.

Would you like to give it a try? Don't wait any longer! Try Arengu for free and start boosting your numbers.