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The sad truth about online forms is that many of them are long, complex, and overwhelming.<\/p>\n
Sometimes users want to complete a form, but they don\u2019t have the drive to figure it out and push through all the questions. This is challenging for marketers who need their customers to submit certain data points, but don\u2019t want to sacrifice conversions.<\/p>\n
Why are people so unforgiving when it comes to forms?<\/p>\n
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Because in the digital age, people expect personalization<\/a>. They don\u2019t want to answer questions that don\u2019t apply to them or their circumstances. They\u2019d rather spend their time and money with brands who connect with them on personal, human levels.<\/p>\n According to Marketing Insider Group<\/a>, 78% of internet users say personally relevant content from brands increases their purchase intent. Marketing campaigns are 83% less effective<\/a> when the experience is irrelevant to the user.<\/p>\n So if you use forms as part of your marketing campaigns or sales funnels, it\u2019s smart to make them short and personalized to the user.<\/p>\n Fortunately, there\u2019s a simple way to create advanced<\/em> forms that aren\u2019t arduous or overly complex.<\/p>\n With conditional logic (a Gravity Forms feature<\/a>), you can build interactive forms that let you collect the data you need without<\/em> straining the user experience.<\/p>\n [content_upgrade cu_id=\"12636\"]Not sure when to use conditional logic in your forms? Download this free guide to learn more. [content_upgrade_button]Click Here[\/content_upgrade_button][\/content_upgrade]<\/p>\n Here's the simple answer:\u00a0<\/strong>Conditional logic allows you to automatically make decisions based on a condition or action that occurred.<\/p>\n Conditionals are mechanisms that allow for additional instructions based on a particular response. They\u2019re your typical \u201cif this, then that\u201d process.<\/p>\n Image: nyu.edu<\/a><\/i><\/p><\/div>\n Conditional logic in regards to forms is a way to create forms that change based on input. You can configure fields to display or hide based on a user\u2019s response to other fields. This allows you to tailor your forms to your users\u2019 specific needs.<\/p>\n That may seem technical, but it\u2019s really quite easy. Let\u2019s use an example:<\/p>\n An event venue has an online form for prospective customers. One field asks for the type of event. If the user selects \u201cWedding\u201d from a drop-down list, a few extra questions appear (in the same form) that relate to weddings, like \u201cDo you have a caterer?\u201d or \u201cWho will supply the cake?\u201d If the user selects another type of event, a different group of questions appears.<\/p>\n While you could show all your fields to everyone who views the form, no one wants to read through questions about weddings if they\u2019re planning a graduation party.<\/p>\n Conditional logic shortens your forms, which reduces your abandonment rate<\/a>. This is especially important for mobile users who are even less forgiving with long, cumbersome forms.<\/p>\n Incorporating this type of logic into your forms creates a user-friendly experience for your web visitors. It allows them to complete forms in a fast, efficient manner, without feeling like the whole process is a chore.<\/p>\n Most importantly, conditional logic makes your users feel like the experience was customized specifically for them. According to Infosys<\/a>, 74% of customers feel frustrated when web content isn\u2019t personalized, and 59% say that personalization influences their shopping decisions.<\/p>\n Before you start adding conditional logic to your form fields, let\u2019s go over some best practices. These will help you improve your form conversions and ultimately your bottom line.<\/p>\n Just because you can hide fields behind conditional logic doesn\u2019t mean you should add unnecessary elements to your forms.<\/p>\n Generally speaking, shorter forms create a better user experience and increase the likelihood a user will complete it. In one case study<\/a>, an 11-field form saw a 120% increase in completions when it was reduced to four fields.<\/p>\n Image: unbounce.com<\/a><\/i><\/p><\/div>\n It\u2019s still important to keep your forms as simple as possible so you don\u2019t overwhelm your users. You don\u2019t<\/em> want your users to stare at your forms and think, \u201cWhy do they need this?\u201d<\/p>\n That means\u2026<\/p>\n That said, there are some exceptions. Removing fields doesn\u2019t always<\/em> increase conversions<\/a>. It\u2019s always important to A\/B test your forms<\/a> to discover what works best for your audience.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t assume your users will know a form is required just because it pops up. They may see the new field, but ignore it because they don\u2019t think it\u2019s necessary. Besides, a form error message puts a cramp in the whole user experience.<\/p>\n If a conditional field is required, mark it as such in your form editor so your users know what you expect and you get the information you need.<\/p>\n This should go without saying, but we\u2019ve seen it before so it\u2019s worth mentioning.<\/p>\n The field that triggers a conditional field to appear or hide should clearly relate to that conditional field.<\/p>\n For instance, if users click a checkbox next to \u201cSubscribe to the newsletter,\u201d it would be smart to set conditional logic to display a field with options for different kinds of email content or sending times.<\/p>\n But if they agree to receive your newsletter, it wouldn\u2019t<\/em> make sense to display a field that asks for something seemingly irrelevant, like their dog\u2019s name or their favorite hobby.<\/p>\n You may have perfectly good reasons for asking for this obscure information, but if your user doesn\u2019t understand why you need it, there\u2019s a good chance they won\u2019t supply it.<\/p>\n With Gravity Forms, using conditional logic is straightforward and easy. You can create rules to display or hide a drop down, checkbox, single line of text, or multiple choice field.<\/p>\n In the form editor, create all the fields your form requires. For instance, you might create a drop down field for the question \u201cWould you like ice cream?\u201d with options for YES and NO, as well as a checkbox field with different flavors of ice cream.<\/p>\n To add conditional logic to a field, open that field in the form editor and select the \u201cAdvanced\u201d tab. At the bottom, click the checkbox next to \u201cEnable Conditional Logic.\u201d More options will appear.<\/p>\n Adjust the options to create a rule for the field. In the case of the ice cream example, you want the checkboxes of flavors to display only if the user answers YES to \u201cWould you like ice cream?\u201d<\/p>\n So you would create a rule like this:<\/p>\n Show<\/strong> this field if all of the following match: Would you like ice cream?<\/strong> is YES<\/strong>.<\/p>\n You can apply conditional logic to your fields even if you span the form across separate sections and pages.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re still confused as to how to set up conditional logic with Gravity Forms, check out this great tutorial video<\/a> by Kori Ashton.<\/p>\n Play around with the conditional logic rules to discover unique ways to customize your forms.<\/p>\nWhat is Conditional Logic?<\/h2>\n
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Best Practices for Conditional Fields<\/h2>\n
1. Keep Your Forms Simple<\/h3>\n
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2. Indicate the Fields\u2019 Requirements<\/h3>\n
3. Relate Conditional Fields to Their Trigger Fields<\/h3>\n
Conditional Logic in Gravity Forms<\/h2>\n
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