Wondering how to create interactive forms for your website? Learn how with Formidable's Conversational Forms online form builder in just a few minutes!
Website forms can serve as powerful lead generation tools for any e-commerce business. But, online landing pages and form templates can feel distant and cold to website visitors.
Interactive forms can provide a more relaxed and customized experience if you want to make a stronger first impression.
With Formidable Conversational Forms, you can do exactly that.
Know what makes this even cooler? Conditional logic leads the user through questions determined by previous responses.
These two features create a customized and personal experience for website visitors.
This post will explain how interactive forms in WordPress work (no HTML or CSS needed). Then we’ll teach you how to make one with the Formidable Forms drag-and-drop web form builder in three easy steps.
Let’s get started!
What is an interactive form?
An interactive form is a form that visitors can, well, interact with!
Instead of a classic form, which has people fill out long forms with tons of fields, it’s done in a more natural way.
Let’s look at registration forms.
Typically, they contain a series of form fields the user must fill out in addition to radio buttons, check boxes, drop down lists, combo boxes, or other elements:
While helpful for gathering and sorting collected data, these fields and buttons can make users feel like they are completing paperwork. It’s just not a good layout for a contact form.
Even worse, this approach might come off as impersonal.
Unlike standard forms, interactive forms have a more conversational form design to create a more natural flow.
Most often, interactive web forms will show one question on a page and require users to click through to continue until they reach the end for form submission:
This gives users the sense that they are actively talking with you instead of a computer.
Plus, you can design your interactive online forms to create personalized experiences that improves your bottom line.
Because of conditional logic, powerful forms know what to ask based on the previous answers.
And, since it’s one question at a time, visitors are more likely to complete it because they don’t feel overwhelmed.
While a classic form may be good for some situations, interactive forms are perfect for surveys, feedback inquiries, and more. It’s even easy to create an interactive PDF form.
After, use that data to import into Excel, Google Sheets, Adobe, and more services.
Conversational forms are the future of forms.
How to make an interactive form (in 3 easy steps)
Now, let's learn how you can easily create interactive designs with Formidable's Conversational Forms feature!
Conversational forms are available in our Business plan. But, we have a free version to try out so you can see how powerful this plugin is.
Formidable Forms isn’t one of the best WordPress form builder plugins; it’s the best WordPress form builder plugin.
Creating forms (especially interactive forms) with Formidable Forms is easy ?.
Here are the three steps:
- Install and activate your interactive forms tools
- Create your design and turn on the interactive forms mode
- Customize your interactive form using conditional logic
Step 1: Install and activate your interactive forms tools
For this tutorial, you'll need to have the Formidable Forms Pro plugin installed and activated on your WordPress site.
Then, you'll want to enable our new form conversations.
Go to Formidable → Add-Ons in your WordPress dashboard. Find the Conversational Forms option and click Install, then Activate:
Now you're ready for the next step.
Step 2: Create your design and turn on the interactive forms mode
Let’s create your first interactive form. To do this, go to Formidable → Forms → Add New.
You can use an existing form if you’d like. Otherwise, we’ll use a Blank Form.
Next, give your form a name in the text box and add a description. Then, click Create.
This will automatically take you to the Build page for your new form, though we're not quite ready to start designing.
First, click on Settings at the top of your screen:
On this page, choose Turn on conversational form mode. We recommend clicking Include arrow button navigation, which makes for a smoother user experience.
You can also choose to use a Progress Bar. And you can edit form text fields for your Start and Continue form buttons.
We’ll leave them on default for our purposes.
When you're finished, click on Update in the top-right corner of your screen.
Step 3: Customize your interactive form using conditional logic
Our interactive form is now coming together. Finally, let's start inputting questions into our interactive form.
On your form page, click Build.
Under Add fields, start making your selections. To keep things simple, let's add a Text field. This is easy with our drag-and-drop form builder. Just find Text and drag it onto the canvas.
Then, select the field itself in the right-hand panel. This will toggle you over to the Field Options screen, where you can customize your field:
Remember that you want to present your fields as questions for interactive forms.
Next, let's add a Checkboxes field to further personalize this form:
Under Field Label, enter a simple yes-or-no question.
Then scroll down to modify the Checkboxes Options and enter "Yes" and "No":
Now, let's create a follow-up question dependent on the previous response.
Enter the question into the text field, and make sure that box is selected.
Then scroll down to Add Conditional Logic.
In our example, we'll input Show this field if any of the following match: Checkboxes equals Yes:
In other words, this follow-up question is only relevant if the user responds with a "Yes" to the previous question.
If they select "No" instead, the interactive form will skip the follow-up.
Make sure to select Update when you're finished. That's it!
Remember to change your existing forms into interactive ones to improve your conversational marketing strategy.
Conclusion
Online forms are a fantastic way to improve any e-commerce marketing strategy.
But, you may be looking for something more interesting than your standard fill-in form.
Interactive, choose your own adventure-style forms provide your audience with a more unique and helpful experience.
And this quick guide showed you how to create interactive forms.
Formidable Forms is much more than just the best WordPress form plugin, though. Check out our full list of features for what makes our plugin formidable.
Last, if you have social media, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for more marketing tips!
soullodolo says
Easy to make interactive forms!
David Harmony says
I've been able to finally reach my ideal customers, using conditional (personalized) dynamic logic and conversational Flow. Amazing Value per dollar. My smartest investment yet, within my suite of mission-enabling tools.
awaller says
I'm glad this was added as an option. I haven't used it yet, but there have been times in the past I've considered Typeform (which seemed to popularize this style of form)—I'm glad I can get a similar result right inside of Formidable now! One application I can see it being useful is having clients fill out a questionnaire for a logo/branding service, that gives them inputs for desired styles and objectives without overwhelming them with too much information at once.
krisdoff says
If you're not optimizing for conversions, you're missing out! And Formidable Forms makes it easy. Love that feature.
Jesus alonso says
thanks for the info
Ana says
Great tool for ecommerce.
Brent P says
Filling out forms in an interactive (conversational) way vs being presented with 30 fields to fill out is a nice idea. It definitely can provide a benefit to certain types of forms people may otherwise opt out of filling out.
Judith says
Yes! This is a great idea. I will have to try it some time soon... I think people will prefer this type of forms, it's not so "boring" as a long list of questions, keeps people engaged until the end.
Mas Ando says
i am looking for interactive plugin for my website, this is will help me 🙂
thanks
John L says
Conversation forms is problem my favorite new feature offered. Essential for increasing conversions!
Vinicius Maciel says
Really helpful article.
Muhammad Ali jamil says
interactive boards was most awaited feature.. thanks
Ray Trusik says
useful info
Laurie Stogniew says
This is a great feature that has so many use cases.