Contact Sales

Multi Step Forms

The ultimate multi-step forms guide for better lead generation and user experience

How to use Multi-Step Forms to Generate up to 5X More Leads: A Complete Guide

 

Christopher Lierby Christopher Lier, CMO LeadGen App
Expert-Reviewed Checkmark   Best Industry Practices Checkmark   Tools & Solutions Checkmark

Introduction

A multi-step form is a lengthy form that is divided into several steps. They are used to make extensive forms less scary and overwhelming, such as shipping or registration forms. Allowing consumers and prospects to fill out their information in smaller parts improves the user experience and increases conversions.

You may be wondering how making extra work for your leads by dispersing information throughout a multi step form can possibly be a positive thing when it comes to user experience–and you’d be right.

The argument is that a multi step form makes the enormous quantity of information necessary to complete a long-form look more ordered and less daunting. Furthermore, multistep forms have been shown to convert more than single step forms. In one trial, for example, converting a single step form into a multi-step form resulted in a 59.2% increase in conversions.

What are Multi-Step Forms?

Multi step forms selection

Multi step lead forms are forms that are broken down into multiple steps or sections, rather than being presented as a single, long form. Each step or section typically contains a subset of the form’s fields, and the user progresses through the form by completing one step or section at a time. The purpose of breaking a form into multiple steps is to make it less overwhelming and more user-friendly, as well as to improve the overall user experience by providing clear feedback and validation as the user progresses through the form.

You may have come across multi-step forms on checkout or shipping forms. Multi-step forms are also utilized for wizards such as sign-up forms, and multi-step login forms have lately become more popular. These are only a few examples of how to utilize them, although any lengthier form might be split down into parts.

Car detailing multi step lead form

Multi step forms are also used for wizards like sign-up forms, and multi step login forms have recently gained popularity.

One of the most significant advantages of a multi step form is its conversion rate. Multi step forms are thought to have a higher conversion rate. Other advantages include a less overpowering initial impression for consumers and progress indicators that motivate visitors to complete the form.

Which Industries Benefit from Multi Step Forms?

Multi step forms can aid in this process by providing an interesting experience with alternate questions that consumers want to answer. Multi step forms can be beneficial for a variety of industries, including:

A) E-commerce: Multi-step forms can be used to simplify the checkout process and make it easier for users to complete their purchases.

E-Commerce Form

B) Healthcare: Multi-step forms can be used to collect patient information and medical history in a more organized and user-friendly way.

C) Real EstateMulti step forms can be used to streamline the process of collecting information from prospective buyers and sellers.

Real-Estate multi step lead form design

D) Insurance: Multi step forms can be used to gather information from customers in an organized manner when they are requesting a quote or buying a policy.

Insurance Form

E) Travel and Tourism: Multi step lead forms can be used to gather information from customers when they are booking a trip, such as flight and hotel details, and personal information.

F) Recruitment: Multi step forms can be used to gather information from job applicants in an organized and user-friendly way.

Recruitment Form

G) Government: Multi step forms can be used to simplify the process of filling out government forms and applications, such as passport and visa applications.

H) Surveys: Multi-step forms can be used to break down a survey into smaller sections, making it more manageable for users to complete.

Survey Form

These are just a few examples of industries that can benefit from multi step forms. Similarly, businesses such as automotive, financial services, and retail, among others, may benefit greatly from multi step online lead collection forms. Because it not only helps to generate leads but also educates and engages visitors as they can be used in various forms of data collection.

Sign up to LeadGen App banner


Benefits of Using Multi Step Forms

You’ve read a lot of conversion-boosting approaches, hacks and ideas. But if there’s one overriding thread in all of these best practices, it’s this:

Make your pages simple for everyone who visits them. That’s all there is to it.

Make the page easy to read for him. Make it simple for him to understand what you have to give. Make it simple for him to do the action you desire. People pay more attention to things that are simple to grasp. And when something is simple to do, individuals are more likely to agree to do it. That is why multi step forms work so well. They make it simple for a person to understand and complete the form. It reduces the “hostility” associated with forms by making them painless.

So, what happens to your visitors’ psychology when you go from one-page forms to multi step forms?


A) Multi Step Forms are Mobile Friendly

Don’t you hate it when you’re on mobile and you go to a website with a long form to fill out? With such a small gadget and an even smaller keypad, the work can rapidly become overwhelming.

Mobile Friendly

However, dividing the form into several pages makes it less intimidating. When you put in certain multi step UX concepts, the work becomes much easier.

 

B) It Reduces Friction

It’s all about concentration. Doing (or thinking about) too many things at once places an undue strain on the brain. Our intellect is a force to be reckoned with. However, it is wary about devoting too much of its resources at any particular moment. If there is anything less taxing, the brain prefers to be there.  What’s more, guess what? Most individuals find it difficult to fill out forms. Give a person a form with a lot of data to fill out, and the very prospect of it scares him away. There are far too many questions. Too much recollection is required. There is simply too much work.

When the questions are divided into numerous pages, each concentrating on a different topic, the brain can only focus on one activity at a time. It then receives the notion that completing the assignment is simple. At first, it may appear paradoxical. Will not having a lot of pages convey the impression that a lot of labor is involved?

You would think so. However, in our testing, constraining a person to think of only one object or category at a time minimizes friction and helps him accomplish the assignment.

 C) Small Asks Lead to Big Gains

A person is more likely to accept a short request. It’s not a huge deal if a buddy asks you to watch his child for an hour. However, if he requests that you look after the youngster for the entire afternoon, you will begin to reconsider your friendship.

But there’s another issue. What if your buddy wants you to babysit the youngster again a few days after the one-hour babysitting? Then the entire afternoon the following week? When it goes like this, you’ve had time to become acclimated to the work. And furthermore, you’ll start to think, “I’ve done a couple of hours before, a few more hours is not much of a hassle. Besides, the kid is a lot of fun to be around!”

When you utilize several step forms, the same thing happens. Each page has a little request. The small request does not trigger too much worry in the brain. And each stage gradually engages the person in the work. So when the big ask comes, which generally entails clicking a submit button or entering credit card information, it’s not as taxing. And she’ll be more inclined to agree. That is one of the reasons why multi step forms are more likely to be completed.

Best Practices to Build a Multi Step Form

Let’s take a look at how you may create multi step forms to increase conversions.

1. To reduce distraction, create as many pages as feasible.

The primary goal of multi step forms is to have the user concentrate on one activity at a time. It does not always imply asking simply one question on each page. You may include a few questions as long as they fall into one of the categories.

Assume you own an eCommerce shop and are creating a multi step form for the checkout page. The initial page might just request basic contact information, such as name and email address. The next page might be for the delivery address. Then there’s another page with payment information. Each of these pages may include a few distinct fields, but because they all belong in the same category, there is no cognitive load.

2. Consider “gamifying” the form.

When I say “gamifying,” I mean making as little use of the keyboard as feasible. If the visitor is on a desktop, he will use the mouse to select an option from a list. If he’s on a mobile device, he can just press a button such as this.

With the above example, there is no need to utilize the keyboard. Simply select the best answer and click.

3. Use a Progress Bar.

Have you ever taken an online quiz when the questions just kept coming? And there’s no way of knowing how many questions remain. There comes a time when you wonder if you’ll ever complete the form. When you don’t know how many more steps, you need to accomplish, your mind wanders off and starts thinking of other things.

Do you know what’s going on here? Your mind has wandered away from the work at hand and become absorbed in another. That of being concerned and perplexed. And when your head becomes too wrapped up in this, you will most like to grow upset and depart. Many individuals are daunted by the uncertainty, and hitting the back button becomes the easy alternative.

When you add a progress indicator, all that aimless meandering goes away. You now know how many stages remain, so you can devote your whole focus to the form. That’s the type of focus you desire when a consumer fills out a lead generation or checkout form.

4. Follow all regular form optimization principles.

Simply because you have a multi step form does not mean you should disregard basic practices for creating online forms. Form optimization is something I’ve talked about before. So, if you haven’t already, read it after you complete this one. In any case, these are the key items to remember.

a. Spend time working on the copy.

b. Only request what you truly require.

c. Make use of white space.

d. Make the CTA button visible.

e. Indicate which fields are mandatory.

f. Include social proof.

g. Forms should be tested.

5. Add a summary form step.

It’s a good idea to include a summary of all the responses on the last page of a multi step form. This provides the visitor one more chance to double-check that he filled out all the forms accurately. Ideally, make it simple to change any portion of the form in this last phase. LeadGen App provides a form step summary feature to easily achieve this.

Why are Multi Step Forms so effective in increasing conversion rates?

When a visitor fills out a multi step form, each question they answer represents a little commitment to the following stage. As a result, once those earlier questions are addressed, they are already involved in the process and must continue until the conclusion.

Consider yourself conversing with a salesperson, who reveals all the important data about a product in which you are genuinely interested. Then he asks you pertinent questions depending on the issues you’ve raised.

Will you turn away arbitrarily now that you’ve become deeply immersed in this debate and begin to feel that you’ve found your need-and-product match, or will you want to finish the process to see how this discussion may benefit you further?

Similarly, multi step forms are purposefully built to maximize such user interaction approaches. Furthermore, a single-form view with fewer questions is less daunting than several questions in a single form. It encourages the user to respond to the questions and so convert as a prospective lead. These forms are also very dynamic in that they may be constructed and reorganized to meet current demands while remaining brief and simple!

This potential is not apparent in single step forms. This implies that visitors can be directed to various paths/questions based on their responses to a multiple-choice question. This results in a customized and relevant interactive chatbot-like experience.

Use Cases for Multi Step Forms

A. Collect Profile Data.

Detailed profile data, such as a subscriber’s name, birthdate, or interests, may help you focus on your marketing and give your subscribers a more personalized experience. You may ask new subscribers to provide this information by adding a Profile Information step to a multi step form, eliminating the requirement for a lengthy registration form with many fields.

Add some basic fields to the first page of your form to collect further profile data in a multi step form (e.g., first name, last name, and email address). Then, build a second page with additional input boxes, such as birthday or interests. Once subscribers have completed the form, you can utilize segments to better target them or flows to deliver customized messages to them (e.g., a birthday flow).

B. Increase your SMS list without affecting your email list growth.

Signup forms that gather email consent convert at a greater rate than ones that collect SMS consent. When you gather SMS and email permission in the same form, you may accidentally stifle the growth of your email list. Use a multi step form to avoid this. Gather email addresses first, then SMS permission in the second stage. You may subscribe to our newsletter here.

C. Provide a pre-engagement step.

Create a registration form with a pre-engagement phase if you’d rather acquire your visitors’ approval before asking for any information. Create a form, for example, with the wording “Would you want 15% off your next order?” and a “Yes” button (and, optionally, a “No, thanks” button), but no input fields. Then, in the form’s second step, request an email address or phone number where the consumer may get the offer.

D. Separate lists are used to manage your channel consent.

If you’re utilizing a form that collects email and SMS permission on 2 distinct phases, you have the flexibility to pick 2 different lists for your new subscribers to collect. On form creation with a multi step template from the form library, you may pick distinct lists simply by selecting a different list for your email subscribers and SMS subscribers to submit after they complete the form.

Alternatively, if you are creating a new form or updating an old one, you may manually change your form to subscribe your visitors to separate lists.

Q/A

1. What is the purpose of a multi step form?

The purpose of a multi step form is to break down a long form into smaller, more manageable sections. This makes it less overwhelming for users and improves the overall user experience.

2. How do I create a multi step form?

To create a multi step form, you can use a variety of tools and technologies such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript. You can also use form builder software like LeadGen App or a plugin for your website.

3. How do I make sure my multi step form is user-friendly?

To make sure your multi step lead forms is user-friendly, you should keep it simple and easy to understand, use clear and concise labels, provide clear feedback and validation, and use progress indicators.

4. How can I track progress and save data in a multi step form?

You can track progress using a progress bar or step indicator, and save data using cookies or local storage. You can also use server-side storage to save data if you need to process it later.

5. Can I use multi-step forms for mobile devices?

Yes, you can use multi step forms for mobile devices. Just make sure that the form is optimized for mobile and can be easily completed on a small screen.

6. How can I make sure my multi step form is secure?

To make sure your multi step form is secure, you should use secure protocols such as HTTPS, and make sure that the data collected is stored in a secure location.

7. Can I use conditional logic in a multi step form?

Yes, you can use conditional logic in a multi step form. This allows you to show or hide certain fields or steps based on the user’s previous answers.

8. How can I test my multi step form?

You can test your multi step form by getting feedback from a group of users and identifying any issues that need to be addressed.

Final Thoughts

Because of the dynamic nature of multi step forms, they are appropriate for all sorts of organizations, including B2B and B2C. As previously said, it is an excellent lead-generating tool that can be utilized for any marketing or lead-creation effort. Additionally, they may be used as demo booking forms or merely to collect visitor information online.

They may be introduced to a website as lead collection forms or as entertaining and engaging pop-ups that are targeted based on the user’s behavior. The forms may be combined with a variety of pre-defined responses, making them more user-friendly and simplifying the form-filling process.

Each of these multi step form styles may provide the user with an interesting experience. Many firms are still unaware of its potential. Despite boosting website traffic, they are missing out on valuable leads, since traditional customer contact tactics reduce conversion rates.

In practice, the adoption of multi step forms must be supported by a few optimization strategies in order to realize their full potential and reap the most benefits. And we got all this in one place with LeadGen App for you. So what are you waiting for? Build your high-converting multi step form today with us!

Sign up to LeadGen App banner