Good contact form tips are about one thing: getting more of your visitors to actually get in touch. The gap is often not a lack of traffic, but a form that could be shorter, clearer and easier to fill in on a phone. Small changes here often pay off more than a new ad campaign.
In this article you get practical advice: which fields to ask for and which to skip, where to put the form, how to stop spam and what should happen after someone hits send.
Why don't visitors fill in your form?
People give up when a form feels like work. The most common reasons:
- Too many fields. Every extra field is another reason to stop.
- No idea what happens next. Will I get an email today or in two weeks?
- Required fields that aren't needed yet, such as a phone number or address.
- Awkward on mobile: tiny fields, the wrong keyboard, a button that sits off screen.
- Error messages that only appear after sending, or that don't say what's wrong.
- No trust: no face, no reviews, not a word about privacy.
Contact form tips that boost conversions
These twelve tips work for almost any business. You don't have to apply them all at once. Start with the first three.
- 1. Only ask for what you really need to reply. Usually that's a name, an email address or phone number and a short question.
- 2. Make extra fields optional and label them '(optional)'.
- 3. Put the label above the field, not just as grey text inside it. That text disappears as soon as someone starts typing.
- 4. Use the right field type so phones show the right keyboard: numbers for a phone number, an @ for email.
- 5. Let the browser autofill. With the right settings, a phone fills in name and email by itself.
- 6. Write button text that says what people get: 'Request a free quote' instead of 'Submit'.
- 7. Say under the button what happens next, for example 'We reply within one working day'.
- 8. Show errors right next to the field, in plain language: 'Please enter a valid email address'.
- 9. Keep what someone has already typed when there's an error. Nobody likes typing it all again.
- 10. Place a review or a short promise next to the form to remove doubt.
- 11. Offer an alternative: a phone number or WhatsApp button for people who'd rather call straight away.
- 12. Test the form yourself, on your own phone, at least once a month.
Where should you place your contact form?
A form that only lives on the 'Contact' page is often too far away. Visitors usually decide whether to get in touch on a service page or your homepage. So put a short version there too, or a clear button that jumps straight to the form.
On a phone, it's smart to show a fixed button at the bottom of the screen, such as 'Call now' or 'Request a quote'. That way nobody has to scroll back up. On a long page, repeat the button after each important section.
Quote request forms: short or detailed?
A quote form can sometimes be a bit longer, because you need information to give a price. Even so, splitting it into steps often works better. Start with the easiest question, such as 'What can we help you with?', and only ask for contact details at the end. People who have already clicked a few times are more likely to finish.
A good example is WitFix's service finder. Visitors first choose their device and town, and then land on the quote form. And at Rijschool Benz you can book a trial driving lesson in 30 seconds. You can see both examples on our work page.
Stopping spam without annoying visitors
A form without protection soon attracts spam. But a tricky puzzle to prove you're not a robot also costs you real enquiries. Better options:
- A honeypot: a hidden field people can't see but spambots fill in. If it's filled in, you discard the message.
- A time check: a form submitted within one second is almost always a bot.
- Invisible checks that run in the background, without the visitor having to do anything.
- A limit on the number of messages per minute from the same address.
Contact forms and GDPR
A form collects personal data, so GDPR (AVG in Dutch) applies. A few basics: only ask for what you need, explain in your privacy statement what you do with the data and how long you keep it, and send the form over a secure connection (https). For questions about your own situation, it's best to consult a lawyer or check the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens). Also read our article on a privacy statement for your website.
After sending: the thank-you page
What happens after someone sends the form matters too. Send visitors to a separate thank-you page or show a clear message. Tell them what the next step is and when they'll hear from you. Also send a short confirmation email, so they know the message has arrived.
A thank-you page is handy for tracking as well. In Google Analytics, set up a conversion for visits to that page or for form submissions. Then you can see how many enquiries come in per page and per channel. Read more in our article on tracking conversions.
Finally, check that messages actually arrive. It happens more often than you'd think: a form that looks fine, but whose emails end up in a spam folder or a forgotten inbox. So send form messages to an address someone reads every day.
Getting a better contact form built
At Violexa we build forms that are short, work well on mobile and are tracked properly. We do this as part of websites and apps. A custom website starts from €1,799 excl. VAT (€2,177 incl. VAT), including design, development, a layout that works on every screen, basic SEO, Google Analytics, CMS integration and training. Want more out of your existing visitors? Also read how to increase your website conversion rate.
Want to know why your form isn't bringing much in? Book a free quickscan. In a 30-minute conversation, online or on site, we take a look with you. Afterwards you get brief written advice with a price indication, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
How many fields should a contact form have?
As few as possible. Three fields are often enough: name, email or phone, and a message. Every extra field lowers the chance that someone finishes the form.
How do you make a contact form that converts?
Keep it short, put labels above the fields and use button text that says what the visitor gets. Explain what happens after sending and make sure the form works well on a phone.
How do you prevent spam through your contact form?
Use a hidden honeypot field, a time check or an invisible background check. These stop a lot of spam without making real visitors solve a puzzle.
Is making a phone number required a good idea?
Usually not. Many people prefer to give only their email address at first. Make the phone number optional, unless you really need it to help.
