If you’ve ever thought “What do online forms have to do with my business?” we’re here to explain.

Paper forms take way too much time to prepare and fill out. They also add to your list of things to do, like manual data entry—which, like all things done manually, is prone to human error. That’s why we’re bringing in online forms to save the day. Zoho Forms gives you the tools and resources to build effective online forms for your business.

No matter what your line of work is, we bet you’ll find that these four basic forms are a great starting point:

• Contact form
• Order form
• Feedback form
• Complaint form

Let’s take a look at how you can design and make the most of them, beginning with Contact Forms.

You have your website up and running. You’re putting up great product descriptions and pictures. But if customization is your niche, most prospective clients will want to discuss their specific needs, or just ask about the price.That’s just one place where a well-placed, inviting, and concise contact form can come in.

Brevity is the soul of wit—and the soul of the best online forms.

A contact form is like a Narnian wardrobe that brings your customers in. If the wardrobe is locked or too hard to find, no one will make it in there. It should be subtle, but inviting. If your contact form tries to be more than just that, chances are that it’s not going to get filled out. Trust us when we say less is more. Keep the number of fields to a bare minimum: three or four, tops.

What fields work best on a contact form?

Name

What’s in a name? You need to know who’s visiting your website, but more importantly, you need to know who’s actually interested in your products or services.

Email

This is the most vital part of the contact form. Once a potential customer gives you their email address, it’s a nod to an open line of communication between the two of you. You can add them to your mailing list and keep them in the loop about your latest products. Most importantly, it lets you stay in touch with them so you can shoot them an email, answering any questions they might have.

Message

Most customers filling out a contact form are reaching out to you for a reason. They want to know more about your product, or perhaps they have questions about customization. You can use the Multi Line field to provide customers their space to tell you what’s on their minds.

Once you’ve chosen the questions you absolutely need to ask, just select one of our templates and get cracking. This contact form works every time:

So, go forth and conquer, one form at a time.

Know a better way to use forms? Let us know in the comments and watch this space for more ways you can use Zoho Forms.