How many fields should a website enquiry form have?

Luke Meredith

There is a temptation to ask for everything on a contact form.

You might want someone’s name, phone number, email address, company name, job title, budget, location and the service they are interested in. It all sounds useful. The problem is that the person filling it in may not see it that way.

They just want to ask a question.

For a standard contact form, you will usually only need a few fields. Name, email address and a message box will cover most enquiries. A phone number can be useful too, particularly if your team normally calls people back.

Anything beyond that needs a reason for being there.

For example, asking which service someone is interested in could help send the enquiry to the right person. Asking for their annual turnover probably will not help at this stage. This information can be collected later, once you have actually spoken to them.

Long forms can be especially frustrating on a mobile phone. Typing into one box after another, correcting mistakes and working through dropdown menus quickly becomes irritating. While some people may finish it, most will decide they can’t be bothered.

This doesn’t mean every form should be stripped back to two fields. A quote request for a complex service may need more information than a simple contact form, so there is certainly a balance to find.

The best approach is to look at each question individually. Do you need the answer before you can respond? Will it help you deal with the enquiry properly? If not, take it out.

It’s also worth completing the form yourself every now and then, preferably on your phone. You might notice awkward questions, unclear labels or fields that no longer serve a purpose.

Your contact form should make getting in touch feel easy – not feel like the first stage of a job application. If you need help optimising your website to create a smooth user journey that ensures you receive more enquiries through your contact form, contact us at Engage Web.

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Luke Meredith

Content Editor at Engage Web

At home in both the digital sector and the world of communications, Luke thrives on deadlines and has held roles in healthcare, retail and digital marketing, gaining a sound knowledge of a wide range of sectors. He’s a massive swot as well, holding a first-class degree in BA Communication and Media, and now uses his writing skills and keen editorial eye in his role as Content Editor here. Luke helps to oversee our clients’ content requirements, while also looking after a pool of freelance writers across three continents.