Webforms are EVERYWHERE! It’s not just for registering anymore.  Web forms are the basis for getting any data into your database, web page or even your online application.  I’ve always used a very simple approach to web forms.  Gather the information you need, do it clearly and don’t be evil with the users information.

Creating an effective web form requires that we take a look at a few things that we may not consciously be aware of.  Sometimes the effectiveness of a form can be completely shot because of the aesthetics of the form itself, or worse, the lack-there-of.

Martin Ludwig over at Webpage Design for Designers, has come up with Eight Rules for Effective Web Forms.   Step number five is one of those that most of us probably don’t think much about when creating a web form, yet, when brought to our attention, just makes plain sense.

5. Be the First to Communicate

Make sure the wording in your form is friendly and user oriented. Here’s a simple trick for writing conversational copy: Pretend you’re actually talking with your user.

If you want to know someone’s name, you aren’t going to stare them in the eyes with a rigid expression and demand, “Full name.” That would just be creepy. If you were looking to garner a positive response from this person, you would instead open with a smile and say, “Hi, what’s your name?”

Keeping this in mind, instead of prompting your user with the label “Full Name,” try something a little more personable, like, “What’s your name?”

I know that I’m going to be more concious now when creating my forms.  Read the full article….