College Station Web DesignSign-up forms are used in many ways by serving as a unique way for users to exchange information with website owners. The distinction between a log-in and a sign-up form is that the former is a page that contains fields for an email or user name and password to log-in to a website in order to perform certain functions or gain certain privileged information. The latter is a page with fields that gather certain contact information from visitors to establish an continuing online relationship; it should be developed in a way to entice potential visitors to complete the form. Web design College Station experts suggest that these two essential elements must be optimized so that completion is easy for any visitor.

Form Completion Tips

Below are a few ways to use the basic parts of a sign-up to encourage users to complete the forms.

  • User Name – It is common for most sign-ups to solicit unique names that can be used to later log into the site. Typically, this consumes time since a user has to think of a name that hasn’t already been taken. It can be a trial-and-error process just to find one that is unique. Instead of initially asking for a user name, this detail can be solicited after successful completion of the form.
  • Password – It is customary to input a password twice for authentication and security reasons. This avoids most typing errors in the field that could lock out a user from a new account. The most efficient action is to simply ask the user to type it once that is visible to them and then a second time that is not visible to be sure it is correct. A web design college station developer can help plan and design such an option.
  • Address – When a sign-up form includes a spot to fill in a home or billing address, it is ideal to auto-populate the city and state fields through a zip code which makes the process so much easier for a user. The best way to complete the country field is have an auto-complete that presents countries in a convenient drop-down list when a few letters are typed in. When a customer is purchasing products, a check box can be included to provide users the option of make a shipping address the same as the billing address.

Form Optimization Tips

Below are a few aspects that can be used to optimize log-in forms:

  • Use Email Address – Let visitors log-in using an email address that is much easier to recall than a name.
  • Sign-in Pop-up – Create a pop-up, modal window, or drop down box to allow visitors to log in on any page anywhere on the website, avoiding having to go back to the homepage.
  • Auto-Highlight – It will save time and effort to auto-highlight the email field to allow users to type in their email without clicking or hovering on the field.
  • Visible Password – Provide an option to unmask the password to let users know what characters have been typed before resubmitting it.
  • Question Mark – A question mark symbol can be used as a password recovery link instead of using the phrase “Forgot password.”
  • Submit Button – The submit button should be the same size as the text field.

One of the primary goals of making a business website is to entice potential customers to sign-up. Such pages are a common concept and should be optimized with simplicity in mind. Implementing innovative ways to simplify sign-ups and log-ins can help potential consumers easily use the website and enjoy the products being offered.

Web Design College Station Can Help Design Sign-Up Forms That Work!

Does your website have a sign-up form that needs some updating? Call College Station Web Design at 979-217-1406 for help in getting a sign-up form gathering the leads that you need!