What are Smart Forms? Types, Benefits and A Guide to Creating One

Smart forms take away the slightest effort from your data collection process!

Imagine the time when there were no online data collection tools! Isn’t even the thought of being stuck within a pile of documents itself tiring? Knowing your way through digital forms is a must now. But I’m pretty sure, it can be confusing for some of us (and, that’s quite normal.)

Maybe this blog can help. We will look into the meaning, the types of forms used, their benefits, how they work, and the easiest way to create one with SurveySparrow!

Oh, and I have added a free Smart Form template (and then a few more) if you want to try it out.

Let’s get started!

What are Smart Forms?

Smart forms are online forms that let you collect and store data electronically. They are different from ordinary forms in terms of interactive elements and advanced customization options such a branching and logic. With the right questions, you can improve completion rate and collect relevant information.

Simply put, it is like your digital assistant! The first thing that comes to my mind is a scene from the movie, The Intern.

Do you remember how happy Jules (Anne Hathaway) was when her assistant Ben (Robert De Niro) cleared up the messy (Oh boy, was that messy!) table? That is exactly what a smart form does. It saves you a ton of time by automating routine tasks and letting you focus on those aspects that need immediate attention.

But again, data collection is a tedious process and you can’t really guarantee a hundred percent completion rate. What if I tell you can get a 40% higher response rate, though? Yes, it is possible with a conversational smart form!

Check out this sample template made with SurveySparrow for a second…

(Feel free to customize it if you like it)

The forms and surveys made with SurveySparrow use advanced conditional logic such as skip and display logic, and question piping. This makes sure that only the questions relevant to the respondent is shown, that too based on the previous answers.

Plus, there are 1000+ pre-designed templates that you can customize to your heart’s desire! They are image, video and GIF supported and you can change the color, font, and add your logo for a personalized experience.

Oh, that’s not it! If you’re in your creative mood, you can craft a form from scratch with the drag-and-drop builder. You won’t get lost in there, I promise you- it’s that easy!

 

Why don’t we get going and learn more about it?

Must-Have Features for Smart Forms

There are a few elements and components a form must have in order make itself into an extremely useful asset. Well, to begin with, it just has to be smart!

• Advanced Conditional Logic and Question Piping is the first must-have. You can easily personalize the forms by showing questions that apply to your audience and skipping the unwanted ones. This is done based on the previous answer given by the respondent.
• Next up is the ability to validate the fields. We can’t really sit and check the values entered in each of the fields, can we? A smart form will then check the values before accepting them.
• Must support multiple format file upload. There might be times when certain questions cannot be answered with just a click. In such cases, the respondent must be allowed to upload a file.
• It should be dynamic with advanced customization and design options. This may include multiple question types, fields or colors and fonts.

There can be many more such elements apart from these, the more the merrier! This will determine how smart a smart form is!

Different Types of Smart Forms

There are many, I tell you. But these three types stand out!

The first is…

Application Forms

They are used when you have to seek new opportunities, whether it is for a job, education, or related to finance.

It must have fields that capture basic details about you, including your name, educational qualifications, and other aspects that validate your identity. An application form is used by every industry, regardless of the use case.

Registration Forms

These forms are meant to show your participation for an event or program. These forms would typically have fields to collect contact information- your name, address, contact number and probably a field to collect money in case it is a paid event.

Order Forms

You might have seen this the most in restaurants or while ordering something online from a website. Order forms take details about the order, delivery and might include product description.

Typically the fields include contact information, order details, payment information, and order summary.

Now it’s time to move on to the…

Benefits of Using Smart Forms

Digital forms have saved loads of my time, money, and effort. It’s like getting a third hand and a second brain! Do you get what I mean? Let me make it clear with a few reasons.

Gives Accurate Data

With data validation and advanced features like mandatory fields, they increase the accuracy of the collected data. The ability to eliminate incorrect data will save you time and energy.

You need not spend hours cross-checking information or removing invalid ones. The form will do the job for you!

Improves Efficiency

Well, when you have a capable assistant to help you out in times of need, it is a given that efficiency will improve. It will reduce the time required for data collection and cut costs by automating data entry!

Organized Data

Online form builders come with built-in data analytics and reporting features. This makes it easy for you to assess as the data will be made available without any hassle.

Higher Completion Rate

Conditional logic has a powerful role to play here. With a personalized form, the engagement rate will increase automatically as only the right questions get pushed toward the respondent. Plus, a conversational approach will keep them hooked.

How to Create a Smart Form

Here are a few best practices, or I’d say a checklist you can follow.

First, you need to…

1. Fix Your Goal: Why do you need a form? What is the objective that you want to achieve? If you have numerous requirements, which one do you want to prioritize? Find answers to these questions and come to a conclusion first.
2. Decide the Type of Form: Is it a registration form, application, contact, feedback or an order form you need? This decision is possible only when you know your objective.
3. Choose a Tool: Decide which form builder you want to invest in. An advanced tool such as SurveySparrow might be the one for you. It is easy to use, affordable and feature rich!
4. Create the Form: You can choose to create one from scratch or customize a pre-designed template. Remember to add multiple field types and interactive elements to make it engaging.
5. Integrate and Roll it out: Share the survey after connecting with third-party tools that can streamline your workflow.

Oh, wait! Once you decide on the type of form, say you chose SurveySparrow as your form builder.

How to Create Smart Forms with SurveySparrow

It’s pretty easy with the drag-and-drop builder. Moreover, there are 1000+ pre-designed templates that you can customize and make your own. Here’s how you do it…

Step 1: Log in to your Account

Enter your credentials and log in to your SurveySparrow account right away.

Don’t have one? Then, perhaps now is the perfect time! Sign up for a 14-day free trial and get started.

Step 2: Create

If you’re in the mood to create one from scratch, feel free to do so. It’s quite easy! You’ll become a pro after your first form. Take my word for it! All you need to do is to click on (+)New Survey and go with the flow.

To work on a template, just tap on Browse Classic Templates and choose one that fits the bill.

Now, say you decide to work on the template attached above. The next step is to…

Step 3: Customize

You can compress, expand, rephrase, or reword the pre-populated questions with the AI-Wing feature. Remove the ones that you don’t need and add new questions that apply.

Here’s how you do it…

And that’s it!

Step 4: Integrate and Share

Your Smart form is hot and ready!

Oh, wait! before you share, connect it with any of the third-party integration from the vast list. You can choose Mailchimp, Zapier, Zendesk or Google Analytics for that matter.

Next up, it’s time to reach your audience. Share the form via any of your preferred channels- SMS, WhatsApp, Email, or social media platforms. You can also embed the form on your website so that the visitors can easily access it.

Did you think we would leave you stranded after form creation? Not a chance!

Once you collect the data and visualize them on the Dashboard. You can also use the advanced analytics tools.

Wasn’t that easy? If at all you feel confused at a given point, feel free to reach out to the support team.

Phew! Now it’s time to…

Wrap Up!

So, what’s the wait for? Create a smart form right away and start collecting valuable data. Now that you know the meaning, types, benefits, and the easiest way to craft one, it’s time to dive deep. Always remember to use the right tool. And, never forget to mix the questions up. We don’t want bored respondent’s now, do we?

Happy Exploring!