Tips on creating the ultimate feedback form

Dated Thursday December 26, 2013

Feedback forms have not made it into the standard list of essential components for a website, like a dedicated homepage, contact page or search function. This is a shame, because they play a vital role in improving your website and getting it better tuned towards your targeted audience. If you see a feedback form in this perspective it suddenly because more then a simple add-on. It becomes a valuable part of your website you want to get right.

Ask the right questions

• Ask no more questions then needed to process the feedback. Your hunger for information may refrain visitors from using the feedback form.

• Make no or only a few fields required. If you think about it, only the feedback field itself is essential to get feedback from visitors.

• Do not ask visitors to categorize. These are people who want to help you, they did not sign up to be your secretary for free.

Keep it in context

• Do not send the visitor to another page. He might be referring to a text or an bug on the page. It help if he/she can still see it while writing the feedback.

• If possible track the url, page or product the visitor was reading when sending the feedback. This gives you background information on the question or feedback.

• If possible track the device, os and browser the visitor was using. This can help you recreate a bug a visitor experienced.

Make It visible

• Make sure the feedback stands out on the website. Do not make it blend in to perfectly for aesthetic reasons.

• Do not make the visitor scroll to get to the button

• Have it separate from the website menu

Make sure it works properly

• Test the form in all browsers

• Test the form on mobile and tablets

• Test for specials characters (i.e. ë)

Give the right feedback on the feedback

• After submitted, thank the visitor for is feedback (even though it might be rubbish)

• Be clear on how the feedback is processed. Tell them if you intend to send replies, and if so, within how many days.

Use the feedback

After getting the feedback form just right, feedback should be coming in. Don't put all the feedback in a to-do list you'll never look at again. These are suggestions from the people you intend to reach. Each feedback should be followed by one of these actions:

• A bug is reported: fix it!

• A useful suggestion for improving the website is given: use it to improve your website

• A less useful suggestion for improving the website is given: thank the visitor and explain why you will not use the suggestion. The discussion can clarify his view and give you an idea on improving the website on an other level

• Feedback on a article is given: use it to improve the quality of the article or for the start of a follow up article

Appreciate every feedback you receive. Do not think you know better and your visitors should keep their opinions to themselves. If you didn't create the website for them, for whom did you create it?

Add a feedback form to your website

You don't have a feedback form on your website? Use our feedback form builder to create one. These feedback forms are compatible with every CMS (like Wordpress, Yoomla, Magento, Drupal) and website that don't use a CMS.

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