10 Best Online Forms for Small Businesses

November 26, 2024 |
7 min read

an illustration of best online forms for small business

Running a small business can feel like juggling a million things at once. Whether you are handling customer questions, gathering feedback, or processing orders, online forms make things much easier. They save time, keep things organized, and help you stay professional.

Let’s dive into why online forms are so essential for small businesses and explore the best types of forms you need to succeed. We’ll also show how Formester can help you create these forms effortlessly.

Why Are Online Forms Important for Small Businesses?

Online forms aren’t just for big corporations. For small businesses, they’re game-changers. Here’s why:

  • Saves Time: Instead of endless phone calls or back-and-forth emails, forms gather information quickly and accurately.

  • Professionalism: A clean, easy-to-use form shows you’re serious about your business.

  • Efficiency: Forms streamline tasks like lead generation, customer support, or booking appointments.

  • 24/7 Accessibility: Your forms are always available, even when you’re not.

  • Data Collection: Forms organize and store data, giving you insights into your customers and business.

With tools like Formester, creating these forms is as simple as dragging and dropping.

Best Online Forms for Small Businesses

Here's a list of the best online forms for small businesses and how they can make your life easier.

1. Contact Forms

a screenshot of formester's contact form

A contact form allows potential customers to reach out with questions or feedback. It's for anyone who wants to make it easy for customers to get in touch.

Use it on your website or landing pages to make sure customers can contact you without searching for your email or phone number.

Best For:

  • Businesses that want to make it easy for customers to reach them.
  • Reducing spam and unwanted emails.
  • Staying on top of customer inquiries in one place.
  • Building trust by showing you're approachable and responsive.

2. Lead Generation Forms

a screenshot of formester's lead generation form

Lead generation forms collect contact details from people interested in your services or products. It’s ideal for businesses looking to grow their customer base.

Use these forms on your website, in pop-ups, or at the end of blog posts to capture leads and build your email list.

Best For:

  • Turning website visitors into potential customers.
  • Building a solid list of contacts for marketing campaigns.
  • Gaining insights into who is interested in your products or services.
  • Growing your business by nurturing leads for future sales.

3. Order Forms

a screenshot of formester's order form

Order forms allow customers to place orders directly on your website. It's great for businesses that sell products or services online. Use it on your eCommerce site or product pages to speed up the order process.

Best For:

  • Streamlining the purchasing process and reducing checkout time.
  • Reducing mistakes in manual orders.
  • Offering a smooth way to upsell products or add extras to orders.
  • Providing a simple, secure way to accept payments online.

4. Feedback Forms

a screenshot of formester's feedback form

Feedback forms collect customer opinions on your services or products. It’s for businesses that want to improve based on real customer feedback.

Send it to customers after a purchase or interaction to get honest feedback on their experience.

Best For:

  • Finding out what your customers like and what can be improved.
  • Building stronger customer relationships by listening to their feedback.
  • Identifying areas where your business can grow or upgrade.
  • Showing customers you value their opinions and care about their experience.

5. Registration Forms

a screenshot of formester's registration form

Registration forms collect information from participants who sign up for events or webinars. It's useful for businesses hosting events, workshops, or online sessions.

Use it on event landing pages or when hosting webinars to collect attendee details.

Best For:

  • Managing event sign-ups and tracking participants.
  • Reducing the hassle of manually collecting registration details.
  • Customizing the form to collect any extra info you need, like session preferences.
  • Allowing for easy payment collection if the event is paid.

6. Survey Forms

a screenshot of formester's survey form

Survey forms gather opinions and data from your customers or employees. It’s for businesses looking to understand their audience better.

Use it to get feedback about your products, services, or customer satisfaction. Send it through email or link it on your website.

Best For:

  • Making data-driven decisions based on real customer feedback.
  • Measuring customer satisfaction with surveys like NPS (Net Promoter Score).
  • Gathering ideas for new products or services.
  • Understanding customer preferences to guide your business strategy.

7. Appointment Forms

a screenshot of formester's appointment booking form

Appointment forms allow customers to schedule appointments directly through your website. It's great for service-based businesses like salons, clinics, or consultants.

Use it on your website for customers to book services at their convenience, or integrate it with your calendar.

Best For:

  • Reducing scheduling conflicts and managing bookings easily.
  • Offering customers a flexible way to book at their preferred time.
  • Sending automatic reminders to reduce no-shows.
  • Integrating with payment systems for deposits or full payments.

8. Application Forms

a screenshot of formester's application form

Application forms collect details from job applicants, vendors, or contest participants. It's perfect for businesses hiring staff or accepting submissions.

Use it on your career page for job applicants or during contests to collect participant information.

Best For:

  • Streamlining recruitment and application processes.
  • Gathering all necessary details in one place for quick review.
  • Keeping track of applications with easy-to-use management tools.
  • Collecting file attachments, like resumes or portfolios, directly through the form.

9. Referral Forms

a screenshot of formester's referral form

Referral forms allow your customers or partners to recommend your business to others. It's great for businesses relying on word-of-mouth marketing.

Use it on your website or in follow-up emails to encourage happy customers to refer others.

Best For:

  • Encouraging existing customers to help you grow your business.
  • Tracking referrals and rewarding those who refer new clients.
  • Reducing marketing costs by using the power of word-of-mouth.
  • Building a community of loyal customers who trust your business.

a screenshot of formester's consent form

Consent forms gather permission from customers to use their data or images. It's essential for businesses that need to comply with privacy laws like GDPR.

Use these forms when collecting sensitive customer data or photos, or before sending marketing emails.

Best For:

  • Ensuring you're legally protected by collecting proper consent.
  • Building trust with customers by showing you respect their privacy.
  • Staying compliant with data protection laws like GDPR.
  • Making it easy for customers to agree to terms, either by checkbox or digital signature.

Why Use Formester to Create These Forms?

Formester makes creating online forms easy and fast, so you can focus on growing your business. Here’s why it’s perfect for small businesses:

  • Easy to Use, No Technical Skills Needed

No tech skills needed! With Formester’s drag-and-drop builder, you can create any form, whether it’s a contact form, survey, or registration form, quickly and easily.

  • Fully Customizable

Every business is different. Formester lets you customize your forms to fit your needs, so you can collect exactly what you need in a way that matches your brand.

  • Save Time with Automation

Automate follow-ups with email autoresponder, and send personalized messages to the right person.

  • Boost Customer Engagement with AI Forms

Create personalized forms with AI that change based on user answers. This makes your forms more engaging and helps you gather better data.

  • Collect Payments Securely

Easily accept payments through PayPal, Stripe, and other gateways. Collect payments directly in your forms for orders, bookings, and events.

  • Easy Integrations

Formester works with tools like Mailchimp and HubSpot, syncing your form data directly with your marketing and CRM platforms.

  • Affordable

Formester is affordable and offers powerful features without breaking the bank, perfect for small businesses.

Summary

Online forms simplify and improve small business operations. From capturing leads to collecting payments, these forms work behind the scenes to save you time, reduce errors, and keep customers happy.

With Formester, you get an easy-to-use form builder that covers all your needs. Whether it’s contact, order, feedback, or registration forms. Plus, features like AI Form Generator, conditional logic, and payment integration make it a standout choice for small businesses.

Ready to create your first form? Sign up for Formester and experience the difference!

Create your first form for free

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