Published Nov 9, 2023 ⦁ 5 min read

Form Making Software Streamlines Data Collection

Introduction to Form Making Software

Form making software provides an easy way for businesses, organizations, and individuals to create customized online forms to collect information from users. Compared to traditional paper forms, online forms created through form builders offer significant advantages in reach, convenience, and data management. As interactions continue moving online, the ability to quickly build forms to capture user data is becoming increasingly important.

Form makers eliminate the need for any coding or development work to create forms. Their drag-and-drop editors and form templates enable anyone to build customized forms tailored to their specific needs. Created forms can be easily embedded on websites, distributed via links and QR codes, or accessed through centralized form dashboards.

Key benefits of using dedicated form making software include:

What are the Benefits of Using Form Builders?

  • Saves enormous amounts of time compared to building forms from scratch
  • Provides intuitive drag-and-drop editors to customize forms
  • Offers templates for common form types like contact forms, surveys, quizzes, etc.
  • Allows adding advanced logic like branching questions or calculations
  • Enables easy distribution of forms via links, embeds, QR codes, etc.
  • Facilitates data collection in a centralized dashboard
  • Integrates with workflows, databases, analytics, and other business systems
  • Optimizes forms for any device - desktop, mobile, tablet

With the flexibility to create forms exactly tailored to specific needs, form builders have become invaluable for streamlining data collection across diverse industries and use cases.

Comparing Top Form Building Tools

There are many excellent form building tools available today. Here is an overview comparing some of the top options:

Tool Ease of Use Customization Integrations Price
JotForm Intuitive drag-and-drop builder Wide range of form customization options Zapier, Paypal, MailChimp, etc. Free to $39/mo
Typeform Very simple, minimal interface Design focused on aesthetics over logic Zapier, Slack, Hubspot $35/mo
Wufoo Quick template-based builder Community form templates MailChimp, Paypal, Zapier $15/mo
Google Forms Very easy, built into Google Drive Basic customization Google Workspace integrations Free
Formstack More complex but powerful Advanced logic and options 1000+ integrations $24/user/mo

When evaluating form builders, consider how they align with your use case's complexity, design needs, integration requirements, and budget. Testing out a few options first can help determine the best fit.

Real World Examples and Use Cases

Form software caters to nearly any use case involving data collection:

  • Contact Forms - HubSpot uses Typeform to capture sales leads from website visitors.

  • Event Registration - Workshops.com uses JotForm for online event and course signups.

  • Customer Surveys - Intercom surveys customers through Typeform to guide product decisions.

  • Quizzes & Tests - Udemy assesses students' coding skills using Formstack quizzes.

  • Job Applications - Lever integrates Formstack into its recruiting and hiring workflows.

  • Payments - Wix collects payments via Stripe by embedding JotForm checkout forms.

  • Compliance - Healthcare clinics use HIPAA compliant Wufoo forms for patient intake.

The robust customization provided by form makers allows optimizing data collection for virtually any scenario.

Key Form Customization Options

Modern form builders provide extensive options to customize forms according to specific needs:

  • Question Types - Forms can include various question types like single/multiple textboxes, multiple choice, ratings, rankings, file uploads, and more.

  • Branching Logic - Show or hide questions selectively based on previous responses using branching logic. This allows creating intuitive, adaptive forms that change based on user input.

  • Look & Feel - Customize colors, fonts, themes to match brand identity. Drag-and-drop editor makes styling intuitive.

  • Calculations - Perform calculations or assign scores based on responses. Useful for quizzes, surveys, assessments.

  • Data Validation - Apply validations and constraints on responses, like number ranges, required fields, or text formats.

  • Confirmations - Customize confirmation messages shown after a user completes the form.

Advanced form builders provide robust options to tailor forms to exact requirements without any coding needed.

Tips for Creating Effective Online Forms

Here are some tips for designing forms that deliver great results:

  • Focus forms on clear goals and include only essential questions. Avoid overly long forms.

  • Organize questions thoughtfully with branching logic to create intuitive flows.

  • Optimize forms for mobile completion. Use responsive layouts.

  • Send confirmation emails and follow-ups to users after they submit a form.

  • Integrate forms with databases, analytics, workflows to manage submissions.

  • Test forms thoroughly before launch. Iterate based on user feedback.

  • Promote forms effectively through multiple channels to drive responses.

  • Make sure forms are easy to access on mobile devices for maximum reach.

  • Include progress indicators and provide clear next steps to keep users engaged.

Well-designed forms that deliver a smooth user experience result in higher quality data that provides meaningful insights.

Quickly Build Custom Forms with DevHunt

The wide range of form builders featured on DevHunt provide an easy way to create optimized online forms for your needs and integrate them into your tech stack. With the ability to embed forms anywhere or distribute them via links, DevHunt makes form building accessible to anyone looking to streamline data collection.

Check out the top-rated form software on DevHunt to find the right solution tailored to your use case, budget, and technical requirements. The intuitive drag-and-drop form creators eliminate the need for any development work to build fully customized forms. Sign up in minutes to start capturing user data seamlessly.