Boosting Client Engagement with User-Friendly Intake Forms

Intake forms serve an important purpose in many businesses - they allow you to collect key information about a new client or customer during the onboarding process. However, poorly designed forms can frustrate users, damage the client relationship from the very first interaction, and fail to capture the data you really need.

Here are some tips on creating user-friendly intake forms that boost engagement:

Keep it short and concise

Long, complex forms are intimidating and off-putting for users. Try to only ask for the essential information you really need at this stage. Additional details can be collected at a later point once the client is onboarded.

Use clean, intuitive formatting

Large blocks of text are difficult to parse. Break the form down into short, logically grouped sections with plenty of white space between. Use headings and bullet points to make it easy to scan.

Explain why each input is needed

Providing context reduces frustration and gives the user confidence that you will handle their data responsibly. For sensitive items like financial information, a brief note explaining how it will be used can set clients at ease.

Allow multiple input formats

Not everyone's contact data looks the same. Allow phone numbers with and without dashes, website URLs with "http://" prepended or not, etc. Flexibility reduces errors and completion friction.

Test and iterate based on feedback

No amount of careful design replaces getting actual users to complete your intake workflow. Identify pain points through moderated testing and continue refining.

Taking the time to craft client intake forms may not seem mission critical, but it has an outsized impact on conversion rates and long term customer satisfaction. A few simple UX principles can transform what is usually a mundane process into a delight.