Online form analysis - What to measure and how to do it
Online form tracking and analysis is somewhat nascent to say the least. A quick search on Google yields little on the subject beyond the odd discussion group. However, UK-based solutions provider Speed Trap has recently included the functionality in its Prophet E-Business Intelligence Suite. Prescience or wishful thinking? We think prescience: the form tracking industry seems here to stay. After all, it’s another way that the web can measure marketing initiatives in a way that offline programs cannot.
This article introduces the online form tracking market at its earliest stage, and identifies the needs and measures for form tracking as a subset of web analytics.
KEY ISSUES
Important function for online presence
Form filling plays a significant role for most websites. Often a form is an important market research tool or a key lead generator for further offline and online marketing initiatives. They help you learn about user needs and better shape products or services for them.
However, they are often perceived as the bane of web user’s existence, getting in the way and obstructing them from the content they want.
Given this dichotomy – and the ongoing necessity of online forms – the need to optimise online form usage and fulfillment has never been greater.
What to measure
The items to track a form can be group into four areas: Form Fulfillment, Form Failure, Form Abandonment and Form View Only. The relevant factors to measure vary, but generally include questions that need to be answered as to why a form is completed or not.
Form Fulfillment - The form is completed and submitted with no problems. One or two attempts may have occurred, but you collect the minimum information required. Relevant factors include:
- How long did it take to complete?
- How much information over the minimum was collected?
- Did the form fill sequence work?
- Where was the information entered first?
- What optional fields were left vacant?
Form Failure - The form is completed or partially finished but no acknowledgement from the site that the form was submitted, likely rendering the data lost. This can occur with people who are less web savvy, or if the ’submit’ button is harder to find. Relevant factors include:
- What information/fields were entered?
- What sequence was used?
- Not entered
- Design/layout
- Browser compatibility
- Use of autofill
Form Abandonment - The form is attempted but abandoned. No attempt to submit. Relevant factors include:
- What information was entered?
- What sequence is used?
- Form length
- Labeling
- Design layout
- Incentives
- Use of autofill
- Distractions
- Security Concerns
Form View Only - A user has merely viewed the form and clicked away. Relevant factors include:
- What sequence is used?
- Form length
- Labeling and/or instructional copy
- Design layout
- Incentives
- Distractions
- Security Concerns
Build or buy
Preliminary research revealed that the preference in the early days (a few years ago) for form tracking was to purpose-build an application. This was mainly because few solutions existed in the marketplace. Today, purchased applications are winning favour and those with an understanding of form tracking’s importance are leaning that way.
Mike Keyes, of Minneapolis-based web marketing consultancy Ciceron, said he built a tracking application several years ago, but plans to replace it with a purchased solution. “We realised there was no way for us to cost-effectively keep up with the innovation that is occurring in the industry right now,” said Mr Keyes.
Jim Cuene ,who works for a large financial services company, said has been looking for a form tracking tool for some time. He had previously used Atlas Net Conversions usability service but felt it was cost prohibitive. “It’s ( Atlas) a great snapshot of how forms are used, but it is too expensive,” said Mr. Cuene.
Consequently the buy option in relation to form tracking is becoming more realisable as the need for overall ‘out of the box’ web analytics solutions grow. Providers such as Web Side Story (HBX On Demand) and Speed Trap are including form tracking as part of a fully featured web analytics package.
Thus as the cost comes down and the functionality increases, the buy option is fast becoming a no-brainer.
FORM TRACKING SOLUTIONS
We need more space to describe Speed Trap’s solution, because it seems to be the only provider with a targeted service to track forms, offered as part of its Prophet e-business intelligence suite. Called Form Intelligence (FI), the application helps business decision makers understand how users interact (or not) with the online form and use the information to reach conclusions.
Simon Burton, VP of sales at Speed Trap, said that FI markets itself as a simple “one tag does it all” solution. It’s goal is to provide a complete picture by monitoring every visitor as they complete the information (rather than sampling). Furthermore, FI can capture real time forms that have been partially completed or abandoned. The program has a dashboard interface addressing information such as number of attempts, time to complete or abandonment rate, for example. An interesting function is the ability to monitor the number of fields that have to be re-entered, showing possible confusion with labeling among users. Sessions can also be replayed like a video.
Speed Trap offers an ASP service and a stand alone license. Apparently the program can be implemented in a manner of minutes because of the so-called “one tag” function.
CONCLUSION
Form tracking is an important subset of web analytics, and it is starting to take shape. Market leaders in web analytics solutions are initially seeing the need to not only include the function, but promote as a useful functionality. Speed Trap seems to have a head start in aligning its brand with the practice of form tracking. But all the major vendors are sure to be watching closely to see the response.
As competition proliferates, developing solutions in-house will become redundant simply because “out of the box” solutions are cheaper and usually more innovative. As always with the web analytics industry, vendor consolidation should occur. However form tracking should play an ever more important role in product sets and marketing tactics in the future, no matter who leads the industry.