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You spent a lot of time, energy, and money getting visitors to your website and convincing them to complete one of your forms. But what happens after they click the submit button?<\/p>\n
You have to give them closure. They need to know that they submitted the form properly. You may also need to give them additional information or further steps to follow.<\/p>\n
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In this article, we\u2019re going to lay out post-submission options you can implement to ensure users have a healthy experience.<\/p>\n
[content_upgrade cu_id=”14876″]Free download: Form Post-Submission Checklist[content_upgrade_button]Click Here[\/content_upgrade_button][\/content_upgrade]<\/p>\n
There are three actions that can take place after a user submits a form: a confirmation message, a page redirect, and a notification email.<\/p>\n
A confirmation message is a simple message that appears on the user\u2019s screen near the form to give the user basic information. The purpose is to notify the user that the form was submitted properly. It can also be used to impart simple information.<\/p>\n
Here are some examples of common confirmation messages:<\/p>\n
The key to writing a great confirmation message is to keep things simple. This is not the place to write long explanations or give complex instructions. If you need to write more than two sentences, consider redirecting the user to another page rather than using a confirmation message.<\/p>\n
If you have to give instructions in your confirmation message, limit yourself to a single sentence. If you give multiple steps, there’s a good chance your users won’t follow them properly. If they leave the form\u2019s page, they\u2019ll have no way of re-enabling the confirmation message to re-read the steps.<\/p>\n
In Gravity Forms, you can edit a form\u2019s confirmation by clicking the Confirmations<\/strong> tab in the form\u2019s settings. Choose \u201ctext\u201d under Confirmation Type<\/strong> and write your message in the text field.<\/p>\n We supply a default message, but you can use the WYSIWYG editor to write anything you like. You can even add HTML and images to customize the message to your needs. For instance, you might include the profile picture of the salesman who will return their message.<\/p>\n If you have a lot of information to give the user, consider redirecting them to a new page. This is commonly referred to as a \u201cthank you page\u201d because the first words on the page typically thank the user.<\/p>\n Unlike your confirmation message, your redirect page isn\u2019t just a place to confirm the submission. This page is an opportunity to delight the user, add value, and encourage them to take additional actions with your business. You might ask them to\u2026<\/p>\n Take a look at this redirect page from Copyhackers. It quickly confirms the user\u2019s submission then moves them on to something new – a free gift! They give a free email template to entice you to sign up for a free trial of another product.<\/p>\n Digital Marketer has a simple and effective redirect page as well. They notify the user that their free content is on the way, then encourage them to take a look at a similar piece of content.<\/p>\n After registering for a Mary Fernandez webinar, she asks you to share it with your friends so they can join too. She gives you the opportunity to brag with a click of a button!<\/p>\n In Gravity Forms, you can select a redirect page by clicking the Confirmations<\/strong> tab in the form\u2019s settings. Choose \u201cPage\u201d or \u201cRedirect\u201d next to Confirmation Type<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The \u201cPage option\u201d displays a drop down menu where you can choose one of your existing WordPress pages. Use this option if the page is part of your WordPress site. If you ever change the URL of that page, this redirect will still work.<\/p>\n The \u201cRedirect\u201d option displays a simple text field where you can input any URL. Use this option if you want to redirect the user to another website.<\/p>\n No form would be complete with one or more email notifications<\/a>! These are pre-arranged emails sent from your WordPress backend upon a successful form submission. You can set them to send to the user, yourself, or anyone you wish.<\/p>\n Email is a personal way of communicating with your customers and subscribers. They are more likely to read the email than a confirmation message or even a thank you page. So if there\u2019s critical information you absolutely need them to know, include it in an automated email.<\/p>\n Furthermore, email notifications are great ways to establish an email-based conversation in the user\u2019s inbox. They grow accustomed to opening and reading your emails. They also signal to their email client that your address is safe.<\/p>\n An email notification is also a great tool to help the customer solve their own problems or find more value in their experience. For example, check out this AirBnB email. They let you know when someone will get back to you and offer some helpful articles that may solve your problem.<\/p>\n If you sell products through your form, you\u2019ll definitely want to use the email notification to serve as a receipt. This Taylor Stitch does a great job confirming the purchase, giving the buyer a record of important information, and giving the buyer the opportunity to take additional steps like track the order or return it.<\/p>\n In Gravity Forms, you can create email notifications by clicking the Notifications<\/strong> tab in the form\u2019s settings. The default Admin Notification is an email sent to WordPress administrator\u2019s address. It contains the information of all the fields for each submission. We recommend keeping this. Click Add New<\/strong> to make a new notification.<\/p>\n The next screen lets you create a new notification. Start by giving it a Name<\/strong>. The user doesn\u2019t see the notification\u2019s name. It\u2019s just to help you distinguish between notifications.<\/p>\n Follow these steps to complete the remaining fields of the notification email:<\/p>\n The post-submission action you choose for your form depends on the nature of your business and the type of information you need your users to know. While we can’t tell you which actions are right for your type of business, we can give you some guidelines.<\/p>\n Generally speaking, you don’t need both the confirmation message and the redirect. Most marketers use one or the other. If you simply want the user to know that you received their submission, a confirmation message is usually sufficient.<\/p>\n For example, a lawyer who collects leads on his site probably doesn\u2019t need to give users more than a \u201cThank you for contacting us. We\u2019ll reach out to you within 24 hours.\u201d There\u2019s not much more the lawyer can do until they know more about the cient and the case, so it\u2019s best to just thank the submitter and reach out to them later.<\/p>\n But a membership course creator may have a lot to say! He might want to give instructions for accessing his course, offer an affiliate code for members to give out, and ask for social media shares. That\u2019s far too much for an on-form confirmation message.<\/p>\n We recommend that every marketer send a notification email to the submitter. There\u2019s simply no downside. What you put in that email, however, will depend on the form and your business needs.<\/p>\n [content_upgrade cu_id=”14876″]Download our free guide to learn best practices for setting up your form’s post-submission actions.[content_upgrade_button]Click Here[\/content_upgrade_button][\/content_upgrade]<\/p>\n Just because you have their email address doesn\u2019t mean your work is done. Create closure for submitters by displaying an on-screen confirmation, redirecting them to a thank you page, and sending a notification email. This will create a complete, positive user experience.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"After](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-17-at-4.58.10-PM.png\")
<\/p>\n2. Redirect Page<\/h3>\n
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![\"After](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/copyhackers.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"After](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/digital-marketer.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"After](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/mary-fernandez.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"After](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-17-at-5.00.39-PM.png\")
<\/p>\n3. Email Notifications<\/h3>\n
![\"After](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/airbnb-email.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"After](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/taylor-stitch-email.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"After](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/email-notification-1.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"After](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/email-notification-2.png\")
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Which Post-Submission Action is Right for You?<\/h2>\n
Key Takeaway<\/h2>\n
![\"Gravity](\"https:\/\/www.gravityforms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Gravity-Forms-Newsletter-1.png\")
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