We redesigned a confusing client intake form
Follow a field-by-field redesign of a fictional agency inquiry form, then download the improved questions and adapt them to your own workflow.
The original form
The fictional form asks for “Name,” “Tell us everything,” “Budget,” “All social links,” “Address,” “Phone,” “How did you hear about us?” and “Anything else?” Every field is required. It gives no indication of what happens after submission.
The problems are specific: an unbounded writing task, unnecessary early-stage information, duplicated open questions, and no response expectation. These are editorial observations; no abandonment-rate improvement has been measured.
The redesign decisions
| Original | Replacement | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Your name | Uses the respondent’s perspective. |
| Tell us everything | What are you trying to achieve? Add a short example. | Provides a clear writing task. |
| Budget | Planning range, with “Not sure yet” | Allows uncertainty without a false number. |
| Address and social links | Company / website, optional | Collects context without irrelevant detail. |
| Phone required | Email required; phone optional | Supports a reply with less unnecessary data. |
| Anything else? | Constraints or deadlines, optional | Adds a distinct purpose. |
The reusable question set
1. Your name (required). 2. Email for our reply (required). 3. Company or website (optional). 4. What would you like help with? (required; list your actual services). 5. What outcome are you aiming for? (required; short text). 6. Planning budget range (optional; include “Not sure yet”). 7. Target date or constraint (optional). 8. Anything we need to know before replying? (optional).
Suggested confirmation: “Thanks—we received your inquiry. [Team name] will review it and respond by [realistic timeframe]. For an urgent correction, use [monitored contact route].” Replace every bracket before publication and promise only a response time the team can meet.
Evaluate the change
Run the old and new forms through the migration checklist. Ask a colleague unfamiliar with the project to complete the new form using a synthetic scenario. Record questions they misunderstood and information the receiving team still needed.
If you later measure completion, report the period, visitor counts, traffic mix, and definition of completion. Fewer questions alone does not prove a better qualification process.
Your checklist
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