The request form: how many fields and what to ask
The form is the last step before an enquiry, and it is where most of the people who were ready to write get lost. Every extra field costs you a share of enquiries, and a broken submission costs you all of them — with the acquisition money already spent.
Two fields are enough: name and phone. Everything else is asked in the conversation, once contact has been made. Above all, check that the form actually submits from a phone and that the email does not land in spam — this is the most common and most expensive fault: the advertising works and the requests simply never arrive.
In this article8 sections
How many fields
Every field is a decision the person has to make. The rule is simple: ask only for what you need in order to call back.
| Field | Needed? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | To address them in the call |
| Phone | Yes | The main way to make contact |
| Messenger | Preferably | Some people never pick up |
| City | Sometimes | If you work in several |
| Convenient time | Sometimes | For niches with a busy audience |
| Rarely | Only if you really send letters | |
| Patronymic | No | Never needed to make a call |
| Description of the task | No | Asked in the conversation |
| Budget | No | Puts people off before contact |
Everything you do not ask in the form, you will ask in the conversation — and there people answer willingly, because contact has already begun.
What to put on the button
The wording on the button changes conversion more than its colour and size. What works is anything that lowers the sense of commitment.
- Weak: «Submit», «Order», «Leave a request».
- Stronger: «Find out the price», «Get an estimate», «Ask a question».
- Stronger still: with a timeframe — «We reply within 15 minutes».
- Bad: «Buy» on a form that is not a purchase — a broken expectation.
What to write next to the form
Three short lines remove most of the doubt before the click.
- What happens next: «we call back within 15 minutes during working hours».
- What will not happen: «we do not call repeatedly and do not pass on your details».
- What is in it for them: «we will tell you the price range and timelines, with no obligation».
The form on a phone
More than half of requests come from phones, and that is exactly where the form is most often awkward. Check on a real device, not in a browser emulator.
- The phone field opens a numeric keyboard, not a letter one.
- Autofill works: the browser inserts name and number from memory.
- Field height is at least 44 pixels — otherwise they are hard to hit.
- The submit button is not covered by the keyboard.
- The form can be filled in with one hand, with no horizontal scrolling.
- After submission there is a confirmation, not a blank screen.
Why requests never arrive
The most galling fault: the advertising works, the person filled in the form, and nobody saw the enquiry. The causes repeat from site to site.
| Cause | How to check | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The email lands in spam | Send a test request | Send from the site's own domain |
| Nobody reads the inbox | Ask who actually opens it | Duplicate to a messenger |
| The form fails silently | Test from a phone | Show the error explicitly |
| A captcha blocks people | Fill it in yourself | Remove it if there is no real spam |
| The script broke after an update | Check after every change | Set a weekly check |
Make it a rule to send a test request from a phone once a week and time the callback. It takes thirty seconds and regularly turns up something unpleasant.
Captchas and spam protection
A captcha filters out not only bots but also some people — especially older ones and anyone in a hurry. It is worth adding only when spam is genuinely a problem.
- First try a hidden honeypot field: bots fill it in, people never see it.
- Rate limiting per address solves most of the problem.
- If you do need a captcha, choose an invisible one, not pictures of buses.
- Never add a captcha «just in case» while there is no spam.
Consent to data processing
A form collects personal data, so two things are required: a consent checkbox and a page with your processing policy. That is a legal requirement, not a formality.
- The checkbox must not be pre-ticked — the person ticks it themselves.
- A link to the policy beside it, opening in a new tab.
- The text should be short and clear, without a paragraph of legal construction.
- The fact of consent is worth storing along with the request.
Alternatives to a form
Some people never fill in forms on principle. It helps to have other routes alongside.
- A messenger button — the lowest barrier, and replies can come gradually.
- A tappable phone number — on mobile it accounts for a noticeable share of enquiries.
- A callback request — works in niches where speaking is the norm.
- Live chat — only if someone genuinely answers within a minute.
What matters is not the number of channels but whether they work. Five contact options where only two get answered are worse than two that do.
Frequent questions
How many fields are optimal?
Two: name and phone. Three if you genuinely need the city or a convenient time. Every field beyond that costs you a share of enquiries.
Do we need an email field?
Only if you really send letters. In most services it is redundant: contact happens by phone or messenger.
Form or messenger — which is better?
Both. A form is more familiar to an older audience, a messenger to a younger one and to anyone who does not want to talk. Count them separately: the quality of enquiries usually differs.
How do we tell the form is losing requests?
Send a test request from a phone and check whether it arrived and how long the callback took. If analytics shows noticeably more conversions than real enquiries, requests are being lost somewhere.
Do we need a captcha?
Only with real spam. It also cuts off live people, so it is treatment for an existing problem, not prevention.
What should be shown after submission?
A short confirmation stating when you will call back. A blank screen or a page reload leaves the person unsure whether the request went through.
The materials answer general questions. We will look at your specific case — free and without obligation.