Registration Form Design Tips and Guidelines 1. The form should be large enough to provide ample room for respondents to reply to each section clearly. 2. Savings in paper and printing costs are often negated in the end by the cost of cutting the form, and the loss of legible information. 3. Use a single size for the same type of entry form. This allows the individuals responsible for prepping the form for entry, to more efficiently process the form. 4. Avoid list type registrations. It is more effective to capture accurate data if there is one response to one piece of paper. 5. Label and clearly designate each section and field on the form. 6. Provide adequate space for respondent to legibly provide the information that you are requesting. 7. It is important to use a single, clear font on the form. 8. If the form requires instructions, disclosures or other information, provide them on back of the form rather than the front or on a tear off. When the tab is torn off it may damage the rest of the form. If this cannot be avoided, in case such as a business reply mail card, provide a pre-perfed form. 9. If you do print on the back, do not include response fields. The respondent will often miss them and it makes data entry less efficient. 10. Ask only for the information you need. The respondent s time is valuable; have them provide data that is important to you, rather than having them discard the form or returning it incomplete. Often, good demographic data is commercially available, if you have accurate contact info. 11. Response Fields: a. Name: Provide separate areas on the form for first name, last name and middle, if required. If some marketing offers will be based on gender, be sure to add a space for gender. b. Address: Provide separate areas for the street address, City, State and Zip Code. The Zip code should be formatted into 5 distinct spaces. The Zip code is the most important part of the address, as it can be the key to correcting an erroneous street name or appending a missing city and state.
c. Phone Number: Provide a region for the area code. In areas that do not have multiple area codes, the respondent often will often leave it off. d. E-mail: Often the e-mail is the most difficult on a form to capture accurately; it is also one of the most valuable pieces of data. It is very important to leave adequate room for a respondent to accurately provide this data. e. Free Responses: Avoid free responses questions if at all possible. People tend to avoid answering them or do not know how to respond, multiple-choice questions are more effective. f. Opt-in/Opt-out: Check Boxes work most effectively. Also, if they are required for the form to be valid, make sure that it is clear to your respondent. Provide an enticement for the respondent to Opt-in. g. Single character boxes are very effective tools to capture accurate information from the respondent. If they are used, be sure to provide more than adequate space for a full name and address, as well as email address. 12. Print on the information paper that is 24# or heavier. This makes handling the form easier. It also lessens the chance of tearing. 13. A sweepstakes or contest registration should include an address or toll-free phone number where a recipient can request to have his or her name removed from the mailing list. 14. In order to get accurate phone numbers and e-mails, the respondent should be clearly informed on how they will be used. If they are required, it should be stated clearly on the form. 15. Consider providing the respondent with a website allowing them to complete the form online. 16. I distributing more than one type of registration or entry form, differentiate them forms by making them different sizes and/or colors. 17. Barcodes may be used to assist in data entry, to allow for automatic identification or routing of a particular type of form. They may be use to identify different marketing programs or distribution channels. 18. Before printing and distributing the form: a. Proofread, correct any mistakes b. Have a number of people read and fill out the form. Ask for feedback and re-evaluate your form. c. Provide the form to your data entry personnel or vendor. They may also have valuable feedback.
Thank&you&for®istering&with&us!&&To&make&sure&we&record&your&information&accurately,&please&fill&out&the&form&below&in&blue&or&black&ink.&&Be&sure&to& complete&all&of&the&fields&so&that&we&may&provide&you&with&information&about&exclusive&store&events,&discounts&and&offers.&&you&may&also&fill&out&this& form&online&by&going&to&www.instoremarketing.com/register& First&Name Last&Name Address Apt&or&Suite&# City State Zip Birthday&(Day/Month) / Gender&(M&or&F)& Home&Phone ( ) A Mobile&Phone ( ) A Email&Address Email&Continued Is&this&your&first&visit&to&our&store?&(Y&or&N)& Check&the&box,&only&if&you&DO&NOT&wish&to& recive&any&information&from&us®arding& promotions,&special&events,&discounts,& offers&or&coupons&through&eamail. Check&the&box,&only&if&you&DO&NOT&wish&to& recive&any&information&from&us®arding& promotions,&special&events,&discounts,& offers&or&coupons&by&text&to&you&mobile& Please&see&reverse&side&for&terms,&conditions&and&information&about&our&privacy&policy&and&and&how&we&will&use&your&personal&information. Example 1: Registration Form with Single Character Boxes Thank&you&for®istering&with&us!&&To&make&sure&we&record&your&information&accurately,&please&fill&out&the&form&below&in& blue&or&black&ink.&&be&sure&to&complete&all&of&the&fields&so&that&we&may&provide&you&with&information&about&exclusive&store& events,&discounts&and&offers.&&you&may&also&fill&out&this&form&online&by&going&to&www.instoremarketing.com/register& First&Name Last&Name Address Apt&or&Suite&# City State Zip&& Birthday&(Day/Month) / Gender&(M&or&F)& Home&Phone ( )? Mobile&Phone ( )? Email&Address Is&this&your&first&visit&to&our&store?&(Y&or&N)& Check&the&box,&only&if&you&DO&NOT& wish&to&recive&any&information&from&us& regarding&promotions,&special&events,& discounts,&offers&or&coupons&through&e? Check&the&box,&only&if&you&DO&NOT& wish&to&recive&any&information&from&us& regarding&promotions,&special&events,& discounts,&offers&or&coupons&by&text& Please&see&reverse&for&terms,&conditions&and&information&about&our&privacy&policy&and&how&we&use&your&personal&information. Example 2: Registration Form with Lines and check boxes.
Example 3: Benefit Claim Form on a single sheet of paper with explicit instructions and signature required. The form utilizes single character boxes and clear field labels.
Voucher front page with Barcode assigning a unique ID to customer and identifying distribution point and Park. Voucher Form back single character boxes and specific terms and conditions Example 4: Season pass voucher was a two part form with a tear off that served as season pass which accompanied the form to capture customer information. Barcodes appeared on both the voucher and the pass for matching purposes.