Anyone running an online business will know the importance of offering visitors (read: potential customers) a seamless checkout experience. Aside from your sales copy, it’s the single most important means of generating direct revenue for your online business. Out of the box, WordPress doesn’t give you the option to create forms, this will require the installation of a plugin. In this tutorial, we will be creating a simple order form in WordPress using the Gravity Forms plugin which is commercially available for around $39 for an individual license and up to $199 for a developer license. However, in the interest of impartiality, I’d like to point out there are several other free and almost free solutions available which all have their advantages and disadvantages compared to Gravity Forms. Some of these include:
- Ninja Forms is one of the main competitors to Gravity Forms and is free for the base version. However, if you want additional functionality, such as PayPal checkout and MailChimp/AWeber options, you could be paying around $199 for the add-ons.
- WordPress Form Manger is another popular, and completely free option. However, it has very limited functionality compared to the paid versions and is suitable for those looking to implement the simplest forms.
- Form Maker has a free version which limits you to only five fields in your form. To have full functionality, including a PayPal option, you’ll have to buy a licence. It’s still one of the cheaper commercial form plugins available for WordPress, but it doesn’t have near the same amount of developer options as Ninja Forms or Gravity Forms.
- Formidable is another premium form plugin, it offers many of the features of the other form plugins.
- Contact Form 7 is one of the most popular of the true free form plugins, with a nice range of extensions.
- Wufoo Shortcode Integration is a good option for users of the Wufoo form builder web application.
[gravityform id="3" name="Content Order Form" ajax="true"]
However, if this is too complicated for you, there is another way to insert your form. Simply go to your page or post, put your cursor into the description box where you would like your form to appear and click the ‘Add Form’ button which is next to ‘Add Media’ just below your page or post title.
And that’s it. This was a very simple tutorial on creating a basic order form using Gravity Forms, which will email the user’s submission to whatever email is specified in the ‘admin’ login of your WordPress settings.
You can, of course, change this in the form’s options area. There are many other customisations that can be done with this plugin such as creating multipage forms, adding a PayPal checkout option, and collecting more user data if you so wish. I’ll leave that up to you to explore.
Frequently Asked Questions about Creating a Simple Order Form in WordPress
How can I add more fields to my order form in WordPress?
Adding more fields to your order form in WordPress is quite simple. You can do this by going to the form editor in your chosen form plugin. There, you can add new fields by dragging and dropping them into your form. These fields can range from text boxes, drop-down menus, checkboxes, and more. Remember to save your changes before exiting the form editor.
Can I integrate payment options into my order form?
Yes, you can integrate payment options into your order form. Most form plugins for WordPress offer integration with popular payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and others. You can set this up in the settings of your form plugin. Once set up, your customers can make payments directly through the form.
How can I customize the design of my order form?
Customizing the design of your order form can be done within the form editor of your plugin. You can change the layout, colors, fonts, and more to match your website’s design. Some plugins also allow you to add custom CSS for more advanced customizations.
Can I add a file upload field to my order form?
Yes, you can add a file upload field to your order form. This can be useful if you need customers to send you files as part of their order. You can add this field in the form editor of your plugin.
How can I make my order form mobile-friendly?
Most WordPress form plugins automatically create forms that are responsive, meaning they adjust to fit any screen size. However, it’s always a good idea to test your form on different devices to ensure it looks and works correctly.
Can I add a terms and conditions checkbox to my order form?
Yes, you can add a terms and conditions checkbox to your order form. This can be done in the form editor of your plugin. You can also link the checkbox to your terms and conditions page so customers can read them before agreeing.
How can I prevent spam submissions on my order form?
Most form plugins offer spam protection features. This can include CAPTCHA fields, honeypot fields, and more. You can enable these features in the settings of your form plugin.
Can I send automatic confirmation emails to customers who complete the order form?
Yes, you can set up automatic confirmation emails in the settings of your form plugin. You can customize the content of these emails and choose when they are sent.
How can I track the performance of my order form?
You can track the performance of your order form by integrating it with analytics tools like Google Analytics. Some form plugins also offer built-in analytics features.
Can I export the data collected from my order form?
Yes, most form plugins allow you to export the data collected from your order form. This can be done in the settings of your plugin. You can usually choose the format of the export, such as CSV or Excel.
Jai Paul is a programmer and tech writer. Besides his freelance writing, he spends his time running several online ventures. He consults on all things related to web development.