After countless evenings spent sifting through stacks of paper forms and entering data into spreadsheets, I finally reached my limit. I needed a more efficient way to gather information that wouldn’t consume all my time and energy.
Transitioning to paperless forms has been one of the best choices I’ve made for my business. Digital forms reduce errors, streamline daily operations, and make it easy to access the information you need.
Additionally, your customers will appreciate the convenience of filling out forms online instead of dealing with traditional paperwork.
In this article, I will define what a paperless business form is and guide you through the process of creating one step by step. By the end, you’ll be equipped to set up your first digital form and start enjoying the benefits immediately. 🙌
What Are Paperless Business Forms?
A paperless business form is a digital form that users can complete on your WordPress website. They can access it from a computer, smartphone, or tablet at any time and from any location.
Today, many businesses are moving away from paper forms and adopting digital alternatives to establish a fully paperless system. Here are some key advantages of going paperless:
- 🌐 Expand Your Reach:Digital forms allow you to gather responses from individuals worldwide, eliminating geographic barriers and mailing delays.
- 🤳 Accessible Anytime, Anywhere:Users can access your form on any device and complete it from any location. Ensure your website is optimized for mobile to facilitate easy use on smartphones and tablets.
- ⏱️ Receive Immediate Feedback & Save Time:With digital forms, you receive responses instantly as soon as someone submits their information. There’s no need to wait for postal delivery or manually enter data from paper forms.
- 💵 Reduce Costs:Digital forms can significantly lower your expenses related to paper, printing, and mailing.
- 🌳 Eco-Friendly Solution:Transitioning to a paperless office helps decrease your carbon footprint and benefits the environment. You contribute to tree conservation, combat deforestation, and minimize waste.
Now, let’s explore practical applications for paperless forms in your business.
When Should You Use Paperless Forms in Your Business?
Paperless forms can be utilized in nearly every area of your business that currently relies on paper. This includes contact forms, job applications, order forms, event registrations, surveys, bookings, and much more.
Let’s explore some of the most popular applications for paperless forms.
| Use Case | Applications | Advantages |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement with customers. | Incorporate an online contact form on your website. | Gather feedback, receive suggestions, and address inquiries more efficiently. |
| Receiving job applications | Utilize an online application form that allows file uploads. | Streamlines the hiring process, reduces paperwork, and organizes data effectively. |
| Managing an online store | Design digital order forms for placing and processing orders. | Simplifies the ordering process, facilitates online payments, and enhances user experience. |
| Event registrations (for webinars and conferences) | Create online registration forms for your upcoming events. | Simplifies the sign-up process, consolidates attendee information, and reduces manual tasks. |
Next, let’s explore how to easily create a paperless digital form using WordPress.
Here’s a brief overview of what this guide will cover:
- How to Create a Paperless Business Form in WordPress
- Install and Activate the WPForms Plugin
- Design and Personalize Your First Paperless Form
- Set Up Notifications and Confirmation for Your Paperless Form
- Test and Integrate Your Paperless Form into Your WordPress Website
- Pro Tip 💡: Streamline Your Digital Form Processes
- Common Questions About Creating Paperless Business Forms
- Additional Resources for Utilizing Paperless Forms
Let’s dive in.
How to Build a Paperless Business Form in WordPress
The most effective way to incorporate paperless business forms in WordPress is by using WPForms. This leading contact form plugin is trusted by over 6 million users.
At CanadaCreate, we rely on WPForms for nearly all our digital forms. Check out our comprehensive WPForms review to learn more about its features.
WPForms provides a user-friendly drag-and-drop form builder, making it easy to personalize your forms. Additionally, the plugin includes AI tools and over 2,000 form templates, allowing you to quickly create various types of WordPress forms.
In this tutorial, we will create a digital conference registration form using WPForms Lite, which is completely free. However, if you require advanced fields such as phone numbers, passwords, addresses, or file uploads, you will need to upgrade to WPForms Pro.
Install and Activate the WPForms Plugin
First, you need to install and activate the WPForms plugin.
From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins » Add New Plugin.
Next, utilize the search bar to easily locate the WPForms plugin.
In the search results, click the ‘Install Now’ button, and then select ‘Activate’ once it appears.
If you require assistance, please refer to our guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
Create and Personalize Your First Paperless Form
After activation, navigate to WPForms in the WordPress admin panel and click the ‘Add New’ button.
This will direct you to the Setup page.
To begin, enter a name for your form at the top.
Then, decide how you want to create your online form.
With WPForms, you can generate your forms using AI to expedite the process. Just provide a simple prompt, and the tool will create the form for you.
For this tutorial, I will use a pre-designed template.
In the ‘Conference Registration Form’ template section, hover over the template and click the ‘Use Template’ button.
Next, customize your form using the intuitive drag-and-drop builder.
WPForms provides various fields to include in your form. In the Lite version, you can add single-line text, paragraph text, dropdown menus, multiple-choice options, checkboxes, and more.
If you need advanced fields such as phone number, password, address, or file upload options, I suggest upgrading to the WPForms Pro version.
To add a field to your form, simply drag it from the options on the left and drop it in your desired location.
Additionally, you can customize the existing fields in the template to better suit your needs.
For instance, when you select the ‘Name’ field, a menu will appear on the left with options to edit the label, format, description, and to set the field as required.
Set Up Notifications and Confirmation for Your Paperless Form
Next, click on the ‘Settings’ tab in the menu to adjust your form preferences.
In the ‘General’ settings, you can modify the form name, add a description, change the text on the submit button, and more.
Then, navigate to the ‘Notifications’ settings to specify the email address where you want to receive submissions.
You can also customize the subject line, the ‘from’ name and email address, and additional settings.
📌 Important Note:Using an SMTP service is highly recommended to ensure your email notifications arrive in the inbox. You can set this up with WP Mail SMTP, and for more information, please refer to the guide on fixing WordPress email delivery issues.
Finally, you can modify the ‘Confirmation’ settings.
This determines what users will see after submitting the form. You can display a message, redirect them to a landing page, or send them to another URL.
For more information, refer to our guide on sending confirmation emails after a WordPress form submission.
👨💻Expert Tip:Utilize WPForms’ Entry Automation feature to automatically export form submissions to your email, Google Drive, Dropbox, or other services.
This removes the need for printing, filing, or manually transferring data. For detailed instructions, check out our tutorial on auto-exporting WordPress form entries.
You can also click the Marketing tab on the left to link your form with various marketing services, including your email service provider.
Additionally, you can integrate your form with meeting or webinar platforms like Zoom or create other automated workflows to enhance efficiency.
Once you are satisfied with your settings, click the ‘Save’ button at the top and exit the form builder.
Test and Embed Your Paperless Form into Your WordPress Site
In this step, you will test and add your form to any WordPress post or page.
To begin, click on the ‘Preview’ tab to test the form.
In the preview screen, ensure that all fields are visible as expected and that the labels are easy to understand.
Next, complete the form with sample information. Try leaving a required field blank or entering an incorrect email address to see if the form identifies those errors.
Once you are satisfied with the functionality, click the ‘Submit’ button.
Don’t forget to verify that your thank-you message or confirmation page appears correctly.
After testing the form, return to the WPForms builder.
Click the ‘Embed’ button next to ‘Save’ to open the embed wizard.
A popup will appear, allowing you to choose whether to embed the form into a new or existing page.
For this tutorial, I will select ‘Create New Page.’
On the following screen, enter a name for your new page.
Simply input the name in the provided field and click ‘Let’s go!’
This action will direct you to the WordPress content editor.
From this point, click the ‘+’ button to add the WPForms block.
You will then see a dropdown menu within the WPForms block.
Here, you can choose your conference registration form.
You can activate the form title and description in the Block tab and select a theme to personalize your form.
If everything looks great, it’s time to publish or update your page. Now, when you visit your website, you’ll see the paperless conference registration form in action.
For detailed instructions, please check our guide on embedding WordPress forms.
Pro Tip 💡: Streamline Your Digital Form Workflows
After creating your paperless form, save even more time by setting up automations. This way, your form data will trigger useful actions that help your business operate efficiently.
Here are some tools you can integrate with your forms:
- Email Marketing Tools.Automatically add new contacts to your email list when someone submits your form. This is perfect for sending welcome emails, newsletters, or promotions without any manual effort.
- CRM PlatformsSend form submissions directly to your customer relationship management (CRM) system. This allows you to track leads, manage follow-ups, and organize customer information in one central location.
- Spreadsheets.Automatically log form entries into CSV or Excel. This efficient method simplifies data management for orders, registrations, or survey results, making it easy to sort and filter information later.
These automations help eliminate repetitive tasks and ensure that no lead or submission is overlooked. For more information, check out our guide on setting up WordPress automations.
Frequently Asked Questions About Creating Paperless Business Forms
Do you still have questions? Here are some common inquiries I receive from business owners transitioning to digital forms:
Which is better: paper forms or digital forms?
Digital forms are typically superior. They are faster to process, easier to store and search, reduce the need for manual data entry, and are more environmentally friendly.
What are the drawbacks of electronic forms?
They usually require internet access, can be more difficult for users who are not tech-savvy, and necessitate strong security measures for handling sensitive information.
Is Google Forms a good option?
Google Forms is excellent for creating simple, free forms and surveys, but it offers limited design, branding, and advanced features. For business purposes, tools like WPForms or Formidable Forms provide greater control.
We have a detailed article comparing these form builders, which you can find in our comparison of WPForms, Formidable Forms, and Gravity Forms.
Additional Useful Resources for Utilizing Paperless Forms
I hope this article has helped you understand what a paperless business form is and how to create one.
You might also be interested in our guides on:
- Creating a Questionnaire in WordPress
- Easily Adding a Client Feedback Form in WordPress
- Creating Multilingual Forms in WordPress
- Troubleshooting Tips for WordPress Forms
- Top Online Form Builders Recommended by Experts
If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also connect with us on Twitter and Facebook.
