Essential for any website, a contact form is one of the first things to think about for your project. It is important to give your users a voice, to understand their needs and answer their questions simply and quickly. If you use a WordPress CMS on your website, then you have a great way to build a communication channel with your audience – use a contact form plugin. These plugins are easy, fast, and free.
On this page, we have collected some solutions for you to choose from.
What Is a Contact Form?
Once it was enough to publish your company’s email address on your site, and users would copy it to send you an email. The contact form was created to make this type of communication easier for the user. Contact forms offer three or four predefined fields in which the user will have the opportunity to contact you and demonstrates professionalism and attention to the customer.
“Simplicity” is the operative word in the creation of your form. Nobody likes to give too much personal information, especially if it’s unnecessary.
Contact Form Requirements
Always start by understanding your target audience. This aspect is important in order to establish the various fields integrated into the module. A 60-year-old, for example, will be less familiar with the module than a 20-year-old. Your goal must be to help the user contact you – not to cause problems.
A good form provides the following:
- A few essential, clearly indicated fields, such as name, email address, and message fields
- Information about which fields are mandatory
- A captcha to avoid spam
It is also a good idea to provide drop-down menus for more specific messaging. For example, the drop-down menu could offer different services that lead to different email addresses.
You can find or create modules with multiple additional fields, such as last name or address. We will look at how to choose the best contact form plugin for WordPress 2018 in more detail later on.
A captcha is a way to protect yourself from tons of spam messages. You may choose not use it in hopes to improve the user experience, but you will have many problems without one. We highly recommend using a captcha – at least a light and easy one.
Top Ten Free Contact Form Plugins for WordPress
To help you choose your plugin, we have compiled a list of the best free contact form plugins for WordPress. The chosen plugins are not listed in any specific order.
1. Contact Forms 7
Contact Form 7 is the most popular contact form plugin. Contact form 7 offers excellent documentation, continuous updates, and little or no conflicts with other plugins.
- Download Link – https://wordpress.org/plugins/contact-form-7/
- Author –
2. Contact Form by WPForms
Contact Form by WPForms owes its success to its drag-and-drop form builder. It’s suitable for both beginners and experts.
- Download Link – https://wordpress.org/plugins/wpforms-lite/
- Author –
3. Ninja Forms
Ninja Forms is similar to the previous plugin but with some more customization options. Its support and documentation are excellent.
- Download Link – https://wordpress.org/plugins/ninja-forms/
- Author –
4. Contact Form & SMTP
Contact Form and SMTP was created by the Pirate Forms project. This plugin has many features and extraordinary usability.
- Download Link – https://wordpress.org/plugins/pirate-forms/
- Author –
5. Formidable Forms
Formidable Forms is simple to use and allows you to create unlimited forms and change every aspect from the font to the main color.
- Download Link – https://wordpress.org/plugins/formidable/
- Author –
6. Caldera Forms
Caldera Forms has an excellent visual editor that simplifies form building. It offers very good support and many customization possibilities.
- Download Link – https://wordpress.org/plugins/caldera-forms/
- Author –
7. Everest Forms
Everest Forms is intuitive and simple to use. You can create much more than just a contact form. It offers super documentation and support.
- Download Link – https://wordpress.org/plugins/everest-forms/
- Author –
8. Very Simple Contact Form
As the name says, Very Simply Contact Form offers crazy simplicity without getting lost in complicated fields. You have the essentials to create what you need.
- Download Link – https://wordpress.org/plugins/very-simple-contact-form/
- Author –
9. Contact Form by BestWebSoft
Contact Form by BestWebSoft provides you with ready-to-use forms. Edit the fields, copy the shortcodes, and you are ready to go.
- Download Link – https://wordpress.org/plugins/contact-form-plugin/
- Author –
10. Contact Form Email
In addition to the simple form, Contact Form Email allows you to save messages in a database and eventually export it to a CSV or Excel file.
- Download Link – https://wordpress.org/plugins/contact-form-to-email/
- Author –
Creating Your Own Form
We do not recommend creating your own form from scratch if you are using WordPress. The same level as already made forms is hard to reach. You would lose a lot of time and spend a lot of money on making such a plugin.
It’s not only easier to choose an already made solution, but it’s also better to use because of the security. Good plugins are constantly updated, and you don’t need to do anything except regularly update the version that is installed on your website.
How to Choose the Best Contact Form and Set It Up
We looked at some contact form plugins, but how do you choose the best one? Simplicity of use is certainly important, but a fundamental aspect is the support offered.
Choose a plugin that can cover your needs, has a good number of downloads, and offers constant updates, and always check the reviews.
Tips for Creating and Placing a Contact Form on Your Website
Now that you have chosen your free contact form plugin for WordPress, let’s look at some useful tips to make your form more effective. Keep in mind these three words: pleasant, simple and interesting.
- Pleasant
A giant module is certainly not ideal, because all fields would be too large and invasive. A good strategy is to create a section divided into two parts: the form and an explanation of why the user should contact you or other contact options, such as a Skype or telephone number.
- Simple
Not all of your users will be familiar with the technology. Help them to contact you with a few fields to fill out that will be useful to the person who receives the message.
- Interesting
Graphically, you have to push the user to contact you. Do not underestimate the importance of not only a well-designed form but also everything around the form. Choose an image to place next to your module carefully, as well as the colors of the fields themselves. Emphasize the submit button and set a post-submission thank-you note.
We also wrote an article on how to improve your contact form conversion rate. Please read it and follow its tips. Otherwise, you will not get any benefits from the contact form placed on your website.
Why You Should Place a Contact Form on Your Travel Blog
A contact form is essential for responding to your users and creating a dialogue that goes beyond the content of the blog. Choosing a contact form plugin for WordPress free is a fundamental step to make your website more professional.
Share your experience about contact forms in the comments and let us know if you find the forms to be useful or not on your website.
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