Sitecore Forms for Dummies

This Q&A with Sitecore Strategist MVP, Angela Gustafson, provides a glimpse into what Sitecore Forms is all about. And, why it’s a game changer for marketers.Let’s start with the basics, what are Sitecore Forms?A few months back Sitecore launched their much anticipated Sitecore 9.0. With the latest release they introduced many exciting new capabilities, including xConnect, Cortex, a revamped Marketing Automation Suite, an Enhanced List Manager and more. Plus, Sitecore Forms was introduced. Simply put, Sitecore Forms are a built-in feature within Sitecore 9.0 that allows marketers to build and manage forms for lead generation, surveys and more.What do earlier versions of Sitecore use for forms?In earlier versions, the form builder is referred to as Web Forms for Marketers, a free module that allows marketers to create and publish simple forms within Sitecore. It was introduced in Sitecore version 6.2 in 2009 as an add-on to the core product. The capabilities were primarily limited to editing simple forms for lead generation.Why are forms important? Forms are important tools for marketers and they come in all shapes and sizes. They are used for a range of lead generation and information capturing purposes including white paper downloads, contact us forms, surveys, event RSVPs, questionnaires and much more.Why is the introduction of Sitecore Forms a game changer?Allowing marketers to build, manage, test and optimize website forms gives them the power to quickly improve results and launch forms efficiently, without the need for development resources. Further, Sitecore Forms has many user-friendly features including:

• Its built into the core product, which means all Sitecore 9.0 clients receive the capability as a default in the product.
• There’s a drag-and-drop layout, which provides marketers and content editors with the ability to easily add/delete questions, select question types and change the order.
• Enables non-developers to create multi-step and multi-page forms for complex surveys and questionnaires.
• Allows for A/B and Multivariate testing to help in optimizing results.
• Many integrations are available, including Sitecore Analytics, Experience Profile, Email Experience Manager and the new Marketing Automation suite.
• Advanced analytics provide greater insights into views, abandon rates, time to complete each field and error rates.

Sounds amazing, are there any downsides? Before you dive head first into Sitecore Forms, you should know that there is currently not a dynamic migration option from Web Forms for Marketers to Sitecore Forms. So, if you have a robust implementation of Web Forms for Marketers, you may opt to stay with that for the foreseeable future. Secondly, advanced analytics are partially available, but more are on the roadmap. For example, if you have a robust engagement value strategy, it’s probably worth talking to us to determine how can track metrics like abandonment. And finally, if you are using third party tools for marketing automation, development resources are required to integrate with Sitecore Forms. It’s important to weigh the costs and benefits of using one platform over another for forms.Interested in hearing more about Sitecore Forms? Get in touch with us!