form-cro

name: form-cro description: Optimize forms for higher completion rates — layout, fields, friction reduction, contact capture. Triggers on "form optimization", "form conversion", "lead form", "tối ưu form", "đăng ký".

Form CRO

Optimize forms to maximize completion rates and lead quality. Covers form layout, field selection, copy, validation, progressive disclosure, and mobile optimization. Addresses Vietnamese preferences for phone-based contact, short forms, and Zalo as primary communication channel.

Initial Assessment

Before optimizing any form, determine:

1. Form type? Lead capture, signup, checkout, survey, contact, or multi-step application?
2. Current metrics? Form views, starts, completions, abandonment rate per field.
3. Field count? How many fields currently? List each field and whether it's required or optional.
4. Goal? Volume (more leads, lower quality) or quality (fewer leads, higher quality)?
5. Device split? Mobile vs desktop completion rates. Vietnam: assume 85%+ mobile.
6. What happens after submit? Thank-you page, email, Zalo message, phone call, or redirect?
7. Brand context loaded? Read docs/brand-guidelines.md for tone and visual style.

Core Methodology

The Friction Equation

Every form field creates friction. Friction kills conversion. The optimization equation:

Conversion Rate = Motivation ÷ Friction

Increase motivation (better value proposition, social proof, urgency) OR decrease friction (fewer fields, better UX, clearer copy). Ideally both.

Field Prioritization Framework

Categorize every field into one of three tiers:

Action: Remove all Tier 3 fields. Move Tier 2 fields to a follow-up interaction (email, Zalo, onboarding flow). Keep only Tier 1 on the initial form.

Form Design Principles

1. Single-column layout. Multi-column forms reduce completion by 15-20%. Exception: short related fields (First Name + Last Name on same row).

2. Label above field, not inside. Placeholder text as labels disappears when typing — users forget what they're filling in. Place labels above.

3. Inline validation, not post-submit. Show errors as user completes each field, not after clicking submit. Green checkmarks on valid fields reinforce progress.

4. Smart defaults. Pre-fill country (Vietnam), phone prefix (+84), currency (VND) based on geolocation. Pre-select the most common option for radio buttons.

5. Progress indicators for multi-step. "Bước 2/3" or progress bar. Users tolerate multi-step forms better than long single-page forms when they see progress.

6. CTA button copy. Never "Submit". Always value-oriented: "Nhận báo giá miễn phí", "Bắt đầu dùng thử", "Tải ebook ngay". Match CTA to what the user receives.

7. Trust signals near submit button. "Thông tin được bảo mật", lock icon, "Không spam — cam kết", or company registration number.

Workflow

Scenario 1: Audit an Existing Form

1. Load the current form (screenshot, URL, or field list)
2. Count total fields and categorize each into Tier 1/2/3
3. Check each design principle against the current form:
   • Single-column layout
   • Labels above fields (not placeholder-only)
   • Inline validation present
   • Smart defaults applied
   • CTA is value-oriented (not "Submit")
   • Trust signals near submit button
   • Mobile-optimized (thumb-friendly tap targets, no tiny inputs)
4. Calculate friction score: count required fields × friction multiplier:
   • Text input = 1.0x
   • Email input = 1.2x (users mistype)
   • Phone input = 0.8x (auto-filled on mobile, familiar)
   • Dropdown = 0.5x (low effort)
   • Textarea = 2.0x (open-ended = high friction)
   • File upload = 3.0x (highest friction)
5. Recommend specific changes: fields to remove, copy to rewrite, layout adjustments
6. Save to assets/reports/form-audit-[name]-YYYY-MM-DD.md

Scenario 2: Design a New Lead Form

1. Load brand context from docs/brand-guidelines.md
2. Determine the exchange: what does the user get for completing this form? (ebook, quote, trial, consultation)
3. Apply the value exchange ratio: the bigger the ask (more fields), the bigger the reward must be.
   • Free ebook: name + email/phone only (2 fields max)
   • Price quote: name + phone + brief requirement (3-4 fields)
   • Consultation booking: name + phone + company + preferred time (4-5 fields)
   • Full application: multi-step form (6+ fields across 2-3 steps)
4. Write form copy:
   • Above-form headline: state the value ("Nhận báo giá trong 30 phút")
   • Field labels: clear, concise, Vietnamese-friendly
   • CTA button: action + value
   • Below-form trust line: privacy/security assurance
5. Specify post-submit experience: thank-you message, next step, expected response time
6. Save to assets/reports/form-design-[name]-YYYY-MM-DD.md

Scenario 3: Multi-Step Form Optimization

1. Break a long form into logical steps:
   • Step 1: Lowest friction (name, contact) — get commitment
   • Step 2: Qualifying info (company, role, need)
   • Step 3: Specific details (budget, timeline, requirements)
2. Each step should have 2-4 fields maximum
3. Show progress: "Bước 1/3 — Thông tin liên hệ"
4. Allow back-navigation without data loss
5. Save partial submissions — if user drops at Step 2, you still have Step 1 data
6. Thank-you step: confirm receipt, set expectation ("Chúng tôi sẽ liên hệ trong 2 giờ")

Vietnamese Form Optimization

Phone Number > Email

In Vietnam, phone number is the primary contact method, not email:

• 85%+ of B2C leads prefer being contacted via phone or Zalo, not email
• Many Vietnamese users have email but check it infrequently
• Phone number enables Zalo lookup — sales teams can message directly on Zalo
• For lead forms: ask for SĐT (số điện thoại) as the primary required field, email as optional

Phone field optimization:

• Pre-fill +84 country code
• Accept formats: 0901234567 and 84901234567 and +84901234567
• Validate Vietnamese mobile prefixes (03x, 05x, 07x, 08x, 09x)
• Show "Chúng tôi sẽ liên hệ qua Zalo hoặc gọi điện" below the phone field

Zalo as Post-Submit Channel

Instead of email autoresponder, consider Zalo-first follow-up:

• Form submit → redirect to Zalo OA chat ("Nhắn tin Zalo để nhận báo giá ngay")
• Form submit → sales team contacts via Zalo within 30 minutes
• Include Zalo QR code on thank-you page as alternative contact
• For e-commerce: Zalo notification about order status outperforms email

Vietnamese Form Copy Patterns

Mobile Form UX for Vietnam

• Thumb zone: place CTA button in lower third of screen (easy thumb reach)
• Input types: use type="tel" for phone (brings up numpad), type="email" for email (brings up @ keyboard)
• Tap targets: minimum 44x44px for all interactive elements
• Auto-scroll: focus on next field should auto-scroll it into view
• Sticky CTA: for long forms, keep submit button visible (fixed bottom bar)
• Connection tolerance: forms must work on 3G — minimize JS, no heavy validation libraries

Output Specification

• Format: Markdown with field inventory, friction scores, and recommendations
• Location: assets/reports/
• Naming: form-audit-[name]-YYYY-MM-DD.md, form-design-[name]-YYYY-MM-DD.md

Quality Checklist

• Every field categorized as Tier 1/2/3 with justification
• Tier 3 fields removed, Tier 2 fields moved to follow-up
• CTA copy is value-oriented (no "Submit")
• Trust signals present near submit button
• Phone number prioritized over email for Vietnamese forms
• Post-submit experience defined (Zalo follow-up recommended for VN B2C)
• Mobile-optimized: single column, thumb-friendly, correct input types
• Brand context from docs/brand-guidelines.md applied
• Output saved to assets/reports/ with correct naming

Related Skills

• copywriting — CTA and form copy optimization
• marketing-psychology — Commitment/consistency for multi-step forms
• ab-test-setup — Testing form variants
• onboarding-cro — Post-signup form flows and activation