How to Track Form Submissions With Web Analytics

Tracking form submissions is a crucial aspect of understanding user interactions on your website. By utilizing web analytics, you can gain valuable insights into user behavior, optimize your forms, and ultimately improve conversion rates. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to effectively track form submissions with web analytics.

1. Choose the Right Web Analytics Tool

First, select a web analytics tool that suits your needs. Popular options include Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, and Matomo. For most users, Google Analytics is the go-to choice due to its powerful features and ease of use.

2. Set Up Goals in Google Analytics

To track form submissions, you need to set up goals in your Google Analytics account. Goals allow you to measure specific actions, such as form submissions. Here’s how to do it:

Log in to your Google Analytics account.
Select the website you want to track.
Go to the "Admin" section and navigate to "Goals."
Click on "New Goal" and choose a goal template that matches your form submission (e.g., Contact Us, Sign Up).
Add a goal name and select the goal type as "Destination."
Enter the URL of the confirmation page users see after submitting the form and save the goal.

3. Use Event Tracking for Form Interactions

For forms without a confirmation page, you can implement event tracking to monitor interactions. This requires adding a bit of JavaScript to your form. Here’s a simple way to set it up:

Add an "onclick" event to your submit button that triggers a call to Google Analytics.
Your code might look something like this:

onclick="ga('send', 'event', 'Form', 'submit', 'Contact Form');"

This code informs Google Analytics each time the form is submitted.

4. Implement Google Tag Manager

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is an efficient way to manage tracking without having to modify the code directly on your website. With GTM, you can set up form submission tracking easily:

Create a new tag for Google Analytics and configure it to track form submissions.
Set up a trigger that fires the tag when the form is submitted.
Publish the changes in GTM and test to ensure everything works properly.

5. Test Your Tracking Setup

Always test your tracking setup to ensure it’s working correctly. Use the "Real-Time" reports in Google Analytics to verify if submissions are being recorded. Submit the form yourself and check if the events or goals are triggered in real-time.

6. Analyze Form Submission Data

Once tracking is set up, analyze your submission data regularly. Look at metrics such as:

Conversion rates: Determine how many visitors submit the form compared to total visitors.
Traffic sources: Understand where your form submissions are coming from.
Form abandonment: Identify fields where users drop off and optimize those areas.

7. Optimize Your Forms

Use the insights gained from your analytics to improve your forms. Consider factors like:

Reducing the number of fields to make forms user-friendly.
Implementing auto-fill and validation to enhance user experience.
Testing different layouts and designs to see what drives more submissions.

In conclusion, tracking form submissions with web analytics is an essential practice for any website owner. By following these steps, you'll be able to monitor user interactions effectively, gather insights, and optimize your forms for better performance.

How to Track Form Submissions With Web Analytics