Salesforce Forms – All You Need To Know

Salesforce forms are structured tools that allow users to input specific information that can be saved, processed, and accessed within the Salesforce platform. Typically, these forms can be embedded in websites, emails, or other platforms to gather data directly from clients, leads, or internal team members.

What you will learn:

• What Salesforce forms are and what is its use.
• The types of Salesforce forms and the advantages of using them.

At their core, Salesforce forms serve as data collection mechanisms. When a user submits a form, the data is sent directly to the Salesforce platform, where it can be transformed into actionable records such as leads, contacts, or custom objects. This seamless collection and conversion capability enables businesses to:

• Capture Leads: By embedding forms on landing pages or websites, businesses can easily gather information from potential customers, turning web traffic into actionable leads.
• Streamline Data Entry: Instead of manual data entry, which is prone to errors and inefficiencies, form submissions auto-populate the necessary fields within Salesforce, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Feedback Collection: Salesforce forms can solicit feedback on products, services, or even internal company processes, providing a direct channel for stakeholders to communicate with the business.

Types of Salesforce Forms

One of its foundational tools is the Salesforce form. However, not all Salesforce forms are created equal. Here, we dive into the different types of Salesforce forms and their unique characteristics.

1. Salesforce’s Inbuilt Web-to-Lead

At its core, Salesforce offers the Web-to-Lead tool. This straightforward feature generates an HTML code snippet based on selected fields, which can then be embedded into an existing web form on your site.

Advantages:

• Budget-Friendly: It’s available for all Salesforce users at no additional cost.
• Commonly Known: Most Salesforce Administrators are familiar with its setup.
• Straightforward Setup: The Web-to-Lead form can be accessed and set up directly from Salesforce.
• Anti-spam Measures: Incorporates reCAPTCHA to ward off unwanted spam leads.

Limitations:

• Restricted to Leads: It’s exclusive to lead record creation.
• Not Very Flexible: Altering fields necessitates code snippet regeneration.
• Unidirectional: Designed mainly for data entry into Salesforce without recognizing returning visitors.
• Potential Data Duplication: Can’t automatically identify known contacts.
• Submission Cap: Only allows 500 leads per day, which may not suffice for larger enterprises.

2. Marketing Automation Platforms

Platforms like Pardot, Marketo, and ActiveCampaign have revolutionized marketing efforts. They empower marketers by offering integrated form-building tools.

Advantages:

• Intuitive Form Builders: Often features enhanced options like dependent fields.
• Bidirectional Sync: Can pre-populate data for known contacts.
• Lead Management: Allows segmentation of leads based on their readiness for sales.
• Automated Routing: Direct leads based on their submission details.

Limitations:

• Unique ID Dilemmas: Often, email addresses are deemed unique, which is only sometimes the case.
• Limited to Primary Objects: Typically restricted to lead or contact fields.
• Synchronization Lags: Delays in data transfer can be a hindrance.
• Might Need Some Coding: Some platforms still require coding to modify standard layouts.

3. Third-party Web Form Platforms

An array of third-party web form platforms is available on the Salesforce AppExchange. While integrating additional apps can increase ‘technical debt,’ these platforms undergo rigorous security checks before being listed.

Advantages:

• Superior User Experience: They prioritize intuitive form building.
• Versatile Data Handling: Can manage multiple Salesforce objects and related records.
• Broad Use Case Application: Suits various teams and sectors.
• Quick Data Sync: Especially if the former platform is built natively for Salesforce.
• Advanced-Data Features: Some can dynamically fetch options from Salesforce picklists.

Limitations:

• Cost Implications: Added expense on top of Salesforce licensing.
• Learning Curve: Administrators must acquaint themselves with a new interface and features.

Advantages of Using Salesforce Forms

1. Streamlined Data Collection from Prospects and Clients

• Seamless Integration with Digital Platforms: Whether on websites, landing pages, or emails, Salesforce forms can be embedded effortlessly, making it convenient for prospects and clients to share information.
• Uniform Data Collection: With customizable forms, businesses can ensure that they gather consistent and specific data across the board, eliminating the inconsistencies that often come with manual data collection.
• Real-time Data Capture: As soon as a form is submitted, the data is instantly recorded in Salesforce, allowing businesses to act immediately and reduce the delay often associated with other data collection methods.

2. Enhanced Lead Management and Segmentation

• Automated Lead Generation: Once a form is filled out, particularly on platforms like a landing page, the data can automatically be categorized as a lead within Salesforce, streamlining the lead generation process.
• Smart Segmentation: Based on the data entered in the forms, Salesforce can segment leads into different categories, ensuring that marketing and sales efforts are targeted and more effective.
• Lead Scoring: Salesforce forms can aid in lead scoring, where leads are ranked based on data points provided in the form. This helps sales teams prioritize, which leads to pursue based on their potential value.

3. Integration with Other Salesforce Features for Holistic Customer Management

• Unified Customer Profile: Data from forms can be combined with other data points within Salesforce, providing a comprehensive view of a customer’s journey, preferences, and interactions with the business.
• Triggered Workflows: Form submissions can initiate automated workflows in Salesforce. For instance, after submitting a service request form, a ticket could automatically be generated and assigned to the relevant team.
• Enhanced Analytics: Data from forms feed into Salesforce’s analytics tools, allowing businesses to derive insights, measure form performance, and optimize their strategies accordingly.

4. Security and Trust in the Salesforce Platform

• Data Encryption: Salesforce forms prioritize security, ensuring that the data submitted is encrypted, reducing the risk of breaches or unauthorized access.
• Compliance with Regulations: Salesforce is compliant with major global data protection regulations. This means businesses can be assured that the data collection via Salesforce forms adheres to the highest data protection standards.
• Reputation of Trust: Salesforce has built a strong reputation for reliability and trust. Businesses can be confident in using Salesforce forms, knowing they are backed by a platform that prioritizes the security and privacy of its users.

Conclusion

Salesforce forms are more than just data collection tools. They are gateways that funnel crucial information into the Salesforce ecosystem, ensuring the entire organization can act upon consistent, updated, and insightful data. As businesses seek to provide personalized and efficient experiences to their stakeholders, understanding and optimizing Salesforce forms becomes paramount.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I build forms in Salesforce?

Yes, you can build forms in Salesforce. Salesforce forms are a versatile feature within the Salesforce platform, allowing users to create custom forms for various purposes like lead capture, data entry, and feedback collection. These forms can be embedded in websites or emails and are essential for gathering information directly from users or customers.

2. What is Salesforce Dynamic Forms?

Salesforce Dynamic Forms, a feature within the Salesforce platform, adds a new level of customization and flexibility to page layouts. Unlike traditional Salesforce forms, Dynamic Forms allow you to place fields and sections precisely where you want them on your Lightning record pages. This feature enhances the user experience by enabling a more tailored and dynamic interaction with form fields based on specific conditions or user actions.

3. Which Salesforce forms have the best payment integration?

When considering Salesforce forms with the best payment integration, third-party web form platforms available on the Salesforce AppExchange often stand out. These platforms, designed to integrate seamlessly with Salesforce, offer robust payment integration features, making them ideal for e-commerce, donations, and other financial transactions. Examples include FormAssembly and 123FormBuilder, known for their secure and efficient payment integrations with major payment gateways.

4. Is there a way to prevent hyperlinks in forms for Salesforce?

Yes, there is a way to prevent hyperlinks in Salesforce forms. One method is to use validation rules that detect the presence of URLs or hyperlink patterns in text fields and block the submission if such patterns are found. This ensures that users do not enter hyperlinks where they are not desired, maintaining the integrity and security of the data collected through the forms.