Drive sales on autopilot with ecommerce-focused features
See FeaturesTo truly engage with your customers, it’s important to have a way for people to reach you easily. With a contact form on your ecommerce website, site visitors can ask questions, express concerns, or let you know what they want to see in your store.
If you don’t have one on your store already, it would be really beneficial to learn how to add a contact form in WordPress. Not only will it enable you to engage with people on a personal level, but you can also use your contact form to track and analyze important data about your site and those who fill it out.
Let’s dive into what a contact form in WordPress is, how to add one with and without a plugin, and best practices for adding this essential resource to your ecommerce website.
What is a WordPress contact form?
A WordPress contact form is a user-friendly tool that enables visitors to send messages directly to website administrators or customer service teams from within the site. It simplifies communication, provides a structured way to handle customer inquiries, and plays a crucial role in capturing leads and building customer relationships.
How to add a contact form in WordPress with a plugin
Plugins are a simple way to add helpful features to your website. With a contact form plugin, you can quickly add this tool to your WordPress site.
We explain step-by-step how to add a contact form in WordPress below:
1. Choose a WordPress contact form plugin
Choosing the right contact form plugin is vital, and while there are many WordPress contact form plugins to choose from, such as WPForms and Gravity Forms, Omnisend is one of the best available options. It is specifically designed to address the complex requirements of ecommerce businesses.
This tool smoothes communication between you and your customers and boosts user engagement with its sophisticated features.
Omnisend is simple to use, highly customizable, and easy to integrate. These qualities ensure that businesses can manage customer interactions and marketing activities effectively.
2. Install a contact form plugin in WordPress
To integrate Omnisend with your WordPress site, you first need an account and the latest version of WordPress. If you don’t have an account, sign up on the Omnisend website.
Follow our registration process to create your account, and then install the contact form plugin on your website:
- Sign up, then log in to your Omnisend account
- On the dashboard, go to Add plugins
- Search for the contact form plugin you want to use
- Click the Install button on the plugin
- Go back to the plugins and activate your chosen form


After choosing your template, you can edit it, adding the features you like, need, and want for your contact form.
3. Create a contact form
Adding a WordPress contact form to your ecommerce site is a strategic decision to improve the user experience and demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction. Omnisend offers extra advantages in terms of efficiency and functionality, including the fact that contact forms are available on the free plan.

4. Integrate the form with WordPress
Omnisend will provide a unique code snippet for your form, usually in JavaScript. Copy this code for the next step.

WooCommerce users can also integrate Omnisend forms using the Omnisend for WooCommerce plugin.
5. Add the code to WordPress
Use these steps to add the code to WordPress for your new contact form:
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard
- Go to Appearance > Widgets
- Add a Custom HTML widget to where you want the form, such as the sidebar or footer

- Paste the Omnisend form code into this widget and save
- Save your form once complete
6. How to add the WordPress contact form to a post or page
These steps explain how to add the WordPress contact form to a post or page on your website:
- Open the editor for the specific post or page where you want to display the form
- Click + > Add Block > Custom HTML
- Paste the Omnisend form code and then either publish or update the page

7. Test your form
Ensure everything works smoothly. Check that the form displays correctly and submissions reach Omnisend. Confirm any connected automations, like autoresponders, are functioning correctly.
You can also check that your form displays appropriately on multiple devices.

8. Create automations in Omnisend
Leverage Omnisend’s automation features to engage your subscribers on autopilot. You can set up a welcome email series for all new subscribers, or send a thank you message when a visitor submits a contact form.

9. Monitor and optimize
Regularly review your Omnisend dashboard. Analyze form performance, track views, check conversion rates, and assess the quality of submissions. Make adjustments as needed based on the forms reports to optimize performance.

10. Additional tips for your WordPress contact form
Optimizing your WordPress contact form can boost user engagement and trust. Below are some additional tips to help you enhance your forms:
1. Ensure GDPR compliance
It’s crucial that your WordPress contact form complies with GDPR when accepting a European audience.
To meet these requirements, include a clear checkbox that users can tick to consent to your data collection practices and terms.

2. Focus on aesthetics
Pay attention to the visual appeal of your contact form. Ensure it aligns with your brand’s aesthetics to maintain consistency and build trust.
3. Craft a clear call to action
Your CTA should be straightforward and engaging. Use concise, compelling language to motivate users to submit their information.
How to add a contact form in WordPress without a plugin
Creating a contact form on your WordPress site doesn’t always require a plugin. You can do it using HTML and PHP or a third-party tool. Here’s how you can proceed with both methods:
Using HTML and PHP
- Navigate to your WordPress theme directory. Create a new PHP file, perhaps naming it contact-form.php.
- Start your file with PHP code to handle form submissions. Be sure to include validation and security measures to protect against spam.
<?php
if($_SERVER[“REQUEST_METHOD”] == “POST”) {
$name = sanitize_text_field($_POST[“name”]);
$email = sanitize_email($_POST[“email”]);
$message = sanitize_textarea_field($_POST[“message”]);
$recipient = “[email protected]”;
$subject = “New contact form submission from $name”;
$headers = “From: $name <$email>”;
wp_mail($recipient, $subject, $message, $headers);
}
?>
- Below your PHP code, add the HTML for your form fields. Include elements like name, email, message, and a submit button.
<form action=”<?php echo esc_url($_SERVER[‘REQUEST_URI’]); ?>” method=”post”>
<label for=”name”>Name:</label>
<input type=”text” name=”name” required>
<label for=”email”>Email:</label>
<input type=”email” name=”email” required>
<label for=”message”>Message:</label>
<textarea name=”message” required></textarea>
<input type=”submit” value=”Send”>
</form>
- Create a new page in your WordPress dashboard. Then, select contact-form.php as your page template from the page attributes section.
- Publish the page. This will make your form live and accessible to visitors.
Make sure that you test the form to verify that submissions go to your designated email address and that all form fields are working as intended.
Using a third-party tool like JotForm
- Visit JotForm’s website, then sign up for an account or log in if you already have one
- Use JotForm’s drag-and-drop builder to create a new form, and customize it according to your needs and branding
- After creating your form, save your changes and navigate to the Publish section to obtain the embed code
- In your WordPress dashboard, go to the page or post where you want the form and switch to the text editor
- Paste the JotForm embed code where you’d like the form to appear
- Save your changes and view the page
- Ensure the form displays correctly and functions as expected
Your personal preferences and comfort level with the different options will dictate whether a third-party tool or coding the form yourself is most suitable for you.
Key features of an effective ecommerce contact form
Creating a contact form that meets the needs of your ecommerce business and your customers is crucial. A well-designed WordPress contact form ensures a seamless communication flow, which enhances user experience and operational efficiency.
Here are a few key features to consider when integrating a contact form into your WordPress sites:
- Simplicity: Design your contact form to be straightforward for visitors to complete. A concise form encourages more customer interactions, better communication, and customer satisfaction.
- Fields: Include essential fields such as name, email, subject, and message. However, note that the type of signup form you’re creating may require additional fields if you need critical information to respond effectively to customer inquiries.
- Security: Implement CAPTCHA or other anti-spam measures, a crucial step in protecting your site from spam. Here’s an example of a simple form with reCAPTCHA:

- Confirmation message: Provide a clear confirmation email once the form is submitted. This reassures users that their message has been received and that you will be in touch soon.
- Mobile optimization: A mobile-friendly form guarantees a user-friendly experience, regardless of the device used. Ensure your form functions and is readable on any device.
- Integration: Incorporate the contact form with your CRM systems or email marketing tools. This integration allows for easy tracking and management of customer interactions.
Best practices for ecommerce contact forms
Contact forms serve as a direct line for inquiries, feedback, and support requests. However, you want more than just to have a contact form. To get the most from this tool, you’ll need to adhere to best practices to ensure effective communication and a positive user experience.
Let’s explore some of these practices to optimize your ecommerce contact form.
Response time: Importance of timely replies
A swift response time is key to maintaining customer trust and satisfaction. Customers who reach out through your contact form want a quick resolution or answer. So, here’s how to ensure you meet their expectations:
- Immediate acknowledgment: Send an automated response as soon as a customer submits a form to confirm that their message has been received
- Quick follow-up: Aim to provide a comprehensive response within 24 hours
- Resource allocation: Ensure that you have enough staff to handle incoming inquiries.
Personalization: Using plugins or integrations to personalize auto-responses
Personalization can significantly enhance the customer experience, making patrons feel valued and understood. Here are ways to infuse personal touches into your automated responses:
- Use of customer’s name: Personalize automated responses by including the customer’s name to make the interaction feel more genuine
- Relevant content: Tailor your auto-responses to provide information pertinent to the inquiry
- Integration with CRM: Integrating your form with CRM tools can help you personalize future communications and track customer interactions.
Pro tip: Utilize multi-step forms to gather more data about your prospects or customers, which will help you personalize your emails more effectively.
Data protection: Assuring users their data is safe and compliant
Every customer needs assurance that their personal information is handled with integrity. Here are steps to ensure data protection and compliance:
- SSL encryption: Use SSL encryption to secure data transmitted through your contact form, protecting customers’ data from potential breaches
- Compliance with regulations: Comply with data protection laws such as GDPR and CCPA
- Clear privacy policy: Clearly communicate your privacy policy, highlighting how customer data will be used and protected
Feedback analysis: Regularly reviewing received feedback for business insights
Feedback received through your contact form can be a goldmine of insights. Here’s how to effectively analyze and act on this feedback:
- Regular review: Set aside time for regular reviews of feedback and inquiries to ensure that you don’t miss any key insights
- Categorization: Organize feedback into categories to identify common issues or themes
- Actionable insights: Analyze feedback to extract actionable insights and guide improvements in products, services, or customer experience
Pro tip: Omnisend’s research indicates that some signup forms outperform others. Make sure to explore the best signup forms for high conversions. Remember to also implement the best practices mentioned above while using them.
These best practices make your ecommerce contact form more than a communication tool, transforming it into a tool for customer engagement, trust-building, and business development.
Wrap up
Choosing an effective plugin like Omnisend or WPForms and following best practices is crucial. Omnisend, for example, provides comprehensive features for building responsive WordPress contact forms.
If plugins aren’t your preference, you can create a contact form with HTML and PHP or use third-party tools. Regardless of the method, prioritize a user-friendly, secure, and efficient contact form.
Remember, continual improvement of your contact forms is crucial. Integrating them into email and SMS campaigns will amplify your marketing efforts. Together, these strategies propel your ecommerce success.
FAQs
Let these answers to frequently asked questions about adding contact forms to your WordPress site provide further guidance:
How do I set up a contact form in WordPress?
To add a contact form in WordPress, find the plugin you want to use and download it, then make any necessary changes so it fits your branding.
When you’re ready, you can set up the form so you receive a notification when someone fills it out. You’ll also be able to send automated emails.
Is there a free contact form for WordPress?
You can find many free contact forms for WordPress. Some excellent options include Contact Form 7, Custom Contact Forms, Fast Secure Contact Form, and WP Flex Contact Form.
These free contact forms are useful if you don’t want to code your own form but want to increase engagement and conversion rates.
What is the best contact form plugin for WordPress?
To find the best contact form plugin for your WordPress site, try multiple options. Each plugin has different features, and some may meet your needs better than others.
Many people like Contact Form 7 because of its superb spam filtering. However, Formidable Forms has some advanced features that make it an appealing option as well.
How do I create a contact form without plugins?
Creating a contact form for WordPress without a plugin is a bit more technical, but it can be done. You’ll need to use HTML or PHP code, and when you’ve finished uploading the code, make sure to run tests to ensure it’s working properly.
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No fluff, no spam, no corporate filler. Just a friendly letter, twice a month.