Forms are the lifeblood of most WordPress sites. They help you generate leads, grow your email list, boost conversions, and build relationships with visitors.
But not all forms are created equal. Some convert better than others.
As an experienced webmaster, I can tell you that tracking your WordPress forms in Google Analytics is crucial to figure out which ones perform better.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share my proven method for setting up WordPress form tracking as an analytics pro with over 15 years in the field.
Let‘s dive in.
Contents
Why You Absolutely Must Track WordPress Forms in Google Analytics
Many website owners don‘t bother tracking form data in Google Analytics. That‘s a huge mistake leaving insights on the table.
Here are 5 compelling reasons why you should track forms based on my experience:
1. Identify Your Best Converting Forms
Google Analytics reveals which forms have the highest submission rates on your site.
You can double down on promoting the top converters across your site and campaigns.
2. Improve Low Converting Forms
On the flip side, analytics exposes poor performing forms with low conversion rates.
You can optimize these forms for better results by tweaking design, fields, and thank you pages.
3. Understand Visitor Behavior Before Converting
A staggering 97% of first-time visitors don‘t convert on a website. (Source)
Form analytics helps you analyze their journey across pages before converting so you can remove friction points.
4. Reduce Shopping Cart Abandonment
78.6% of shopping carts are abandoned before purchase. Ouch!
Identify where buyers drop off in your checkout forms and reduce cart abandonment.
5. Continuously Improve Conversions Over Time
Form analytics allows you to set goals and benchmarks. As you make changes, you can track lifts in conversions.
Now let‘s look at how to set up form tracking in Google Analytics.
Step-by-Step Guide to Enabling Form Tracking in Google Analytics
Based on my experience, the easiest way to enable form tracking for WordPress is by using MonsterInsights.
It‘s the most popular Google Analytics plugin on WordPress with over 3 million active installs.
Here‘s how to set up form tracking using MonsterInsights in 5 simple steps:
Step 1: Install and Activate MonsterInsights
First, you need to install and activate the MonsterInsights plugin.
If you already have it, you can skip ahead.
Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard and search for MonsterInsights. Install and activate it.
The free version of MonsterInsights allows basic website tracking and reports.
For advanced functionality like form tracking, grab MonsterInsights Pro.
Upon activation, you‘ll be taken through the setup wizard to connect MonsterInsights to your Google Analytics account.
Step 2: Install the MonsterInsights Forms Addon
The form tracking capabilities are packed into the Forms addon provided by MonsterInsights.
To install it, go to Insights > Addons in your WP dashboard.
Locate the MonsterInsights Forms addon and click Install.
This will automatically track submissions from all popular WordPress form plugins.
Step 3: Confirm Form Tracking is Enabled
Navigate to Insights > Settings > Conversions tab in MonsterInsights.
Make sure the Form Conversion Tracking toggle is switched on.
This enables tracking of all form interactions in Google Analytics.
Step 4: Set Up Goals and Funnels
To fully capitalize on form analytics, I recommend setting up goals and conversion funnels based on my experience.
Goals let you track conversions against targets. Funnels visualize the visitor journey across multiple steps.
In MonsterInsights, navigate to the Conversions tab in the Settings area.
Click +Add New to create a new goal and walk through the wizard. Select a Goal Type like Contact Form Submissions and give it a value.
You can also create funnels by adding multiple goals in sequence.
Step 5: Customize Form Names
By default, MonsterInsights uses your form names from the plugin settings.
To customize the form names in analytics reports, go back to the Conversions tab.
Next to each form, click the Edit button. Here you can enter a Custom Label like "Contact Us Form".
This helps identify forms in reports instead of technical names.
That‘s it! MonsterInsights will now track all standard WordPress forms in Google Analytics.
Next let‘s explore all the form analytics you can unlock.
Unlocking Detailed Form Analytics and Reports
With form tracking set up, you can now access complete analytics for your WordPress forms directly within Google Analytics or MonsterInsights.
Here are the must-have form reports available:
Forms Report in MonsterInsights
MonsterInsights displays a dedicated Forms report in your WordPress dashboard under Insights > Reports.
This shows form impressions, conversions, and conversion rate for each one without needing to access your Analytics account.
You can instantly see your top and bottom performing forms and start optimizing them.
Forms Report in Google Analytics
For more detailed analysis, you can view form data directly in your Google Analytics account.
Go to Behavior > Events > Top Events and click on the form event category.
This overview shows you total impressions and conversions for all forms combined.
Further, you can filter by the impression or conversion event action to see views vs submissions.
The event label reveals individual form names driving conversions.
Goal Completions Report
If you set up goals for forms, you can track conversion rate against those goals.
Navigate to Conversions > Goals in Google Analytics.
It shows goal completion rate, average value, and more for each form goal.
Funnel Visualization Report
Funnels demonstrate how visitors move through your form journey and where they drop off.
Go to Conversions > Funnels to view custom conversion funnels you created.
The funnel visualization maps out your form flow with the number of visitors entering and exiting each step.
This allows you to identify friction points causing visitors to abandon forms and optimize them.
Custom Reports for Forms
You can create dedicated custom reports for your form analytics data to view alongside website metrics.
Simply go to Customization > Custom Reports and add the relevant form dimensions and metrics.
Name your report something like "Contact Form Report".
Expert Tips to Improve Form Conversions with Analytics
Here are some pro tips from my own experience for using form analytics data to further boost conversions:
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A/B test form fields and layouts – Try different variations to figure out what converts best.
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Personalize thank you pages – Tailor it based on what the visitor fills in the form.
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Add heatmaps to see where people click – Hotjar lets you replay form sessions and analyze user behavior.
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Make high-value forms sticky – Use a plugin to lock forms to the screen as people scroll.
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Set up Google Optimize tests – Experiment with CTA copy, colors, and placements.
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Retarget visitors who abandon forms – Use Facebook Pixel to pull them back in.
Remember, conversion optimization is an iterative process. Continuously track form metrics and keep improving!
Wrap Up: Form Analytics Are Crucial for WordPress Growth
Understanding how your WordPress forms perform provides invaluable data to increase conversions over time.
As you saw in this guide, tracking forms in Google Analytics is easy to set up with MonsterInsights.
You gain complete visibility into form views, submissions, conversions rates, goal progress, and visitor behavior before converting.
Leverage these insights to promote high-value forms, fix bottlenecks, and run optimization experiments.
Form analytics helps move the needle for lead generation and sales growth.
So stop flying blind and start tracking your WordPress forms today! Let me know if you have any other questions. I‘m happy to help.
