An online form is often the first build a small business or group asks for. A chop bar in Tamale wants lunch orders before noon. A church youth group wants members registered for a retreat. A tailor wants customers to book fittings. With a form builder such as Google Forms or Microsoft Forms, you can set any of these up in an afternoon, on a phone or a computer.
Choose the right question type
Form builders offer several question types. Picking well makes answers easier to give and easier to use.
- Short answer: a name, a phone number, a single number.
- Paragraph: longer comments or complaints. Use sparingly; free text is hard to summarise.
- Multiple choice: pick one, such as "Jollof, waakye or banku".
- Checkboxes: pick any number, such as extra toppings.
- Dropdown: pick one from a longer list, such as a district.
- Date and time: bookings and deadlines.
- Linear scale: ratings from 1 to 5.
Prefer choices over typing whenever the answers are known in advance. They are faster on a small screen and keep your data clean.