1) What are order forms?

Do you run a business that regularly collects customer or client orders? One of the best ways to stay on top of orders and process payments is to use online order forms. You can use order forms to sell items, collect subscription payments, and gather donations.

Online order forms are used by sellers and e-commerce businesses to collect and manage customer information and sales details. Online retailers, nonprofits, small businesses, and other individuals or companies can use order forms to streamline their checkout process.

These forms collect the essentials of an order — customer contact information, shipping addresses, product choices, item quantity, payment methods, and more. While in the past businesses used physical order forms, digital order forms are now a convenient way for customers to buy products and businesses to earn money.

2) Key elements of order forms

There are a number of important elements that you should include in your order form. Make sure to add fields that collect customer information. These fields are essential for documenting who is ordering from you, where they’re located, and their email address. Contact information is required not only for shipping and billing but also for when you need to reach out to customers about their order.

It’s also important to include pertinent information about the items or services you’re offering. This includes the name of the item or service, a description of the item or service, and the item or service’s price. Clear and concise information about products can help reduce confusion on the customer’s end, which in turn helps prevent returns and refunds down the road.

You could include images of the goods for sale so customers have a clear idea what they’re ordering. An order form should also have a quantity field for listed items, so customers can order more than one, if you want to make that option available.

Don’t forget to add terms of service to your online order form. If your shop has specific policies, it’s best to let customers know before they confirm their order. This section of your form could include information about your online store’s return or shipping policy, a statement about when payments will be processed, size charts if your store sells clothing, or any other information you feel is necessary.

Finally, make sure you add your preferred payment method to your order form and link it to your payment account.

3) Use cases for order forms

Order forms are highly versatile and can be used across a wide range of industries and jobs.

Online stores

Online stores of all kinds can use order forms to handle customer purchases efficiently. A store’s order form is where customers choose items, specify sizes, provide shipping information, and more. On the business side, order forms help shops manage inventory, track orders, and ensure customer satisfaction.

Restaurants

Order forms are great for restaurants and catering businesses. Food delivery is extremely popular and used by many restaurants as a way to expand their business. Customers can select the dishes they want, add specific preparation requests, inform restaurants about dietary restrictions, and choose their delivery time. Order forms assist food establishments in keeping track of orders, preparing meals on time, processing payments, and more.

Nonprofits

Order forms aren’t only used for managing item purchases — they can also be used to gather donations. Nonprofits can use order forms to engage with their supporters and community. Online order forms can help nonprofits collect donations, sell merch that benefits the organization, and facilitate fundraising events, like auctions.

4) How to create order forms with Jotform

Want to build your first order form? Jotform can help you do it. Start by choosing one of our 2,200-plus order form templates to customize, or build your own order form from scratch.

Once you’ve chosen your preferred building method, use Jotform’s drag-and-drop Form Builder to customize your order form to match your needs. Add or remove form fields, change fonts and colors, upload branding assets and images, and more.

Payment methods are an essential part of an order form. Jotform offers over 30 payment processor integrations, so you have the flexibility to choose the payment service that’s best for you.

To do this, in Jotform’s Form Builder, click the Add Form Element button and select the Payments tab. Search for your preferred payment processor — for example, PayPal, Stripe, Square, or Venmo, to name a few — and then click on it to add it. You can also drag and drop it into your form.

Open the Payment Settings menu by selecting the payment field and clicking the wand icon. In the Payment Settings menu, you can connect your form with your payment account and configure the integration to your liking.

After setting up your payment integration, you can add a product list to your order form. In the Payment Settings menu, click Continue. Click the Create New Product button and set up your product details. In the Basic tab of the Product Settings menu, you can provide information like name, price, description, image, and more. When you’re happy with your product, click the Save button.

You can also configure your order form to let users select the quantity, color, and size of your product. To do this, you must add those details through the Options tab of the Product Settings menu. Hover your mouse over the product you just created and click the pencil icon to edit it. Go to the Options tab. There, you can access Add a Quantity Selector and Add a Product Option settings. Fill out these options according to how you want your form to work.

5) Benefits of using order form templates

Order form templates offer numerous benefits, making them a valuable resource for companies that sell items and services.

• They save time. Order form templates that come ready-made are perfect for a business that doesn’t have the time to start from scratch. This speeds up the setup process and allows businesses to get their merchandise to customers faster and more efficiently.
• They’re cost-effective. Using order form templates can be more affordable than hiring a developer or designer to make an order page for you. Free templates, like the ones Jotform offers, are available for everyone to use at no added cost.
• They’re customizable. Platforms like Jotform let you personalize order form templates. You can adjust form fields, edit form themes, change colors and layout, integrate with other software tools, and more.
• They’re scalable. As your business grows and changes, you can seamlessly update your order form template to accommodate new products, services, and policies.

6) Are order forms customizable?

With Jotform, customizing order forms to suit your needs is a breeze. Jotform’s drag-and-drop, no-code order form builder makes it easy to create and share professional order forms for any purpose. Simply open your order form in the Form Builder and drag and drop to make any content or design changes you need.

With Jotform, you can connect your order form with over 240 platforms to send data to your other accounts, choose from 30-plus payment processors, upload branding images and logos, and do so much more to make your order form stand out.