How to set up and track form submissions and form abandonment in Google Analytics

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Setting up and tracking form submissions and form abandonment in Google Analytics is crucial for understanding user interactions and optimizing conversion rates on your website. This guide will walk you through the process of setting up both tracking scenarios effectively:

1. Setting Up Form Submission Tracking

To track form submissions in Google Analytics, you typically use Event Tracking. Here’s how to set it up:

Step 1: Identify Form Submission Event

  1. Identify the Form: Determine which form(s) on your website you want to track submissions for.

Step 2: Implement Event Tracking Code

  1. Add Event Tracking Code: Modify the form submission button HTML to include Google Analytics event tracking code. For example, using Universal Analytics (ga.js):
    html

    <form>
    <!-- Your form fields here -->
    <button type="submit" onclick="ga('send', 'event', 'Form', 'Submit', 'Form Name');">Submit</button>
    </form>

    Replace 'Form', 'Submit', and 'Form Name' with meaningful values:

    • 'Form': Event category (e.g., ‘Contact Form’, ‘Signup Form’).
    • 'Submit': Event action (e.g., ‘Submit’, ‘Click’).
    • 'Form Name': Event label (optional, specific name of the form).

    Ensure the onclick event triggers the form submission in addition to sending the event to Google Analytics.

Step 3: Verify Event Tracking

  1. Testing: Submit the form and verify that events are being tracked in Google Analytics.
  2. Real-Time Reports: Use Google Analytics Real-Time reports to confirm that events are being captured in real-time.

Step 4: Set Up Goals (Optional)

  1. Goal Creation: If you want to track form submissions as goals, navigate to Admin > Goals in Google Analytics.
  2. Create New Goal: Set up a new goal with type ‘Event’ and define the event conditions matching your form submission tracking.

2. Tracking Form Abandonment

Tracking form abandonment helps you understand where users drop off before completing form submissions. Here’s how to set it up:

Step 1: Identify Form Abandonment Points

  1. Identify Key Points: Determine which fields or stages in the form constitute abandonment (e.g., leaving the page without completing the form).

Step 2: Implement Event Tracking for Abandonment

  1. Add JavaScript Event Listeners: Use JavaScript to detect when users interact with form fields and when they navigate away from the page without submitting the form.

    Example using jQuery:

    javascript

    $(document).ready(function() {
    // Track form field focus
    $('input, textarea').focus(function() {
    ga('send', 'event', 'Form', 'Field Focus', $(this).attr('name'));
    });

    // Track form abandonment (leaving without submission)
    $('form').submit(function() {
    ga('send', 'event', 'Form', 'Submit', 'Form Name');
    });

    // Track form submission
    $('form').on('submit', function() {
    ga('send', 'event', 'Form', 'Submit', 'Form Name');
    });
    });

    Replace 'Form', 'Field Focus', 'Submit', and 'Form Name' with relevant event category, action, and label.

Step 3: Verify and Test Tracking

  1. Testing: Test the form abandonment tracking by interacting with the form fields and submitting or leaving the form without submission.
  2. Debugging: Use browser developer tools or Google Analytics Real-Time reports to debug and verify event tracking implementation.

3. Analyzing Form Data in Google Analytics

Step 1: Access Event Reports

  1. Navigate to Reports: In Google Analytics, go to Behavior > Events > Overview to view event data.

Step 2: Customize Reports

  1. Customize Views: Use secondary dimensions and filters to drill down into specific form events and attributes.
  2. Conversion Analysis: Compare form submission rates with abandonment rates to understand user behavior and optimize forms accordingly.

4. Optimizing Based on Insights

  1. Form Optimization: Based on analytics data, optimize form design, field placement, and usability to reduce abandonment rates and increase submissions.
  2. A/B Testing: Conduct A/B tests on form variations to identify which layout or fields result in higher submission rates.

5. Advanced Techniques

  1. Google Tag Manager Integration: Use Google Tag Manager for more advanced event tracking setups and easier management of tracking codes.
  2. Session Recording Tools: Use session recording tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg to visually analyze user interactions with forms and identify usability issues.

Conclusion

Setting up and tracking form submissions and abandonment in Google Analytics provides critical insights into user behavior and helps optimize conversion rates on your website. By effectively implementing event tracking for form interactions, analyzing data, and continuously optimizing forms based on insights, you can improve user experience, increase form completions, and achieve your business goals more effectively. Regularly monitor and refine your tracking setup to ensure accurate data collection and actionable insights.