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Customizing Web Forms

by Joe J
3 replies
  • WEB DESIGN
    • |
Hi Everyone,

I am in the beginning stages of trying to help a friend with his website.

Here is some info on the form that I would like to design (very little to none coding experience) or that he may have designed.

He builds custom tack boxes and other wooden products for people in the horse riding industry.

The boxes he builds have a ton of different options such as: type of wood, stain, hardware, with or without casters, etc.

The form I'm interested in would have a section on each different option available with a small photo of each choice and the user would click on an option's choice and then on to the next option.

After all options are chosen, a page with the chosen options would display for them and give them the option of printing a copy and/or emailing it to themselves or us.

I guess my questions are:

Can, or should I, use a form building software(Coffee Cup, Adobe, etc.) and add in an image hover effect for the choices (and other custom things)or just make the form in Dreamweaver? (I can figure it out in Dreamweaver if this is even the best route to go.)

There is no time limit on when I need to get this figured out so I can learn as I go.

The website is a Wordpress site and I'm using a PC and not a Mac.

I will be needing to do this for about 4 or 5 different products of his.

I hope I included enough information and that I explained it correctly and if not, please feel free to correct me as this is part of my learning process.

Thank You Much, in advance, for your help,

Joe J
#customizing #forms #web
  • Profile picture of the author David V
    I understand your explanation about the different options for the tack boxes, but the thought process for the forms doesn't sound right.

    Since the site is on WordPress, and if he's selling tack boxes, he'll need an ecommerce solution.

    An easier flow (and less work), would be to setup the ecommerce products and for each product you can have the various options as you described.
    And those options could certainly be images.

    So a user might select a tack box, then be given the options in whatever format you want (image or text or dropdown, etc...) and as they select the options the cart automatically adds the option(s) price to the cart.

    It's exactly what you might do if you order clothing online. You select the size, the color, etc..

    Upon checkout, you can give them the option to download a pdf receipt, and they will receive one via email as well.

    Look at woo commerce (free plugin with many addons available)
    also WP estore
    and you can search and find many more.

    If your hell-bent on creating forms, I would use a plugin solution since your on WordPress. (Gravity Forms, Ninja Forms)

    Definitely rethink the custom form idea, that's a less then optimal solution. Let an ecommerce plugin do all the work, not you.

    Make sure you read the documentation first before committing to any ecommerce plugin so you understand what needs to be done before you download it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Joe J
    David,

    Thanks for the detailed reply and recommendations.

    I will look into an e-commerce solution. We were on the fence about going that route in the beginning because of the fact that there are many things involved making these custom products and were figuring the potential buyer would like to actually call and discuss some details such as shipping or some other buyer's customization requests.

    Thinking that it would be easier to not use an e-commerce site at first, we would turn it into one eventually. Since we are not in a real rush to get on-line, you may be right into going that route now and starting out with an e-commerce site.

    Thanks Again for the help, Joe
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    • Profile picture of the author David V
      Your welcome. Good luck, sounds pretty cool.
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