Intake
A contact form collects information. An intake path creates a next step.
The difference is what happens before, during, and after the form.
Audit My Intake PathThe generic contact-form pattern.
- 1Visitor finds Contact.
- 2Visitor writes a message.
- 3Submission goes to an inbox.
- 4Someone reads it.
- 5Someone decides what it means.
- 6Someone forwards it.
- 7Someone follows up. Maybe.
The form itself may work perfectly. The operating path around it may still be weak.
A useful intake path answers four questions.
1
Who is this person?
2
What are they trying to do?
3
What information is needed now?
4
What should happen next?
Do not ask everything upfront.
Good intake collects enough information to route the person. It does not need to complete the entire sales, onboarding, legal, medical, or service process in one form. Ask only what changes the next step.
Different people may need different paths.
new prospectexisting clientreferralvendorjob applicantmediasupport request
Not every website needs every route. The point is to separate journeys only when the next action is genuinely different.
The form should not become a dead end.
After submission, the visitor should know:
- what happened
- what comes next
- when to expect a response
- whether booking is available
- what to do if the matter is urgent
Related
See your front door before you rebuild it.
Start with ten questions or book the full audit.