How to create a pre-order form for your website

Don’t worry if you’ve never worked with website forms before. The template above is powered by Getsitecontrol – a no-code website form builder. It works on any website platform, and once you register an account, you’ll be able to create a similar form within minutes.

Those who fill out the form on your website will receive an automated confirmation email from you. You can use it to include more detailed information about the order or a payment link. You can also integrate the form with Google Sheets, your CRM, or any other software that helps you manage orders.

If you don’t have a website, we recommend using Getform to create a shareable pre-order form and link to it from your social media, messenger, or email.

Let’s now move on to the tutorial.

Here is how to create a pre-order form in Getsitecontrol

There are two common ways to display a pre-order form on a website: via panels and via slide-ins.

A panel looks like a tab attached to the side of the screen, often at the bottom of the page. It says something like ‘PRE-ORDER NOW’ and expands into a form when a visitor clicks on it. Here is an example:

If you want to be proactive and display your call to action without waiting for a visitor to click on it, you can choose a slide-in. All you need is to decide when and where exactly you want it to appear. Here is an example:

Click on any of these templates to see them in action and decide which one you’d like to use for your own form.

Step 1. Pick a template

Once you’ve picked a template you like, open it, and click the Take this template button. For this tutorial, we’ll go with a panel-style form.

If you haven’t created a Getsitecontrol account yet, you’ll be prompted to do that. From there, you can adjust the form to your needs before publishing it on your website.

Step 2. Change the text and add fields

From the Design tab, you can edit the copy, fields, and image of the form. To change the title, description, or field name, simply click on it and type the new text.

You can also manage pages of the form. Go to the top right corner to create new pages and switch between them. For instance, this form requires buyers to type their shipping address on the second page 👇

If you want, you can change the field order, delete existing fields, and create additional ones.

The last page of the form is typically reserved for the submission success message.

The submission success message confirms order placement and tells buyers what happens next. Remember that you can also send them a pre-order confirmation email. We'll show you how to do it in a moment.

Step 3. Adjust visual appearance of the form

You can change the color theme of the form and replace the image. To do the former, just hit the Theme button at the top and adjust the settings.

To change the image, click on it and proceed to choose a new one by hitting the Change image button. You’ll be able to search for alternative images using the built-in gallery or import your product photos.

Repeat these steps for every page of the template where there’s an image.

Step 4. Set up targeting and order notifications

By default, the form will be displayed on every page of your website as soon as a visitor reaches it. Should you decide to display it on selected pages only, include the URLs of these pages in the first field under the Targeting tab.

Finally, if you want to receive email notifications about new form submissions, go to the Integrations tab, click the + Add notification button, and type your email address.

At this point, your pre-order form is ready, so you can click through to Save & close in the top right corner. Once you do that, you’ll be prompted to the main dashboard where you can set up an automated order confirmation email.

Step 5. Set up an automated email confirmation (optional, premium feature)

Getsitecontrol allows you to build various email marketing automations, and among them – an automated workflow for everyone who fills out your pre-order form.

You can automatically send an email confirming the order, tag your new customers, and even set up sequence of emails they’ll receive over a set period.

To set up a form submission automation, go to All widgets, hit Set up automation for the form you’ve just created and select + Create new.

You don’t need a 3rd-party email marketing platform to send automated emails — this feature set is already available in Getsitecontrol. Just open the +Add action menu and select Send email.

From there, you can choose to create an email from scratch or pick one of the pre-designed templates. Regardless of your choice, you’ll need to edit the text, replace the image, add your URLs, and fill out the meta data on the right.

You can add a coupon box to your email to reward early-bird buyers and a countdown timer to encourage prompt payment.

💡 Want to start building a relationship with those who’ve ordered from you? Then consider creating a sequence of emails (a.k.a. a workflow) that will be sent automatically at the pace of your choice. For example, you can send separate emails to introduce your brand, showcase other products, share your behind-the-scenes experience or product care recommendations.

Once the confirmation email is ready, click Done to save it. Then activate the automation and the form.

Step 6. View order submissions in a convenient format

You can view pre-order submissions in bulk and individually. To access them, open the Responses report right on the form card and proceed to Details.

If you’re using 3rd-party software for your business, such as CRM, Google Sheets, or any other app, you can connect it to the form and automatically send the collected data to it. To implement that, go back to editing the pre-order form, proceed to the Integrations tab and click +Add application:

Choose the app you want to send data to from the dropdown menu and follow the prompts to set up the integration. For more detailed instructions, check out our guides on integration settings.

3 tips that will encourage your visitors to place pre-orders

It takes a lot of effort to launch a successful pre-order campaign, and the volume of orders will mostly depend on the demand for your product. However, there are some common practices for nudging those customers who are already on your website but are hesitant to fill out your pre-order form.

Use incentives

Including incentives is a good practice that helps encourage pre-orders. They are especially effective if you want to create hype about a new product on social media. Consider offering one of the following to your first buyers:

• Limited quantity or time discounts
• Free shipping
• Swag packs
• Samples

Or any other perks your customers may enjoy.

Create a sense of scarcity

If you’re collecting pre-orders for a limited-quantity item, make sure to mention that it’s scarce. The scarcity principle is a great tactic to get more pre-orders because most people like the idea of owning something exclusively or being among the first to own an item.

Minimize the number of fields in the form

Nobody likes long and complex website forms. In fact, every extra field lowers your chances of getting that pre-order you’re looking for. So, as a rule of thumb, you want to avoid unnecessary questions and ask the bare minimum, such as contact information, shipping information, and information about the desired product.

The fewer fields a customer has to fill out, the higher the chances they will complete the form.

Create your pre-order form today

For some businesses, pre-order forms are essential. For others, they are a clever marketing tactic that helps forecast the demand, validate an idea, and create anticipation. When you have to pre-order something, it often makes the item more desirable.

With Getsitecontrol, you can place a beautiful pre-order form on your website today to start collecting orders and developing a relationship with your buyers via email marketing.