Site management in many cases includes interaction with its visitors as part of feedback mechanisms. They can be presented in different versions. For example, in the form of a feedback form. In what varieties can it be represented? What are the features of implementing the appropriate form in the site structure?
What is the feedback form on the site?
The form in question is an interface that is designed to transmit various messages from visitors to site administrators. This form can be a convenient alternative to using an email address, and in some cases, to chat interfaces in a chat format. By activating it, the user can be sure that his message will reach the addressee and thus will not fall into spam, and he does not need to use third-party programs to work with the mailbox.
Feedback for the site (HTML-format, or, for example, in the form of PHP scripts or written in another programming language) can be configured so that the visitor of the online resource can reflect the essence of his question in the message, as well as indicate his own personal and contact information. Let us examine the means by which mechanisms of interaction between site administrators and its visitors can be implemented.
Ways to organize feedback on the site
There are several ways to launch a feedback service for a site. Among the most common:
- the use of free online services that generate special HTML code for the feedback form;
- the use of services that provide the appropriate HTML-codes, as well as PHP scripts necessary to ensure the functioning of the feedback form;
- Using ready-made scripts and embedding them in the HTML code of the pages on the site.
The first 2 methods may be suitable for users who do not have much experience in the field of web development. In turn, the third method in many cases is most suitable for specialists who can correctly integrate the appropriate feedback service for the site into the structure of web pages. But these are very conditional dependencies. It may well be that using a server to generate HTML code in practice will prove to be a more complicated procedure than loading a ready-made PHP script. Let us examine how these features can be used in practice.
Feedback form on the site as a PHP script
If the user prefers the option in which the ready-made feedback form for the site in the form of a PHP script will be used, then you can download it, for example, from the specialized site script.landman.ru. The main features of the respective scripts are as follows:
- sending messages by users of the site;
- spam filtering;
- the ability to use scripts in order to order certain goods and services.
The scripts offered by the development team of the specified site include:
- HTML-form, a link to which can be placed in one of the sections of the site;
- PHP script designed to process messages from site visitors;
- A set of special fonts for antispam.
Thus, in this kit there is everything you need to organize a simple, but at the same time functional and reliable form of feedback. It can be noted that it can be installed quite quickly by an unprepared user. The ready-made feedback form for the site from landman.ru is free, but on condition that the owner of the portal using it will save the copyrights of the developers.
In order to install the script in question, you must first check the config.php file for the correct e-mail address of the site administrator to which messages from users will come. In addition, in the Robots.txt file, you should specify a restriction on indexing the folder with the files used, which must be copied to the server root directory.
Non-PHP Forms
The feedback form for the site can be installed on web pages without using PHP scripts or files generated using any other programming language, the use of which on a particular server may be difficult or involves the use of additional resources that may not be available to the site owner .
In this case, we are talking about the generation of special HTML code. You can use the one that is offered by the developers of the main-ip.ru/genform service. You must go to the appropriate address, after - enter the necessary parameters in the form. Then you can generate and copy the code, and then place it on one or another page of the administered site.
To solve the problem - how to make a feedback form on the site, many modern web designers prefer to solve it using the main-ip.ru/genform service, primarily because it allows you to configure the appropriate form for many important parameters. Such as:
- width of the form;
- name of the field in which the name of the user who accesses the site’s administration via the feedback mechanism is entered;
- name of the field indicating the user's electronic address;
- parameters of various additional fields (in them, for example, alternative methods of communication with the user can be indicated - in the form of Skype or another messenger);
- the name of the text field intended directly for entering the message.
In addition, using the HTML code generation page for the feedback form, you can configure:
- the height of the block with the title of the form, its color - in HTML-encoding;
- the color of the text recorded in the header, as well as in the form of a message;
- the height of the text areas intended for entering the message, as well as the user's personal data;
- font size of the form used.
Thus, the main-ip.ru/genform service is among the most convenient for users who need feedback for the site. The HTML code generated by the service integrates very easily into the structure of web pages. The main thing - after installing this code, check the correct operation of the corresponding form.
Free feedback for the site can be organized through tools that are part of the popular shells for managing online portals. Such as, for example, Joomla.
Joomla Feedback Form
The interfaces for setting feedback in this project management system are in the "Contacts" section. According to experts, the corresponding form, despite its simplicity, has sufficient functionality to ensure a stable relationship between site visitors and its administrators.
How to make feedback on the site using Joomla? First of all, you need to enter the main panel of this system, and then select the "Contacts" option. On the page that opens, you need to create a new data category. To do this, fill in several fields - “Title”, as well as “Alias”. After that, it is necessary to reflect in the system the fact that the corresponding contact is published. Then you need to save the settings in the system.
After the required category has been created, it is necessary to form a web page on which the feedback form for the site will be located. To solve this problem, it is again necessary to select the “Contacts” option, and then click on the “New” button. Then you need to fill in the necessary information in the window that opens, after - reflect the fact that the data is published. Settings, again, need to be saved.
Feedback in Joomla: embedding the form in the site structure
Once all the necessary procedures are completed, the feedback form can be posted on the site. For these purposes, you need to enter the administrative panel, then select the "Menu" option and set the place in which the feedback form will be reflected. In the corresponding menu item, you need to create a new option - the one that is associated with the settings of the "Contacts" area.
After that, a page should open, on which the user needs to fix the name of the menu item, and also indicate the contacts that will correspond to him. The entered settings will need to be saved. After that, the feedback system for the site running Joomla will be available to users in the "Contacts" section of the administered site.
Another popular platform for working with online portals is WordPress. Consider how to make feedback on the site using the tools that it includes.
WordPress Feedback Form
The system for managing online portals under consideration involves the use of special plug-ins in order to solve the problem in question. In particular, the Contact Form Plugin script can be used to organize the feedback form (we will study its features a little later). It is usually available on the WordPress main dashboard menu in the Plugins section.
You must select the appropriate script to activate it. Then select the “Contacts” tab, and then copy the code of the used plugin. After that, select the “Pages” tab and select the “Add New” option. Then paste the previously copied code into the appropriate field. If necessary, you can customize the appearance of the page with contact information. Once it is prepared, the corresponding page can be published.
Installing WordPress plugins, even if one or another of their versions is a fairly simple code (feedback for a site can be organized in order to solve different problems), in many cases is characterized by features that are useful to pay attention to. We will study them in the context of the functionality of common plugins that are available in the corresponding online portal management system.
Setting up feedback on WordPress: the nuances
Using the WordPress service in order to organize feedback can be carried out in this way using several plugins. Consider them. We noted above that feedback forms that can be installed in the structure of a site on WordPress can be based on Contact Form Plugin. In addition to it, the user of the considered online portal management system has at his disposal such interfaces as:
- SimpleModal - pop-up feedback form for the site;
- Usernoise - a very fast plug-in with a floating button, when clicked, a form for entering a message opens;
- Contact Form in version 7.
The first plugin from the corresponding list is adapted to check the correctness of its filling. The second allows you to select the type of request, which can be represented by a user message, question or wish. The third has the function of selecting specific recipients of the message - for example, one or more users who are registered on the site.
For example, let’s learn how to make feedback on a site using the Contact Form plugin in version 7.
WordPress Contact Form Customization: Contact Form 7 Plugin
In order to use the capabilities of the plugin in question in order to solve the problem in question, you need to enter the WordPress control panel, select the "Plugins" option, and then click on the "Add New" button.
In the appropriate interface, a form will be available through which you can search for the required scripts: enter the name of the plug-in in it. A link to install the appropriate extension should appear in the search results.
The considered plug-in needs to be installed and wait for a message about its successful installation. Also, the corresponding extension must be activated. After that, the Contact Form option 7 will appear in the menu items located on the left side of the browser screen. If you hover over it, an additional menu will open, in which you need to select the "Add new" item. This is necessary to create a new interface, in the structure of which the form will be present. You need to click on the button, which is called the same as the item - "Add new".
In the window that opens, you need to configure the necessary options for the desired form. How to make feedback on the site, taking into account the particular settings of the corresponding interface? First of all, it is useful to pay attention to the choice of the title of the form: it may sound like "Contact the administration" or "Write to the site owner."
After that, you can customize the appearance of the form. For this purpose, you can use the template offered by the system by default. In principle, this is the simplest form of feedback for the site. It fixes the name of the applicant, his address, the subject of the message, as well as the text of the appeal to the site administration. If necessary, you can expand the functionality of the corresponding template. For this purpose, you can activate additional tags using the related menu items.
Adding the feedback form created using the Contact Form 7 plugin is the same as in the case with any other interface offered by WordPress developers. You can check how correctly the new feedback form works by sending a test message. It should be sent to the e-mail of the site owner, which is specified when configuring the plugin.
Summary
So, we learned how to make a feedback form on the site. This problem can be solved by using PHP scripts (or compiled in another programming language), using the generated HTML code, or using the interfaces of online project management systems such as Joomla or, for example, WordPress.
The choice of a specific mechanism for creating a feedback form may depend on the size of the site, the intensity of the intended communication of its administration with visitors, the structure of the corresponding portal, and the content of its content. One way or another, you can choose the format of the appropriate interface that can be used taking into account the specifics of a particular online project, both novice users and experienced web developers.