{"id":43,"date":"2019-05-21T05:58:18","date_gmt":"2019-05-21T05:58:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.123formbuilder.com\/blog\/getting-error-messages-just-right"},"modified":"2022-08-23T13:49:36","modified_gmt":"2022-08-23T13:49:36","slug":"getting-error-messages-just-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.123formbuilder.com\/blog\/getting-error-messages-just-right\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Your Error Messages Just Right to Make Them More Reassuring"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Errors are always going to happen. But how you handle and address those errors is what matters. Users typically receive an error message when they\u2019re unable to access something or get something done. Whether it\u2019s a system error or a user error, it\u2019s important to handle them properly. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to messaging, there are three essential components that should be included in a good error message:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clear and concise message<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proper message placement<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Good visual design<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When all three of these components are included in your error message, it makes it much easier for the user to identify the problem that\u2019s happening and react accordingly. Making it easier for users to troubleshoot and work through their errors, if it\u2019s on their end, makes it much easier for them to get things done, whether it\u2019s subscribing to your email list or making a purchase. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s how you can help create error messages that are more reassuring for users and that allow them to easily identify the problem they\u2019re having:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Clear and Concise Message<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be Clear<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First thing\u2019s first \u2013 the error that\u2019s happening needs to be stated clearly, and the solution presented accordingly. Error messages should sound like they\u2019re written by humans for humans \u2013 because that\u2019s what they are. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Writing your error message in computer code or complicated language does nothing to help the average user figure out and fix the problem they\u2019re having. It should actually sound like a conversation between people, where the wording is polite, friendly and free from complex jargon. Most users aren\u2019t going to be tech wizzes, so making the message highly understandable will help users navigate through the issues they\u2019re having.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be Helpful<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Giving some insight into the error that happened and how to fix it is important. It\u2019s not sufficient to simply tell the user that an error has happened and provide them with no further guidance. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be Specific<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When sending users an error message, that message has got to be specific to the situation that\u2019s in front of them. A generic error message isn\u2019t good enough, because it doesn\u2019t address what\u2019s happening and how they can go about fixing it. For instance, \u2018Please enter a value,\u2019 isn\u2019t a good example of an error message because the user may have already entered a value, but not understood <a href=\"https:\/\/www.123formbuilder.com\/docs\/simple-field-validation-for-online-forms\/\">the format it needed to be entered in<\/a>. If it\u2019s an email address that\u2019s missing the \u2018@\u2019, for example, be clear about it, so users know where they\u2019ve made an error and can quickly and easily correct it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be Polite<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No matter what the error is, you\u2019ll always want to be polite in your messaging. Even if it\u2019s on the user\u2019s part, you don\u2019t want to make them feel to blame. Don\u2019t make the error about them \u2013 avoid saying \u2018You didn\u2019t\u2019 or \u2018You forgot\u2019, because that places blame on the user and makes them feel discouraged about continuing beyond the error.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be Funny<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If at all possible, and if appropriate, you can try injecting a little bit of humor into your error message. It can be an unexpected surprise for a user, adding to their experience and to your branding. But remember, only do this when appropriate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be Accurate<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your error messages speak for your brand and your business, so they\u2019ve got to be precise and get to the exact error that\u2019s happening while outlining the fix as clearly as possible. Here are some great online resources to help you create those clear and concise messages:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MyWritingWay and ViaWriting &#8211; Copywriting guides that can help assist you through creating clearly written error messages<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Academized and PaperFellows &#8211; Great editing tools, as touted by WriteMyAustralia.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AcademAdvisor and Studydemic &#8211; Check the grammar in your message before making them live, with these grammar checkers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AustralianHelp and OxEssays &#8211; Make sure there are none of your own errors within your error message by using proofreading help from these sources<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SimpleGrad and WritingPopulist &#8211; Format things properly by using one of these great resources<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">StateOfWriting &#8211; Make sure your messages are not just formatted properly but are also clearly readable and understandable by users with this readability tool<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Proper Message Placement<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An error message is no good if the user can\u2019t easily see it to understand what\u2019s going on. The best, most highly visible spot for your error message is directly next to the elements that are being addressed. Doing this can also inherently help the user understand why they aren\u2019t able to complete the task at hand.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Good Visual Design<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s important to include good design into your error message, in order to make it clearly visible for users. There needs to be a contrast in text and background colors in order to make it noticeable and clear as an error. Sometimes red can be seen as too stressful for users, so yellow or orange may be used.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As usual, the red color is used for the error message text. \u201cIn some cases, yellow or orange colors are seen as too stressful for users. But, regardless of what color you\u2019re using in your message design, you\u2019ve got to make sure that it\u2019s clearly visible, otherwise users won\u2019t know what to do when they encounter a problem,\u201d explains Marketing Manager Terry James of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ukwritings.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UK Writings<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/boomessays.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Boom Essays<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Pro Tip<\/strong>:\u00a0You can use our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.123formbuilder.com\/form-designer\" rel=\"noopener\">online form designer<\/a>\u00a0to style your form and the error messages that go with it.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Errors happen. But how you handle those errors is what matters. Help users work through the errors they may be encountering with clear and concise messages that allow them to understand the error and the fix for it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, you&#8217;ll be able to increase your conversions and collect more data. Speaking of which &#8211; we&#8217;ve got a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.123formbuilder.com\/data-management\/\" rel=\"noopener\">data management strategy<\/a>\u00a0guide that will help you in your data collection endeavors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Errors are always going to happen. But how you handle and address those errors is what matters. Users typically receive an error message when they\u2019re unable to access something or get something done. Whether it\u2019s a system error or a user error, it\u2019s important to handle them properly. When it comes to messaging, there are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":318,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,18,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-form-favourites","category-level-up-your-forms","category-ultimate-guides"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Form Error Messages: How to get them right| 123FormBuilder Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How do you handle form error messages? Read our blog post on how you can improve conversions with the right error messages on your forms.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.123formbuilder.com\/blog\/getting-error-messages-just-right\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Getting Your Error Messages Just Right to Make Them More Reassuring\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How do you handle form error messages? Read our blog post on how you can improve conversions with the right error messages on your forms.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.123formbuilder.com\/blog\/getting-error-messages-just-right\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"123FormBuilder Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-05-21T05:58:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-08-23T13:49:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn.marketing123.123formbuilder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/05\/error-message.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Oscar Erk\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Oscar Erk\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Form Error Messages: How to get them right| 123FormBuilder Blog","description":"How do you handle form error messages? 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