Are you looking for a way to collect information? Get responses for your particular product?
But don’t know how to get started?
If yes, then here’s good news. Google Form is one of the best free tools to create forms and conduct surveys online.
Google Forms was first launched in 2008 as a part of Google Sheets. It was later relaunched as a standalone Google product in 2016.
Today, Google Forms helps you create and manage feedback, inquiry, customer care, and many other forms in one place.
But, how to use Google forms? If you have no idea, this is the right guide. Here we have listed the top ways to use Google forms for various purposes such as data collection, validations, and surveys.
So, let’s dive in.
How To Use Google Forms As A Beginner?
Google Forms is a full-featured forms tool included in your Google account for free. You can use Google Forms to collect information from your targeted audience via personalized quizzes or questionnaires.
With these forms, teachers can also conduct online exams for students (A recent pandemic is the best example) or start surveys with simple questions. You can use them for your business to develop customized products according to user requirements. And since the forms are online, you can share the link, and people can participate on the form in real-time.
So let’s get started with a bit-by-bit guide on building and using Google forms.
#1. Google Form Builder Options
Building Google Forms is easy. You can build it in just a few clicks. Just click on https://docs.google.com/forms/u/0/, and you will find some inbuilt themes, or you can create new customized ones by clicking on the Blank option. Or you can build the form using Google Drive. Just like given below.
You can access Google Form with your Google Drive. Just head over to Google Drive and click on New Button. And you can create a customized form just like shown in the above image.
#2. Using Different Options For Answers
Whenever you start with Google Forms, you will get this window with several options. You have to enter your desired question and select which form you want answers from your targeted audience.
Following are some of the commonly used options for answering.
- Multiple Choice
The Multiple Choice form is the default option. Here you can provide various options or sets of options and allow people to select any one option from them. Or you can enable the user to answer none of the above by providing the “Other” facility.
- Check Box
Check Box
By using the Checkbox, you can allow users to select more than one or all options for a given question. Here, you can also restrict users to select up to N number of answers from all answers. Or you can allow the user to customize their response if the answer isn’t available in the given options by providing the “Other” functionality.
- DropBox
Drop box
Same as the multiple-choice field, with the shuffle choices, except the answers are in a menu this time. When there are several response options, this is important for keeping your form concise. People select their response from a drop-down menu of possibilities (one per question).
- Paragraph Box
Paragraph Box
Google forms come with this unique option, allowing the responder to add their custom answer. Here you have two choices: a short answer and a long answer. The short answer option enables the responder to enter a short sentence. (Mostly used for Yes, No questions or 2-3 word answers).
Whereas, the Long answer option gives responders the freedom of adding multiline answers in the form. By default, Google forms allow users some billion characters, but you can limit them according to your requirement.
- Multimedia answer
Multimedia Answers
You can upload an image, insert a link to Google Drive, or capture a photo of your camera using Google Forms (as long as you have Flash installed).
Alternatively, you can look for photographs on Google Images, including royalty-free stock photos and LIFE images licensed for usage inside Google Drive.
Google Forms also supports YouTube videos. You can add them by search or a link. As you can see in the above image, you have complete control over how many files a responder can upload. Any specific file type is required. You must specify the type, maximum file size, and other things.
- Linear Scale
Linear Scale
This field allows users to choose a number from a range so that you can create a scale ranging from 0 to 10 with labels for the lowest and highest selections. Yes, emojis may be used as labels as well.
A linear scale is a form of rating system that quantifies sentiments, degrees of satisfaction, attitudes, and perceptions using numbers. For everything from movies to restaurants, it’s the typical rating system of 0 to 5 stars, with five being the highest.
“How likely are you to refer [the brand] to a friend or colleague?” is a common question used to measure customer satisfaction. Consumers select a number between zero (unlikely) and ten (very probable) (extremely likely).
- Response Validation
Response Validation
Sometimes, you have questions that need to be answered in a certain format, such as email. Email must be in the format of @gmail.com or another address. That’s when you can Use Response Validation.
Here’s how to use response validation in Google Forms.
You can use Response validation only for Short or Long answers, as well as for checkbox answers. There can be conditions such as a word limit or the maximum number of checkboxes to be checked.
How to Use Google Forms For Surveys?
Earlier, we covered different features and options of Google forms. We will learn how to use Google Forms for surveys.
Step: Use Quiz Mode
The quiz mode in Google Forms is another option for creating an interactive form. You can find the Quizzes tab in the form settings.
Make this a quiz, and then pick whether to display the results right after the responder submits the form or after you can share the answer manually.
If you go with the latter option, your form must demand responders sign in using their Google account. You can then choose whether to display missing and correct responses and a value for each choice.
You’ll see a new Answer Key button on the bottom left of each question once that option is activated. Select the proper answer for the question after clicking it. Additionally, you can include response comments for both correct and wrong answers and a link for responders to access extra information if desired.
How to Use Google Forms To Collect Data?
If your main aim is to collect data using Google Form, you can create a form with Google Sheets. Just open Google Sheets, and you can make the new form under the Tools section like the below image.
Google Sheet
You can easily connect your Google Forms with Google Sheets using the below steps.
- Once you finish the form creation, click on the responses tab.
- The three dots button is next to the Google Sheets icon; click on Select responses destination from the drop-down menu.
- Now, you can choose where your responses get stored. You can either create a new spreadsheet or select an existing spreadsheet.
Now you can easily collect data into a spreadsheet with Google Forms.
Conclusion
Google Forms offers all the tools you need to create a primary poll or a dynamic survey with customizable questions for multiple response kinds.
It is not the most flexible or powerful form builder. Instead, it is simple to use, and you can do all the things through your Google account for Free.
General FAQs
How to use Google Forms?
Navigate to Google Forms. Here you can use prebuilt forms provided by Google or create a custom. Here you will get lots of the answer format you wish the responder should give.
How To Use Google Forms For Surveys?
Open Google Forms. Click on Create Blank Form. Add the title of your Survey and explain why you are conducting it. Then add your desired questions with a valid answer option. Once done creating, you can share the link with your responders.
How To Use Google Forms For Orders?
Go to Google Forms. Install the Neartailadd-on from G-Suite Marketplace to customize your Google Forms. Add calculations to your form to show the Order Summary for your product. Share the link and get started with your order.
How To Use Google Forms To Collect Data?
Google Forms helps collect data from your targeted audience. You have to open Google Forms and create your desired Google Form. Once you are done, click on the Response Tab and select where you want to collect your data.
How to use Response Validation in Google Forms?
Head over to Google Forms to create a Form. Add a question that requires short or paragraph answers. Then click on the More option and select Response validation. Here, choose the type of rule you want, and people get a warning when they cross-validate a rule.
