June 10, 2026 · Updated September 5, 2026
An agency website form has two audiences. The prospect needs to understand what to provide and what happens next. The team needs information it can act on without starting the conversation over.
The right first form is not always the longest application. Decide whether the visitor is requesting a conversation, checking fit, or completing a known application. Ask for information appropriate to that stage.
Give every question a reason
Write down why the agency needs each answer and what happens without it. A first-contact form might need a name, contact method, line of interest, and timing. A later application can collect the details needed for the intended market.
Do not require sensitive or difficult information simply because a carrier may eventually ask for it. Use the approved collection method when that information is actually needed. Explain document handling and make the privacy notice easy to find.
The GOV.UK question-page guidance recommends asking only for information needed, explaining the question, and allowing uncertainty when it is a valid answer. For an agency, that means a client should be able to say they do not know the roof year instead of entering a guess.
Start from information the client already has
A current dec page or schedule can reduce repeated questions, provided the team checks what has changed. Explain which documents are useful and which upload formats the system accepts. A document should be a useful starting point, not a condition that blocks a prospect who needs help locating it.
If the form carries answers forward, let the client review and correct them. An old address or exposure figure should not look more certain because software prefilled it.
Choose the implementation by its handoff
Generic form builders, custom forms, and insurance-specific products can all support useful intake when configured appropriately. Compare the behavior you need: conditional questions, accessible labels, error recovery, file handling, and a dependable submission destination.
| Step | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Completion | Does the form work on a phone and with a keyboard? |
| Error | Can the visitor fix a field without losing their answers? |
| Submission | Is the record saved before success is shown? |
| Ownership | Who receives and owns the next action? |
| Follow-up | Does the confirmation explain what happens next? |
| Handoff | Can the team reuse the information in its next task? |
For an embedded form, follow the provider's current instructions and test it in your actual website. Confirm responsive sizing, browser behavior, and any hosting or security settings with the person maintaining the site. Copying an embed snippet is only the installation step.
Make the confirmation useful
Tell the visitor that the request was received and describe the next step your agency can actually deliver. Distinguish a request for a quote from a completed quote or bound coverage. Avoid promising a response time the team cannot consistently meet.
Test the failure path too. If a save or notification fails, the system should not silently lose the request while showing success. The agency needs a way to detect and recover incomplete handoffs.
Measure the full journey
Track form starts, completed submissions, validation problems, and qualified next steps. Compare device types and traffic sources. A shorter form may increase raw submissions while reducing useful context, so evaluate quality and completion together.
Keep personal information out of analytics event payloads. Use events such as form started or submission confirmed, with appropriate consent and retention choices for the site.
Where Relay fits
Relay can be evaluated on the work after your agency has client information: reviewing source documents, preparing applications, and building other supported deliverables. Confirm any website embed or intake connection explicitly during setup. This guide does not announce a generally available Relay form builder.
See document preparation for the next step after intake.
Turn the information your agency receives into the next reviewed piece of work.