Come on, now, do you really need my birth in dd/mm/yyyy format? Couldn’t you figure out what I meant if I wrote a month out in words, or if I only put in a one-digit day, or a two-digit year? Of course you could. Don’t throw my input back and ask me to fix things that a little server-side scripting could just as easily fix for me.

6. Display Warnings on the Page.

There are few things more annoying than websites which pop-up those little alert boxes, causing the computer to make a loud ‘ding!’ sound as they do so. If there’s something I need to go back and fix, add the warning to the page itself, preferably with a red border or background to mark it out for my attention. Don’t make me read a dialog box, click OK, and scroll back up myself to hunt for my mistake.

7. Only Ask for What You Need.

Last but not least, this is a rule that could make so many web forms so much better. If the information you’re asking for isn’t absolutely crucial to your dealings with me, don’t ask for it. Every second I spend filling in a form is a second I spend getting more frustrated with your website, and more likely not to finish what I’ve started if something goes even slightly wrong. Your site should be set up to figure out as much as it can about me automatically. Don’t ask what language I want to use – my browser tells you that in its HTTP headers. Don’t ask which country I’m from – you can detect that with my IP address. Save me time, and I’ll be much more likely to appreciate your site.