A Survey Tool for Gathering Client Information
Do you want a way to gather information from clients easily and securely? Sending a MS Word document requires that the client has the appropriate software to fill it out and can be frustrating. PDF forms are often hard to create and clunky. JotForm is a secure, easy, and functional tool that lets you convert existing forms into surveys that let you gather information, documents, get esignatures and more. Want to see a demonstration? Join us September 16 at noon for the CPM Learning Objectives webinar exclusively for NCBA members. Register Now!
The Basics
JotForm, like other survey tools including Microsoft Forms, Google Forms, SurveyMonkey and others, lets you create an online survey. It renders well in the browser and works on mobile devices. There is a fully functional free version, though it has JotForm branding and the number of forms and responses are limited. The paid versions, starting at $16 per month, include more forms, more storage space, and more submissions.
Creating a form is easy and robust. You can choose from hundreds of templates or start from nothing. Add your logo, a header, and form elements for short and long text, paragraphs, file upload, drop down options, multiple choice menus and more. You can also add fields for signatures and appointments. Under Settings you can create conditional logic to show/hide fields based on “if” state conditions, do complex calculations, add required fields, and integrate third party tools.
When someone fills out a form you can set how you want to get notifications via email or mobile. The results are available as PDF downloads or you can download them in Excel or .CSV (comma separated values). You can use the results in Excel to merge data into a MS Word or WordPerfect document – no rekeying! You can also search across submissions in the forms. There is also a robust report builder.
Smart PDF Forms
A feature that is a game changer for many law firms is the smart PDF forms. You can take an existing Word document and convert it to PDF or use an existing PDF form and upload it to JotForm. Then you keep the text, identify the fields and JotForm creates an online survey that it much easier to fill out and does not require special software, like Acrobat Reader or Microsoft Word. You can add additional fields such as signatures and file uploads. It is a far more user friendly way to collect data from your clients and you will get the information back as a completed PDF document and you can leverage the data in Excel or CSV.
JotForm Security
All data stored and in transit in JotForm is encrypted with 256 Bit SSL by default. If you need HIPAA compliance, they have plans that cover that, as well as PCI, GDPR, and CCPA. For extra security you can add encryption so that only you have access to the information received through form submissions and you must use your own private key to decrypt the data. The set up and use if extremely easy, but you will be warned that if you lose the key you can no longer access the data. One word of caution – uploaded files are not encrypted with this feature, though you can add additional security to keep access to any secure files locked down.
Widgets and Integrations
JotForm offers a lot of “widgets” to add function to your forms. Esignatures, form calculations, interactive terms and conditions, email and address verification and hundreds more make creation of complex and robust forms easy. Integrations with tools you already use from Dropbox to Docusign lets you share data between JotForm and other applications in your tech stack. Oddly, there are only integrations with Microsoft 365 through PowerAutomate and Microsoft SQL server. If you want to transfer information to a practice management application, you can use the Zapier integration.
See It in Action
Interested in seeing how your firm can use JotForm? Join us September 16 at noon for the CPM Learning Objectives webinar exclusively for NCBA members. Register Now!