CaptainForm is a WordPress form builder that was launched in 2015. As the name suggests, it is a plugin for creating forms, based on the technology developed by 123ContactForm (its mother company). To learn more about CaptainForm, WordCamp Zagreb gold sponsor, we are talking with Alexandra Draghici, product owner at CaptainForm.
Thanks for being with us today, Alexandra! Can you tell use more about the idea behind CaptainForm?
Always a pleasure, thank you for having us! CaptainForm is a WordPress forms plugin. It was launched in 2015 and it is based on our mother platform, 123ContactForm, which was founded almost 10 years ago. We have always been deriving products for specific markets, and that is what CaptainForm is for WordPress. So the idea was to take all that we’ve learned about forms and all that we’ve developed and create a WordPress-dedicated product.
Why is CaptainForm different than other available form solutions for WordPress?
The user interface is one of our main differentiators. Our products are very versatile, yet we always design them having non-technical users in mind. A great part of the good thoughts that we receive from users concern the user-friendly interface.
Another differentiator is the support that we provide. We do support through live chat and email, 16 hours a day. Support is available to all of our users, the free service plan included.
CaptainForm works on a freemium model and the free plan allows users to build fully-functional forms. When advanced functionality (like payment integration) is needed, they can upgrade to a paid plan – the most expensive is $195 per year and can be used on an unlimited number of sites.
There are no add-ons required, everything is built in. The product integrates with 10+ payment processors. Centralized form management is also available, which allows digital agencies to save time building their clients’ forms. SSL encryption comes as a default for everybody.
These would be the most important differentiators.
CaptainForm sponsored WordCamp Split last year — what did you like most about it? Were people there already familiar with your product?
Form the sponsor’s perspective, it was a very well-organized event. Communication was fast and to the point, the booths were placed in a great spot, the overall expectations concerning attendance matched the reality.
I might be geographically biased (Romania, our home country, is close to Croatia), but the talks that we had with attendees at our booth were some of the most constructive we’ve experienced at WordCamps. And there were also many leaders of opinion present, whom we learned a lot from. Croatian WordCamps are great WordPress hubs in my opinion.
Also, I could never say no to a beach party, like the one that preceded the event 🙂
About people having heard about us, no, they hadn’t. It was, I think, only our fifth WordCamp. Now, in 2017, we got to meet more and more attendees who were already CaptainForm users.
Do you think bigger WordCamps like WordCamp Europe (which you also sponsored) make it harder for smaller communites to find sponsors for their local WordCamps?
Since I’m not an organizer, I can only give you my subjective opinion. Bigger WordCamps do have more sponsors, but that’s because of the costs involved, which naturally lead to more sponsor slots and more expensive packages. I haven’t been to a smaller WordCamp that, to my knowledge, didn’t have enough sponsors to cover their costs.
I think that global sponsors play an important part in this. But also, at most of the smaller WordCamps, I’ve met local businesses as sponsors that I wasn’t familiar with previously, which is a good sign.
The costs at the bigger WordCamps are very high and, usually, there isn’t an immediate return on investment. Sponsors do it mostly for awareness. And, while it is great to get exposure in front of thousands of attendees, it is also beneficial to get exposure inside a local community and have more insightful talks. Of course, it also depends on the size of the business you are representing. But, from our experience, sponsoring smaller WordCamps is definitely worth it.
What are the plans for the future for CaptainForm?
Keep developing new functionality and being there for our users, keep getting engaged with the community. And we are also looking for partnerships with hosting companies, and not only, that will bring more value to all of the parties involved.