Optimizing Web Forms: How one company generated 226% more leads from a complex Web form (without significantly reducing fields)

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Optimizing Web FormsHow one company generated 226% more leads from a complex Web form (without significantly reducing fields)


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Today’s speakers

Ben HuppertzSenior Research ManagerMECLABS

Austin McCrawDirectorContent ProductionMECLABS

Ben FilipSenior ManagerData SciencesMECLABS


Experiment: Background

Background: A large news syndication company.

Goal: To increase the overall number of leads on a “request more information” form.

Research Question: Which form design will result in the highest number of new member sign-ups?

Test Design: A/B split test

Experiment ID: TP1636Record Location: MECLABS Research LibraryResearch Partner: (Protected)


Experiment: Control

• The control features 11 form fields (10 required).

• The page has side navigation and three additional calls-to-action at the end of the page.


Experiment: Treatment A

• Treatment A adds four more form fields for a total of 15 fields (nine required).

• The treatment eliminates navigation and additional CTAs at the bottom of the page.


Experiment: Treatment B

• Treatment B reduces form fields by one for a total of 10 fields (all required).

• The treatment eliminates navigation and additional CTAs at the bottom of the page.


Experiment: Side by sideTreatment BTreatment A

109% In Lead Rate

87% In Lead Rate

What You Need to Understand: By eliminating the navigation elements and additional CTAs on the page, both treatments were able to double the performance of the control.!

Control


Experiment: Side by sideTreatment BTreatment A

109% In Lead Rate

87% In Lead Rate


Control

While both treatments were an astonishing success, when we dove deeper into the metrics of the test, we found two connected, yet very puzzling, anomalies.


Experiment: AnomaliesTreatment BTreatment AControl

109% In Lead Rate

87% In Lead Rate



Experiment: AnomaliesTreatment BTreatment A

Anomaly #1: While Treatment A had six optional form fields, every prospect that landed on the page filled in every field –without exception.

Anomaly #2: Even though both treatments outperformed the control, there was no statistically significant difference when we compared just Treatment A to Treatment B.

1

23

4

5

6

No DifferenceIn Marketing Leads


Experiment: AnomaliesTreatment BTreatment A

Anomaly #1: While Treatment A had six optional form fields, every prospect that landed on the page filled in every field –without exception.

Anomaly #2: Even though both treatments outperformed the control, there was no statistically significant difference when we compared just Treatment A to Treatment B.


Experiment: Anomalies

Treatment A

• In other words, the same relative percentage of customers were completing both forms.

• But because Treatment A had five more fields than Treatment B, the company was receiving a much higher-quality lead.



Treatment A

Why?

• In other words, the same relative percentage of customers were completing both forms.

• But because Treatment A had five more fields than Treatment B, the company was receiving a much higher-quality lead.



Treatment A

Why did everyone who saw this form fill out every field – even the optional ones?

Why did the higher number of fields (more friction) not affect conversion rate?


Let’s take a closer look at Treatment A.



Treatment A

Treatment A (Form)


Experiment: HypothesisTreatment A (Form)

• When we considered the objective of the page, our analysts hypothesized that by helping the customer through the form, we could set the expectation for a productive in-person conversation.


Experiment: DiscoveryTreatment A (Form)

Conversational Elements in the Form:

With whom will we be speaking?(We collect your general information so we know with whom we will be speaking and how best to reach you.)

Where are you located?(We collect information about your location in order to route you to the appropriate [company] representative.)

What information are you interested in discussing?(In order to make our conversation as productive as possible, we would like to know a couple of pieces of relevant information.)


Experiment: DiscoveryTreatment A (Form)

• Treatment A also added a testimonial near the form to increase credibility and reduce any anxiety that arose in the form.


Experiment: Value force vs. cost forceTreatment BTreatment AControl

Cost ForceValue Force Cost ForceValue Force Cost ForceValue Force







What you need to understand: By guiding the visitor through the form (increasing the process-level value proposition), we were able to counterbalance the additional friction in the form – capturing higher-quality leads without sacrificing quantity.

!


Treatment A

Experiment: Interpretation

226% In Lead Rate

• We took the discovery we made in the “request more information” form, and were able to export it to another part of the site.

• With only one testing cycle, we were able to achieve a 226% lift in lead rate.

Primary Membership Form


What we discovered

FKey Principles

1. First, we must understand that every action a customer is asked to take (even completing a form field) creates a psychological question in the mind of the customer: Is this really worth it?

2. Thus, optimizing Web forms transcends simply reducing the number fields. We must ensure the right amount of value for the right amount of cost. Sometimes, the right “ask” at the right time can actually imply value.

3. Finally, we must see through our customers’ eyes. Our prospects personify our forms. They give it a tone, a voice, a personality. It is more than a transaction; it is a conversation – a conversation that the marketer must guide.


7 questions to ask about your Web forms

Does my form gather the information my company needs?

Can I reduce the number of required fields?

Should I increase the number of required fields for a higher-quality lead?

Can I group similar form fields and reduce the perceived length of my form?

Is there a justification (direct or implied) for why each field is presented?

How can I increase the perceived value of every field in my form?

Does the form logically guide the visitor through the process of filling it out?


Help with Web form data validation

The email address you entered is invalid. Please enter a valid email address.

First Name Bob

Last Name Smith

Email Bob.smith@typo

Phone 904-555-1212

Address Line 1 123 Anywhere

Address Line 2 Suite 32

City Anytown

State NY

Postal Code 01101

Learn how data validation can increase your form conversion by 10% - 30%

With data validation, you can:

• Catch invalid information at the point of acquisition

• Prompt users to correct their information in real time

Mecla.bs/StrikeIron

http://mecla.bs/StrikeIron

Mecla.bs/StrikeIron


Live Optimization: AAA East Central

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Live Optimization: SEI

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Live Optimization: AB Moving

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Live Optimization: Resolution Research

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Live Optimization: Dangerous Goods

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Live Optimization: LegalHelpRightNow.org

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Next Clinic: Background

Background: A mid-sized furniture company selling mattresses.

Goal: To increase the overall number of mattress purchases.

Research Question: Which credibility approach will produce the highest rate of mattress purchases?

Test Design: A/B variable cluster split test

Experiment ID: TP11009Record Location: MECLABS Research LibraryResearch Partner: (Protected)


Next Clinic: Version A


Next Clinic: Version B


Next Clinic: Side by sideVersion A Version B


Live May 28th at 4:00 p.m. EDT

• Which marketing approach won• How “green” marketing can affect your own marketing• How we can think about green marketing in a way that helps us

tap into the desires of our customers

Join the next live 35-minute Web clinic to discover:

Next Clinic: Green marketing tested

To join live, register at the link below:

MarketingExperiments.com/GreenMarketing



See how you can conduct research with usMECLABS conducts rigorous experiments in the new science of optimization. We apply our discoveries to help leaders optimize the financial performance of their sales and marketing programs.

Learn more about how you may be a fit for a MECLABS Research Partnership:

• Select Research Partnership Opportunities on the post-webinar survey

• Contact us [email protected]

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Optimizing Web Forms: How one company generated 226% more leads from a complex Web form (without significantly reducing fields)