1. Form Optimization
3 case studies to convince your boss (and Sales) to
reduce form fields

2. Editor’s Note
Dear Marketer,
We know you’ve been struggling to convince your boss and Sales leaders to
reduce the number of form fields on your landing pages.
Some leaders need a little more proof than others.
To help you win them over in the fight to reduce frustrating form fields
(and improve your conversion rates), we’ve created this deck with three
case studies showing how reducing form fields gets results.
Please feel free to download it and customize it for your own boss. You’ll
look and feel a whole lot smarter when you pitch them with an impressive
deck and numbers to back you up.
Sincerely,
The MarketingExperiments Editorial Team
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3. PART 1: The Setup
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4. Most Impactful Page Elements
From 2011 LPO BMR
Top 5 Impactful Page Elements
Source: Marketing Sherpa’s 2011 Landing Page
Optimization Benchmark Report
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5. Most Impactful Page Elements
Top 5 Impactful Page Elements
Two of the top five most
impactful page elements on
website performance deal
with form fields.
Source: Marketing Sherpa’s 2011 Landing Page
Optimization Benchmark Report
#webclinic

6. PART 2: The Left Jab
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7. Experiment: Background and design

Experiment ID: (protected)
Location: MarketingExperiments Research Library
Test Protocol Number: TP1546
Research Notes:
Background: A luxury home builder seeking to sell homes to upper-class
families
Goal: To increase the number of leads
Primary Research Question: Which treatment will generate the highest lead
rate?
Approach: A/B multifactor split test
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8. Experiment: Control
Control
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9. Experiment: Control
Control (Step 2)
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10. Experiment: Treatment
Treatment
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11. Experiment: Side-by-side
Control Treatment
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12. Experiment: Results
166% Increase in Leads
The new form design improved lead generation rate by 166%
CR Relative Difference Statistical Confidence
Control 0.9% - -
Treatment 2.3% 166.5% 99.4%
 What Youthe number of steps and fields, the treatmentthrough
reducing
Need to Understand: By minimizing friction
outperformed
the control by 166%.
#webclinic

13. PART 3: The Right Hook
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14. Experiment: Background and design
 Experiment ID: (Protected)
Location: MarketingExperiments Research Library
Test Protocol Number: TP1341
Research Notes:
Background: A company offering dedicated business hosting services
Goal: To increase the number of leads
Primary Research Question: Which page design will generate the greatest
rate of leads?
Approach: A/B multifactor split test (radical redesign)
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15. Experiment #2: Control
There is significant friction due
to the volume of questions
(many unnecessary) posed in
the form.
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16. Experiment #2: Treatment
Significantly reduced the form
fields required on the first step
from 20 to four.
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17. Experiment #2: Results
188.46% Increase in Lead Rate
The new form design improved lead generation rate by 188%
CR Relative Difference Statistical Confidence
Control 2.00% - -
Treatment 5.77% 188.46% 95%
 What Youthe number of steps and fields, the treatmentthrough
reducing
Need to Understand: By minimizing friction
outperformed
the control by 188%.
#webclinic

18. PART 4: The K.O.
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19. Experiment #3: Background
 Experiment ID: SmartBrief
Location: MarketingExperiments Research Library
Research Notes:
Background: Launched in 2000, SmartBrief provides email news for busy
professionals belonging to industry trade associations and societies
Goal: To increase the trial sign-up conversion ratio
Primary Research Question: Which page will have the highest subscription
rate?
Approach: A/B split test (variable cluster)

20. Experiment #3: Control
13 form fields

21. Experiment #3: Treatment
Added value
Form fields
reduced to 3

22. Experiment #3: Results
816% Growth in Subscription
The optimized page increased conversion rate by 816%

23. The Caveat
Sometimes, counter intuitively, you want more friction in your process…
• Lead Generation Optimization: Finding the right amount of friction
The Additional Resources
• Lead Generation: Testing form field length reduces cost-per-lead by
$10.66
• This Just Tested: An aesthetic design that produced 189% more leads
• Hidden Friction: The 6 silent killers of conversion
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