Why Your Contact Form Is Killing Conversions (and How to Fix It)
In a recent blog post, we talked about how overly-long or invasive contact forms can quietly kill your volume. Now we want to share a real-life example of how much difference a small change to your lead funnel can make. One RevKey client recently removed the requirement to enter credit card information on their contact form; a week later, their leads increased by 50%.
The Challenge
For the most part, our client’s Google Ads campaign looked to be performing well. They were getting a lot of volume, had a high click through rate, and visitors were staying on the website for a long time. The problem was what happened after they clicked the ad. Instead of filling out the form and becoming a lead, they were leaving. The reason was one thing: a requirement to give credit card information just to schedule a call. While this step might have been added to weed out no-shows and make intake smoother, it created a major barrier at the first point of contact.
The Cause
For someone reaching out to a business for the first time, filling out a form or scheduling a call is their first step toward building a connection. It already takes effort and some degree of trust to share personal details with a faceless website online. Being asked for something as sensitive as credit card information before any relationship is established can set off red flags to a potential lead. Instead of creating trust, it creates a barrier, and sends a signal that payment comes before connection.
The Change
The fix to this problem is very simple. After reviewing the lead process together, looking at the form through the eyes of a new visitor, we recommended that the client remove the credit card requirement completely. Nothing else about the website, the ad campaign, or the overall intake process was changed other than that one minor adjustment. By taking out the credit card requirement, the process stopped feeling like a transaction and started feeling like an invitation to talk.
The Result
The impact of this small change was felt very quickly. A week after removing the credit card requirement, this client saw a 50% increase in leads. The campaign was the same: the budget, the ads, and the keywords hadn’t been changed. By all accounts, the traffic coming to the website was the same as it had ever been. The only change was that the barrier to communication had been removed. This led to both more inquiries and, because of the increased volume, a lower cost per lead, meaning their money was working more efficiently. It was direct proof that just one extra step could tank conversion rates.
The Lessons
This case demonstrates a few important principles when it comes to capturing leads.
The First: Don’t confuse lead forms with intake forms. A lead should be able to get in touch with you as easily as possible. Connecting shouldn’t feel like a hurdle.
The Second: Every extra step adds more friction. Even one extra seemingly small or innocuous step can cause people to lose interest or trust, and back away
The Third: You need to build trust before asking for detailed information. Intake forms, calls, or automated systems are the places where you should collect the detailed and potentially personal information you need. Outside of those places, it’s best to keep things simple and straightforward.
Our client’s new success makes the lesson clear: the easier it is to contact you, the more leads you’ll get. Everything unnecessary is a barrier, and those barriers need to be removed in order to have a high-performing Google Ads campaign. If you’re getting a lot of traffic but none of it is converting, the problem might lie in your form.
We at RevKey can help you streamline your paid marketing channels and turn clicks into clients. Get in touch to see how we can help.
About the Author
Sam D’Andrea, Google Ads Account Manager
Sam has a background in copywriting, email marketing, and digital marketing strategy. My experience working in B2B, B2C, and affiliate marketing has given me a broad perspective that allows me to tailor my strategies individually to each of my clients, working with them and understanding their needs on a personal level.
