Less Is More: Why Having Too Many Fields On Your Email Forms Might Be Hindering Your Conversion Rate

Photo of author
Written By Juliet D'cruz

We are all familiar with the expression less is more. Well, there are certain situations when it just doesn’t really apply. You wouldn’t get to work any quicker if there were fewer trains; you wouldn’t want a doctor to have less experience; or sun-cream with less protection, to cite a few examples.

When it comes to your email marketing strategies, however, there are plenty of moments when the saying less is more is more than apt. Read on to discover how you can increase your conversion rate following this adage today…

What could be the problem with too many fields on your email form?

Studies show over and over again that people today have very little patience when it comes to technology, advertising and delays. The average person will exit a website that takes more than two seconds to load, and another nearly 40% will leave if the videos or images then take longer again.

This expectation that things should work quickly and well also translates to filling out forms. Job applicants that believe the form is too long and complex may abandon them. Just like people wishing to make a purchase will abandon their cart if the process isn’t swift and simple.

Another reason that people abandon forms is due to privacy concerns. If you ask for too much information too quickly, it may make your legitimate inquiries feel more like a scam. You should consider if certain information such as a physical address and phone number is completely necessary, as if not it could be costing you conversions.

Too many fields can also make your form look too long, complicated or time consuming, which can lead people to decide to leave it for later – and when this happens, it is unlikely that they will bother to return.

What is the ideal number of fields to have?

The ideal number of fields will vary depending on the information you are looking to acquire. In certain situations this could be a larger number while others will have just a few. Many forms at the top of your digital marketing funnel could have just two fields: your name and email address. For an email sign up form you only really need these two options.

If you are sending a form by email, you should already have this information and may be looking for more. Some forms may need further information such as an address and phone number, but even these additions can put people off if they aren’t truly needed. You need to carefully consider each and every field to determine its necessity before you include it.

But don’t I need all the information on my form?

Sometimes the forms themselves are unnecessarily detailed, but other times you can wait to get the extra information later, or may in fact already have it. At the top of your sales funnel you are only really trying to entice your customer in.

As any SEO specialist in Brisbane would tell you, the key here is to not scare your potential customer away. Get the minimum information you need to get in touch again and that is it. The fact isyou’re your focus keywords and onsite optimization is dialled in, the majority of the traffic that comes to your website should already be relatively well-qualified.

Once they have entered your funnel, you may need further information to help sort your email lists or decide next steps.

At every stage, you should always check that each field is necessary, and that your form is as simple and short as it can be. That way, with a less is more approach, you should see more conversions in no time!

Remember: offer the path of least resistance. If your website visitors have to jump through too many hoops you risk turning them off entirely. 

Click Here –Top Java Industries and Use Cases