In the digital era, the design and structure of online forms play a pivotal role in user engagement and efficiency. This case study delves into the optimisation of online motor vehicle claim forms, focusing on how the arrangement of questions affects user completion rates. The objective was to enhance the form’s conversion rate and to understand the underlying behavioural factors influencing user interaction.
Background
The claims industry often grapples with low engagement rates in online claim submission processes. Historically, the claim form used by our client, a leading solicitors in Liverpool, had a completion rate of just 18%. This was naturally unsatisfactory to our client, and also led to operational inefficiencies.
Problem Statement
The primary challenge was the low conversion rate of the form. Additionally, for leads who did complete the form, the client observed a low contact rate, which impacted their overall conversion rate.
Methodology
To address this, we conducted a comprehensive two-month A/B test involving two distinct variants of the claim form.
Variant A (Control): This version followed a traditional approach, requesting contact details (name, email, and phone number) at the beginning, followed by a series of qualifying questions about the vehicle and the accident.
Variant B (Experimental): In this redesigned version, we reversed the order. The form started with qualifying questions, engaging the user with specific, incident-related queries before requesting their contact information.
The test involved 4,830 users, with an equal split between the two variants. We employed advanced tracking metrics to monitor user behaviour, completion rates, and engagement levels throughout the form.
Results
Conversion rate: Variant B outperformed Variant A significantly. It achieved a 41% completion rate, a substantial increase from Variant A’s 18%.
Contact rate increase: Interestingly, Variant B also saw an increase in the contact rate. The users who completed the form were more likely to provide accurate contact details, and engaged with representatives when contacted.
Behavioural insights: The success of Variant B was attributed to the psychological principle of a sunk cost motivation. Users who invested time in answering the initial qualifying questions felt more compelled to complete the form, including providing their contact details, as to decide against completing the form would mean their time was wasted. This principle applies similarly to engagement with the follow-up, leading to a higher conversion rate. Additionally, the unique nature of the questions results in the form standing out from others, and therefore more likely to draw their attention.
Analysis
The improved performance of Variant B can be attributed to several factors:
User engagement: Starting with incident-specific questions immediately engaged users, demonstrating interest in their situation, and making them invested in the completion process. By asking pertinent questions about them, the form signals that the company will take the time to learn about them, and is likely to be well organised and provide a good service.
Perceived control: By delaying the request for personal information and the final submission element, users did not feel overwhelmed at the outset, retaining a sense of control of the situation. By requesting less valuable information from the user at the point of initiation, they are more likely to provide valuable information (contact details) as they settle into the question-answering mindset, and have a few moments to consider their decision before needing to submit.
Trust building: Answering relevant questions first helped build a sense of trust and relevance, making users more willing to share their contact information. Additionally, with online privacy and data theft becoming a growing concern, a form which asks distinct questions for a service separates itself from phishing forms which only request data that can be used to target people or steal their identity.
Conclusion
This study demonstrates the importance of strategic question placement in online forms. By structuring the form to engage with people’s natural preference for affirmation, legitimacy, and expertise, we not only enhanced the conversion rate but also improved the quality and reliability of the contact details obtained. This approach can be instrumental for businesses looking to optimise online forms for higher engagement and efficiency.
Our recommendations
User-centric design: Forms should be designed with an understanding of user behaviour and psychological triggers.
Continuous testing: Regular A/B testing is vital to understand user preferences and to adapt to changing behaviours.
Feedback loop: Implementing a feedback mechanism to gather user insights can further refine and personalise the form experience.
