Does time savings copy lift desktop registration form conversion?

Our desktop registration page did not say why to use the service instead of a trip to the DMV. We tested copy stating it saves 45 minutes. Over 13 days, conversion fell 9.8%, so we paused the test.

Lost Desktop 13 days Called at 90%

SURFACE

Lead form

DEVICE

Desktop

VERTICAL

Ecommerce (B2C)

PRIMARY METRIC

Conversion rate

VARIATIONS

1

The hypothesis

By showing desktop visitors how much time they save compared to a DMV visit, we will motivate them to finish in the same session, resulting in more completed orders.

Visitors on the registration page could choose to handle the task at a DMV office instead. Spelling out the time saved looked like a strong reason to finish online in the same visit.

What we changed

Copy stating the 45 minutes saved compared to a DMV visit

Var A rewrote the copy on the desktop registration page to show the 45 minutes visitors save by not going to the DMV, in a livelier style than the original. The form and layout stayed the same.

VAR A: TIME SAVING COPY

Copy states 45 minutes saved vs a DMV visit
Livelier copy style

The result

Conversion fell 9.8% with the time savings copy

CONVERSION RATE

-9.8%

Over 13 days, the time savings copy converted 9.8% worse than the original, and revenue per visitor fell 9.8%. The loss cleared our confidence bar, so we paused the test after 13 days rather than keep losing orders.

What we took from it

Users preferred the original copy without the DMV comparison

Comparing the service to a DMV visit pointed out that the site is not the DMV. A later test on the same page found that copy matching a DMV task did better. On this page, users preferred wording that stayed on their task rather than on the alternative.