Does removing the phone number or lead form header lift conversion?
Our tax relief lead form had a header with a logo and phone number. We tested removing the phone number, or the whole header, to cut distraction. Conversion fell 8.7% over 20 days, so we paused the test.
Lost Responsive 20 days Called at 90%
The hypothesis
By removing the phone number or the whole header, we will cut distraction for visitors focused on a solution, resulting in more completed lead forms.
Logos and phone numbers can build trust. For a visitor who has already decided to look for help, though, they can also pull attention away from the form.
We tested 2 levels of removal to see how far we could simplify the page.
What we changed
We removed the phone number, or the full header, from the lead form.
The control showed a header with the logo and a phone number above the form. Var A removed only the phone number. Var B removed the whole header, logo and phone number included. The form itself did not change.
- Phone number removed from the header
- Whole header removed
- Logo and phone number both gone
The result
Conversion fell 8.7% over 20 days without the phone or header.
Early results looked strong, but traffic was low, so we let the test run longer before making a call. Over 20 days, conversion ended 8.7% below the control and revenue per visitor fell 8.0%. We paused the test.
What we took from it
A page that is too bare can look less trustworthy.
Simplifying a page does not always help. When a form loses its logo and phone number, it can look too good to be true, or even like a scam. On this form, those header elements were doing trust work that outweighed the distraction they caused.