Does a cleaner multi-step form layout lift lead conversion?

Our multi-step lead form had tight spacing, check marks beside the personal details fields, and a notice banner from step 2 on. We tested a cleaned-up version of every step. Over 20 days, conversion dipped 0.5%, short of our confidence bar.

Not significant Responsive 20 days Not called

SURFACE

Lead form

DEVICE

Responsive

VERTICAL

Lead Gen (CPL)

PRIMARY METRIC

Conversion rate

VARIATIONS

1

The hypothesis

By cleaning up the layout of every step and removing the notice banner from step 2 on, we will make the form easier to finish, resulting in more leads.

The steps felt crowded, and a notice banner took up space at the top of every step after the first.

Another of our forms already used a cleaner layout without the banner, so we brought that style to this one.

What we changed

Better spacing, no notice banner and no check marks on every step

Var A improved the spacing on every step, removed the notice banner at the top of the form, and removed the check marks shown beside the personal details fields.

VAR A: CLEAN UP

Improved spacing on every step
Notice banner removed
Check marks on personal details removed

The result

Conversion dipped 0.5% with the cleaner layout, short of our bar

CONVERSION RATE

-0.5%

LEAD VALUE PER VISITOR

-3.1%

Over 20 days, the cleaned-up form converted 0.5% worse than the original, and lead value per visitor was 3.1% lower. Neither gap reached our confidence bar. The result moved from negative to positive partway through, then settled near zero, so we paused the test.

What we would do next

Look past layout polish for the next lift on this form

Visitors finished the form at about the same rate with or without the cleanup, so spacing, the banner and the check marks were not what held them back. The next test on this form should change what visitors are asked or told, not how the steps look.