Adding a Why We Ask Note Beside a Form Field A/B Test

Look at this test for a field such as company size or annual budget that form-field analytics show is often left blank, that visitors pause on in session recordings, or that prompts support questions about why you ask. If the note works, visitors who see it fill in the field more often and with valid values. If the field asks for sensitive information, first check whether you really need that data and whether an alternative exists; a note alone is not the answer.

Valid completion rate for the selected field

Compare valid values entered in the selected field per eligible assigned form visitor.

Also track

• Form completion rateCompare overall valid form submissions.
• Qualified opportunity rateCompare qualified opportunities per assigned form visitor over the same follow-up period.
• Average form completion timeMeasure time among form starters and report non-completions separately.
• Selected-field omission rateCompare eligible assigned form visitors who leave the selected field blank.

• ExplanationAdd one short statement that explains the actual reason for asking the selected field.
• ScopeKeep other fields and help text unchanged.
• CopyFix the explanation before launch; testing a different example or tone is a separate comparison.
• PlacementPlace the note beside the field; a tooltip is a different interaction.
• AudienceReview predefined industry groups.

1. 1A higher valid completion rate for the selected field is not a reason to ship if the form completion rate drops. Track qualified opportunities per assigned form visitor, giving both arms the same time to mature, to see whether the extra information is useful. Measure completion time among form starters and report non-completions separately.
2. 2Validate again before using this on another field; the result covers only the field, the wording and the industry groups you tested. Keep the field's required or optional status unchanged so that the note is the only thing that changes. Do not make the note larger or more eye-catching than the field itself; that weighs the form down and measures visual weight instead of the explanation.
3. 3If the difference is small, enter the visitors who saw the field and the valid entries in each arm into the A/B test significance calculator; it tells you whether the gap between the two completion rates could be explained by chance. Significance alone is not enough; also weigh whether the relative uplift is large enough to justify adding copy to the form.