Should Lead Forms Require a Work Email? A/B Test Idea

Sales spending a lot of time screening inquiries and complaining about spam leads, while support hears from visitors who could not submit with a personal address, is the tension between quality and volume this test is built for. If that assumption is right, one option brings more qualified opportunities per assigned visitor, whatever happens to submission volume. Before launch, review the blocked-domain list so it does not reject legitimate business providers; an overly broad list makes the restricted option reject real buyers.

Qualified opportunity rate

Compare qualified opportunities per assigned form visitor over the same follow-up period.

Also track

• Valid form submission rateCompare valid submissions among eligible visitors who see the form.
• Opportunity close rateCompare opportunities won using the same qualification rule and sales follow-up period.
• Spam or invalid inquiry rateMeasure the share of submitted forms that are spam or cannot be verified.
• Sales prequalification timeCompare time spent reviewing inquiries using the same method.

• RequirementCompare a mandatory business email domain with allowing personal email addresses.
• QualificationKeep the sales qualification standard the same.
• Domain ruleVerify and fix the domain list before launch.
• Error messageGive a clear explanation when an address is rejected.
• Business sizeReview small businesses without assuming email type determines lead fit.

1. 1Decide on the qualified opportunity rate. A higher valid form submission rate in the open option is not a win if the spam or invalid inquiry rate and sales prequalification time rise with it. Do not relax the rule because of submissions alone; keep following the opportunity close rate until both arms' follow-up windows have closed.
2. 2If you accept personal addresses and quietly disqualify those leads later, you mislead visitors and measure the two options by different rules. Keep every other form field the same so the difference can be tied to the email rule alone. The result holds for this form and this domain list; review small-business leads separately.
3. 3Qualified opportunities and closed deals only show up fully once the follow-up period ends, so do not decide early on a small gap. Enter the current qualified opportunity rate and the smallest relative lift you would not want to miss in the sample size calculator to get the visitors needed per arm. Divide that by daily eligible traffic per arm and add the follow-up period on top; if the difference is still unclear at the end, report that the two rules did not separate in this sample.