Email field added to a free trial call to action: +133% sign-ups
Test run byMarketingExperimentsResearch publisher
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsAdding an email capture field to the call to action on a free trial offer page lifted direct trial sign-ups from 0.68% to 1.57%, a 133% increase.
The MECLABS team ran this test for a monthly subscription site priced under $30 a month and published it on MarketingExperiments.
The team expected the extra field to lower direct sign-ups slightly, so the result surprised them.
- Trial sign-up rate: 0.68% (222 of 32,782 visitors) for the control vs 1.57% (480 of 30,479) for the variant, a 133% lift.
- The lift is in direct sign-ups on the first visit, before any recovery emails were counted.
- In the publisher's experience, an email field usually lowers direct sign-ups a little and the recovery emails make up the gap. This test went the other way.
The change
An email field joins the free trial call to action at the end of the page
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
A long-copy offer page ended with a button or text link to start the free trial. There was no email field.
Variant
The same page added an email field to the call to action, with a reason to enter it. Visitors who left without finishing could then get a follow-up email.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Typing an email may work as a small first commitment that makes finishing the sign-up feel natural.
- A form field at the end of long copy may read as a clearer next step than a plain button or link.
- Giving a reason for the email may have lowered worry about what happens next.
Caveats: This is a 2007 test and the source does not state duration or confidence. The publisher says it fits a narrow profile: free trial, long copy, under $30 a month, and a button or link call to action.
Who ran it
MarketingExperiments ran this test for a monthly subscription website with a free trial (under $30/month) and published the results (MarketingExperiments). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on MarketingExperiments →
How to run this test on your site
- Hypothesis
- If we add an email field to the free trial call to action and explain why we ask, then more visitors will start a trial because the first step feels small and clear, and we can follow up with those who drop off.
- Primary metric
- Trial sign-up rate per unique visitor
- Guardrails
- Sign-up completion rate after the email step
- Trial-to-paid conversion
- Unsubscribe or spam complaint rate on recovery emails
- Who should test it
- Low-priced subscription or SaaS products with a free trial and a long sales page that ends in a button. It is less likely to help if your call to action is already a form, or if the price is high enough that buyers need a sales conversation.
Questions
Does adding a form field always reduce sign-ups?
Not always. In this test, adding an email field to a free trial call to action more than doubled direct sign-ups, though the publisher says a small drop is more typical.
Why capture the email before the full sign-up?
It lets you send a follow-up to people who start but do not finish.
That recovery email can win back some of the lost trials.
Which sites are most likely to see this kind of lift?
The publisher points to sites with a free trial, long copy, a low monthly price and a button-only call to action.