'Stop right now!' subheadline above enquiry form: +69% leads
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsA blunter subheadline above VenueSphere's homepage enquiry form lifted form submissions by 69%.
VenueSphere, a free London venue-finding service, ran the test, and it was published as a VWO case study.
The test had close to 1,200 visitors, so the result is promising but not conclusive.
- Enquiry form submissions (thank-you page views): up 69%.
- Phone enquiries, time on site, pages per visit and bounce rate were also reported as better, with no figures shared.
- The test included close to 1,200 visitors, which is a small sample for a lift this large.
The change
Only the subheadline above the enquiry form changes.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The form sat under the headline 'Looking for a venue in London?' with the subheadline 'Call us or fill in a form to speak to a dedicated venue coordinator.'
Variant
The subheadline changed to 'Stop right now! Call us or fill in the form and we'll do the hard work for you for free.' The form and headline stayed the same.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- The opening line grabbed attention and told visitors exactly what to do next.
- Promising to 'do the hard work' framed the service around saving the visitor effort.
- Saying the service was free removed a likely doubt about cost.
- Three ideas changed at once, so the test cannot say which one mattered most.
Caveats: Close to 1,200 visitors took part, which is small, and no confidence level was shared. Several messages changed together in one line, so the lift can't be pinned on any single phrase.
Who ran it
VenueSphere ran this test and published the results (VWO case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on VenueSphere →
How to run this test on your site
- Hypothesis
- If we rewrite the subheadline above our enquiry form to give a clear instruction, promise to do the work, and state that the service is free, then more visitors will submit the form because the next step and its value are obvious.
- Primary metric
- Enquiry form submissions
- Guardrails
- Lead quality or booking rate
- Phone enquiries
- Bounce rate
- Who should test it
- Lead-gen and referral businesses offering a free service with a form above the fold. A very blunt tone may not suit formal or high-trust sectors, so test the wording carefully there.
Questions
Can a subheadline really change form conversions?
Yes. It is often the line people read just before deciding to fill in a form.
VenueSphere saw 69% more leads from a new subheadline, though in a small test.
Is a pushy headline risky?
It can be. VenueSphere worried 'Stop right now!' would put people off, but it didn't in this test.
Watch lead quality and bounce rate when you try a bolder tone.
Should I say my service is free?
If it is free, saying so near the form removes a common doubt.
Test it, as here it was one of several changes made at once.