Focus on the Family

How clarifying the steps of a donation form impacted donor conversion

Experiment ID: #17923

Focus on the Family

Focus on the Family is a global Christian ministry dedicated to helping families thrive. We provide help and resources for couples to build healthy marriages that reflect God's design, and for parents to raise their children according to morals and values grounded in biblical principles.

Experiment Summary

Timeframe: 07/19/2019 - 08/16/2019

The monthly recurring donor page for Focus on the Family had held a relatively low conversion rate when compared to other donation pages. After running more than five experiments, we had not been able to statistically improve overall results. After testing several value propositions, advertising to the page, and even adding additional functionality (live chat), we decided to shift focus to the form itself.

Based upon learnings we had seen with similar organizations, we decided to try modifying the form headers to add clarity on the purpose of each section. We also numbered the headlines to help move the user down the page.

Research Question

Will modifying the form headers of the donation form improve donor conversion?

Design

C: Control
T1: Simplified / Stepped Process

Results

 Treatment NameConv. RateRelative DifferenceConfidence
C: Control 1.2%
T1: Simplified / Stepped Process 1.6%27.1% 66.7%

This experiment has a required sample size of 9,610 in order to be valid. Unfortunately, the required sample size was not met and a level of confidence above 95% was not met so the experiment results are not valid.

Key Learnings

After running for more than a month, we found that the numbered form headers improved donor conversion by 27%. The additional clarity of the headlines helped reduce the friction associated with the form. There is also potential that the mention of the form security in the final section helped to reduce anxiety as well.

The potential impact of this experiment can extend beyond just the Friend of Focus form. It would be our recommendation to test these changes on the main donation form and all “gift of any amount” forms.


Experiment Documented by Courtney Gaines
Courtney Gaines is Vice President at NextAfter.

Question about experiment #17923

If you have any questions about this experiment or would like additional details not discussed above, please feel free to contact them directly.