How creating a mental conversation on the donation form impacted giving
Buckner International
Buckner International is a global ministry dedicated to the transformation and restoration of the lives we serve. We are a Christ-centered organization that delivers redemptive ministry to the most vulnerable from the beginning to the ending of life.
Experiment Summary
Timeframe: 08/23/2019 - 10/31/2019
After running several experiments on Buckner’s primary donation form, we had not been able to statistically lift giving. Historically, we had tried tactics like new value propositions and minor tweaks to areas of the donation form. The most recent experiment (prior to this one) had tried making radical changes to the donation form in an effort to boost conversion. All of these changes were based upon experiments from similar organizations however, the experiment resulted in a decrease in giving.
This prior experiment was run across multiple primary donation pages; when we analyzed the results we saw that it had a different impact on two different pages. When analyzing these two pages, we realized that one page made an ask for a specific amount in the copy on the page and the other did not. One of the radical changes was removing the gift array from the form. It was our theory that removing the gift array and not asking for a specific amount resulted in decision friction for the visitors which negatively impacted giving.
As a result of that theory, we decided to relaunch the experiment and add the gift array back into the form. We also expanded the gift array to accommodate some of the bigger donors we see giving through the page. We also focused the experiment on the page that had seen the largest decrease from the prior experiment.
Research Question
Will a form that creates a “mental conversation” help guide more people through the process and increase overall giving?
Design
Results
| Treatment Name | Conv. Rate | Relative Difference | Confidence | Average Gift | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C: | Standard Form | 9.3% | $0.00 | ||
| T1: | Customized Headers | 12.9% | 38.2% | 95.6% | $0.00 |
This experiment has a required sample size of 592 in order to be valid. Since the experiment had a total sample size of 1,272, and the level of confidence is above 95% the experiment results are valid.
Flux Metrics Affected
The Flux Metrics analyze the three primary metrics that affect revenue (traffic, conversion rate, and average gift). This experiment produced the following results:
0% increase in traffic
× 38.2% increase in conversion rate
× 0% increase in average gift
Key Learnings
After running for nearly 2 months, we saw a 38% increase to overall giving when we modified the form sub-headlines to have a mental conversation and grouped fields so they fit within that conversation. We also tried to reduce anxiety by emphasizing the security of the donation form section and reiterating the amount they were giving near the donation form button.
This radical redesign incorporated both experiment results from similar organization and things that we learned from prior experiments with Buckner. It is a good reminder on the importance of continually building upon past experiments. We need to make sure that every prior success or failure leads to growth in the future.