Why do visitors abandon your online quote form?

You can see that people open your online quote form, but you get fewer enquiries than expected. Why do visitors abandon your quote form? You will not find out by looking only at the total number of enquiries. You need to see at which step people stop.

Drop-off does not automatically mean your price is too high or your product is not appealing enough. Often, the issue is one question that needs too much explanation, does not work well on mobile or appears at the wrong moment.

Which figures show where visitors drop off?

Start with the route a visitor takes through your form. Look at how many people start, how many reach each step and how many eventually request an online quote. This shows you not only that people drop off, but also where it happens.

In Klantly’s form statistics, you can see for each form and period how many visitors started, how far they got, at which question they stopped, how long they spent and which device they used. You can also see how many people save their configuration and return later.

Pay particular attention to these signals:

• Many people start, but few reach step two. The first question may be too complicated or asked too early.
• Visitors drop off in large numbers at one specific step. Start by looking at the question in that step, rather than immediately changing the whole form.
• Mobile visitors stop much more often than desktop visitors. The step is probably awkward or too long on a small screen.
• Many people reach the overview, but few submit their enquiry. Check how much information you still ask for there and whether you clearly explain what happens after they submit.

You do not need to explain every small fluctuation. Look for a pattern over a chosen period instead. One visitor dropping off tells you little. A step where many visitors consistently stop deserves attention.

Why should you review mobile and desktop separately?

A form that works perfectly on a laptop can feel unnecessarily difficult on a phone. On mobile, people have less space, do not like typing as much and lose track more easily. Especially when visitors arrive through ads or social media, mobile is often an important device to assess separately.

So do not only compare the total. Look at how many mobile and desktop visitors continue at each step. Does a question cause hardly any drop-off on desktop, but plenty on mobile? Then the issue is probably not the content of the question, but how you ask it.

Think of a long explanation above a choice, lots of small fields one below the other, or a question that requires someone to look up information. Entering a postcode or phone number is usually manageable. But asking for an exact measurement, several open text fields and an upload one after another takes much more effort on mobile.

A configurator on your website is designed to let visitors make choices step by step. Even so, it remains important to review your own form as your customer uses it: with one hand, on the sofa or in between tasks at work.

How can you improve one step without rebuilding your whole form?

Do not change five things at once. Otherwise, you will not know afterwards what made the difference. Choose the step with the most noticeable drop-off and change one element. Then review what happens next.

There are usually three logical ways to improve a step:

1. Make the question shorter. Ask only what you need to calculate a price or assess the enquiry properly. A long explanation or extra detail can often wait until the conversation afterwards.
2. Ask the question later. Someone who is still exploring wants to see roughly what their product and choices will cost first. Ask for contact details only when there is a clear reason to do so.
3. Ask the question differently. Where possible, replace an open text field with clear choices, images or a number with a minimum and maximum. That makes the form quicker to complete and prevents unusable answers.

Conditional questions help too. If someone does not choose lighting, do not make them choose a light colour afterwards. This way, every visitor sees only the route relevant to their situation. The form feels shorter while you still get the information you need.

Want to get the basics of your questions right first? In the article create a quote form with five choices, you can read how to start with the choices that genuinely affect the price.

Does drop-off at the final step mean your price is too high?

No. Drop-off at the final step may be related to the price, but that is not the only explanation. At this final step, many forms suddenly ask for a name, email address, phone number, address and sometimes a detailed explanation too. That is a considerable barrier for someone who is still comparing options.

So first look at what exactly changes between the overview and the enquiry. Has the visitor already seen their price? Do they then have to enter lots of details? Or is it unclear whether they will be called immediately, receive a quote or commit to something?

A practical example: a veranda company sees that many visitors enter the width, depth, roof material and colour. The price appears and they reach the overview. After that, a large proportion stop at the enquiry form. The first reaction is often: “Our verandas are too expensive.”

But on closer inspection, the form asks for seven details at the final step, including a full address and an open field for special requirements. For an initial quote request, that may be too much. The company can start with fewer required fields and discuss the situation or special wishes later. It can then review whether more visitors complete their enquiry.

That does not mean the price itself needs to be hidden. A live price helps visitors decide whether they are heading in the right direction. Those who continue have a better idea of what to expect. The point is not to assume why someone drops off, but to look at the step and the data first.

How can you turn form statistics into a regular improvement task?

Set aside a short moment regularly to review your form statistics. Not to analyse every figure down to the decimal point, but to answer one question: where are we losing the most visitors right now?

Then choose one improvement, make the change and see what changes in the next period. Do you move a step, make a field optional or shorten a piece of text? Make a note of it for yourself. Step by step, you will build a form that works more clearly for real visitors.

Some people are not ready to leave their details yet, even when they are interested. With save your configuration for later, you give them the option to return after discussing it or sleeping on it, without having to fill everything in again.

Want to see how Klantly helps you review drop-off by step and device and improve your online quote form with purpose? Get started and discover what it could mean for your business.