cro-forms

CRO - Form Optimization

When This Skill Applies

• Optimizing lead generation and signup forms
• Reducing form field count and friction
• Improving form validation and error handling UX
• Designing progressive profiling strategies
• Analyzing form abandonment and completion rates

Core Guidance

1. Form Optimization Process

Audit Current Form -> Analyze Abandonment -> Identify Friction -> Reduce Fields -> Improve UX -> Test Changes -> Validate -> Iterate

2. Field Count Impact

Fields	Avg Completion Rate	Recommendation
1-3	25-30%	Best for top-of-funnel, signups
4-5	20-25%	Good for lead gen with qualification
6-7	15-20%	Acceptable for high-intent (demo, quote)
8-10	10-15%	Only for high-value offers
10+	<10%	Avoid; use progressive profiling

Rule: Every field removed can increase conversions 5-10%.

3. Field Necessity Audit

Question	If Yes	If No
Is it needed to fulfill the request?	Keep	Remove
Can it be auto-detected?	Auto-fill	Remove field
Can it be asked later?	Progressive profile	Remove from form
Is it truly needed for qualification?	Keep	Remove
Can a smart default work?	Default + optional change	Simplify

4. Field Ordering Best Practices

Position	Best Fields	Rationale
First	Name, email (easy fields)	Build momentum
Middle	Company, role (medium effort)	Committed by now
Last	Phone, detailed questions	Foot-in-the-door effect

Rules:

• Easy fields first, hard fields last
• Group related fields together
• Single-column layout (25% faster than multi-column)
• Label above field (vs. beside or inside)

5. Input Type Optimization

Data Type	Best Input	Avoid
Email	type="email" with validation	Free text
Phone	type="tel" with country code	Free text
Date	Date picker	Free text
Country	Dropdown with search	Long dropdown
Industry	Dropdown or radio (<7 options)	Free text
Budget	Range slider or radio	Free text
Message	Textarea with char count	No guidance
Yes/No	Toggle or radio	Dropdown

6. Validation UX

Practice	Impact	Implementation
Inline validation	+22% completion	Validate on field blur
Descriptive errors	+15% recovery	"Please enter a valid email" not "Invalid input"
Success indicators	+10% completion	Green check on valid field
Format hints	+12% reduction in errors	"e.g., [email protected]"
Preserve input on error	Critical	Never clear fields on validation failure
Scroll to first error	+8% recovery	Auto-scroll with highlight

7. Progressive Profiling

Concept: Collect data over multiple interactions instead of all at once.

Interaction	Data Collected	Form Size
First visit	Email only	1 field
Content download	Name, company	2 fields
Webinar signup	Role, company size	2 fields
Demo request	Phone, timeline, budget	3 fields

Rules:

• Never ask for data you already have
• Each interaction adds 1-3 fields max
• Higher intent = more fields acceptable
• Always provide clear value exchange for data

8. Form Analytics Metrics

Metric	Formula	Good Benchmark
Form View Rate	Form views / Page views	30-60%
Start Rate	Form interactions / Form views	40-70%
Completion Rate	Submissions / Form starts	60-85%
Abandonment Rate	1 - Completion rate	15-40%
Field Drop-off	Users stopping at field N	Varies
Error Rate	Errors / Submissions attempts	<10%
Time to Complete	Average seconds	<60s for short forms

9. Form Design Patterns

Pattern	When to Use	Benefit
Single-step	<5 fields, simple data	Fast completion
Multi-step wizard	6+ fields, complex data	Lower perceived effort
Conversational	B2C, casual brand	Higher engagement
Inline (in-content)	Blog CTAs, sidebar	Contextual capture
Popup/Modal	Exit intent, delayed trigger	Focused attention
Sticky bar	Persistent low-friction	Always available

Output Format

FORM OPTIMIZATION AUDIT
========================
Form Type:   [lead gen|signup|contact|demo|checkout]
Current Fields: [count]
Completion Rate: [%]
Score:       [/100]

FIELD ANALYSIS
--------------
Field           | Status    | Recommendation
----------------|-----------|----------------
[field name]    | [KEEP|REMOVE|MODIFY] | [rationale]

FRICTION POINTS
---------------
Issue           | Impact    | Fix                    | Est. Lift
----------------|-----------|------------------------|----------
[issue]         | [high/med]| [recommendation]       | +[X]%

OPTIMIZED FORM
--------------
Step [n]: [fields in this step]
  Field: [name] | Type: [input type] | Required: [Y/N]

RECOMMENDATIONS
---------------
Priority | Change             | Est. Lift
---------|-------------------|----------
P1       | [change]          | +[X]%

Quick Reference

Field Count Rule: Every field removed = +5-10% conversions Field Order: Easy first, hard last, single column Validation: Inline, descriptive errors, preserve input on failure Progressive Profiling: 1-3 new fields per interaction, match to intent level

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References

• See ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/field-optimization-guide.md for field optimization and completion rate guide
• See ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/validation-ux-patterns.md for validation UX patterns and error handling