Collect More Emails With Video

With the introduction of Timeline Actions and improved Wistia analytics came a thirst for more data, more analysis, and more answers. A marketer’s dream!

Once we began collecting conversion rates for some Wistia Forms, we started asking some questions. Mainly, "Is the conversion rate good?" and "Could it be better?"

In order to explore these questions, we pulled Wistia Forms conversion data across all videos hosted on Wistia (that’s over 15,000 forms!).

We found that the average Wistia Forms conversion rate is 11%.

With new data at our fingertips, we wanted to improve the conversion rates for Wistia Forms, and explore the potential tradeoffs involved in doing so. We wanted to know what factors we could control, and how they affected one another and our audience’s experience. Here's what we found.

Where should you put your Wistia Forms?

On average, we found that Wistia Forms placed at the beginning of a video have a 16% conversion rate, while those at the end of a video have a 3% conversion rate. This disparity makes sense. A Wistia Form at the beginning of a video acts as a gate, whereas one at the end serves as an optional call to action.

While 16% is much more attractive than 3%, a Wistia Form at the beginning of a video will likely limit the number of views. It can also create an impersonal or off-putting tone for visitors exploring your site.

Things got even more interesting when we began to examine the Wistia Forms located throughout the middle of the video. In the graph above, we see that those middle ground Wistia Forms have a higher conversion rate than those at either the beginning or the end, with the highest conversion rate of 43% for forms in the 10-20% range.

Optional or required?

Beyond the location of the Wistia Forms, another factor that influences the conversion rate is the option for viewers to skip the interaction and keep watching.

While the overall conversion rate for an optional form is 6%, the average conversion rate for a required one is 26%. These rates also vary by the location of the form.

So, now what?

One of the most valuable things about Wistia Forms is that they’re easy to change and test. You can try a new location, try making it required, or test out some new copy, all in a matter of minutes.

You can use the trends we’ve found to help you decide where to put your next Wistia Form and whether you make it optional or not. Based on data alone, it appears that required Wistia Forms 20-30% of the way through your video or 60-70% through your video will garner the most conversions.

While a required email collector in one of these locations may be the "best option" from a pure conversion standpoint, a Wistia Form in the middle of your video can feel disruptive and frustrating to your audience. It can also negatively impact your video’s engagement rate, as many viewers will drop off. In short, keep the structure of your content in mind as you place your email collectors!

You can also use our data to help you evaluate how your current Wistia Forms are performing. Take a moment to look at where your Wistia Forms are and whether or not they’re optional. If your conversion rate is well below the average in the graph above, you should take a step back and consider other factors.

• What is the copy in your form?
• What are you offering in return for your viewer’s email? How valuable is it? How soon will your viewers receive it?
• What’s happening in your video directly before the form? It’s especially important to give your viewers a reason to continue watching if you’re planning on using a required Wistia Form.

The possibilities for Wistia Forms are endless, so go forth, experiment, and optimize!