How to Reduce Form Abandonment: Insights from Zuko Analytics

When it comes to optimizing lead gen forms, most people focus on the obvious: headline copy, button color, layout. But you really need to be focusing on which questions you are asking and how you are asking them.

Zuko Analytics is a piece of form analytics software that has been tracking forms for over a decade and has tons of data on what causes people to abandon forms. Based on an analysis of over 100 million form sessions across sectors, Zuko has identified the fields that most often cause friction, confusion, and - most importantly - abandonment. If you're using a form builder like Reform, which prioritises simplicity and UX, this data can help you build forms that not only look clean but convert more leads.

This article shares the five common fields with the highest abandonment rate, outlines why they cause drop-off and what to do about it.

The Top 5 Fields That Hurt Conversions (According to Zuko Data)

1. Password Creation (for gated content/forms)

Average abandonment rate: 10.5%

By far the biggest cause of form drop-out, people really hate it when you force them to create a password. But why?

• Overrestrictive stipulations - asking for too many characters and adding in requirements for special characters, numbers, etc can be confusing for users and sometimes they just drop out from frustration.
• Not communicating requirements - if you only tell a user what the password rules are after they have a failed submission they are not going to be happy.
• Forcing them to confirm password - we get why you do this but it does cause friction. Studies show that removing the confirm password requirement can improve completion rates.
• Not letting password be unmasked - if all the user is allowed to see is a row of asterisks or circles then the chances of them making a mistake and leaving in annoyance becomes much higher.

‍

Overcomplicated password requirements, forcing people to confirm and not allowing unmasking can cause user drop-out

What should you do?

The number one tip is not to ask for passwords at all. If you absolutely must, then make sure the requirements are stated upfront, you don’t insist on confirming password, and you allow users to unmask their input so they can check they haven’t made a mistake.

2. Phone Number Fields

Average abandonment rate: 6.4%

Who hasn’t entered a false phone number in a lead gen form? People are paranoid that they’ll get non-stop sales calls if they give you their contact details so they will avoid doing so unless they really have to.

It’s also important to technically get the phone number field right. If users get rejected because they enter spaces or dashes in their number they are more likely to leave.

A great example of a site explaining why they need your phone number

What should you do?

Again, ask yourself if you really need the phone number. If you can do without it then don’t ask for it. If you do need it then tell the user what you will do and, just as importantly, what you will not do with the information to reassure them that they won’t get phone-spammed by you or a third party.

3. Email

Average abandonment rate: 6.3%

Neck and neck with the phone number field, the email field is related to a significant proportion of abandonment. Whilst people are more willing to give you their email details than the phone, this question still prompts users to ask themselves whether they really want to become part of your lead gen sales funnel.

What should you do?

A couple of tips:

• Don’t ask them to confirm the email. This just adds extra friction, introduces the possibility of mistakes and makes them think twice (literally!)
• Ensure the HTML type of the email field is set to ‘Email’ rather than ‘Text’. This will mean that the ‘@’ sign will show when the mobile keyboard is revealed and the user won’t have to go searching for it.

4. Name

Average abandonment rate: 5.3%

The name field - really? Do people forget their own names?

Interestingly, abandonment on the name field is not related to the difficulty of the question. Name is almost always the first question on a form and, from Zuko’s tracking data, abandonment on the first field of any form is over-inflated. It’s when the tire-kickers hit your form, click on the first question and then abandon without interacting further.

So, you don’t need to worry that much about the name field but there are a few things you can do to make the experience smoother.

Source

What should you do?

Only have one name field. The ‘Firstname - Lastname’ pattern is very culture specific and introduces an unnecessary complication. If your CRM system insists on two different fields then create a logic that splits the names for you. Don’t force the customer to do it themselves. 

5. Postcode / Address

Average abandonment rate: 4.8%

While address collection is sometimes necessary (e.g. physical product demos or location-based leads), Zuko data reveals drop-off increases as address complexity rises. “Address Line 2” is especially problematic. Many users aren’t sure what it’s for and skip it incorrectly.

An address lookup speeds up the form filling process and reduces mistakes

What should you do?

Again, don’t ask this question if possible. If you have to, then make sure you use an address lookup service that can autofill someone’s address based on a few keypresses rather than forcing them to slog through the process. This study indicated that such a tool can improve completion rates by 1.5%.

What This Means for Lead Gen Forms

Every field you add is a potential exit point. Zuko’s analysis confirms that although shorter forms may convert better, it’s not just about length - it’s about which fields you choose.

As a Reform user, you already benefit from a UX-forward platform that helps avoid clutter and cognitive overload. But when you want to go deeper to see exactly where your leads are dropping out and why, that’s where a form analytics tool comes in.

By tracking field-level behaviour (like hesitations, corrections, drop-offs, and returns) you can pinpoint friction and test improvements backed by real user data.

‍