Measuring Calls and Forms Before A/B Testing a Law Firm Site

If you manage websites for criminal defense firms, you might be asked to run an A/B test on a charge page. But before you jump into testing, there’s something crucial to consider: can the site accurately measure what matters most?

Understanding the Importance of Measurement

For most defense sites, the main goal is to track phone calls from mobile visitors. Surprisingly, many sites do a poor job of recording these calls, which can lead to unreliable data. Without accurate conversion data, any testing you do could result in misleading charts and conclusions.

Define Conversions with the Firm

Step 1: Collaborate with Intake Teams

Start by sitting down with the team that handles client intake. It’s important to agree on what counts as a conversion. Here are some common conversions to consider:

• A tap on a phone link from a mobile device
• A completed contact or case review form
• A chat conversation that connects to a human
• A call to a tracking number displayed on the site

Step 2: Document Your Definitions

Once you’ve agreed on what counts as a conversion, write it down. This will help avoid confusion later on. For many firms, phone calls are more important than form submissions, so make sure to note this priority.

Implement Event Tracking

Step 3: Track Key Events

Next, you need to ensure that your analytics can track these conversion events. If you’re using Google Analytics 4 (GA4), it has a recommended event called generate_lead for form submissions. For phone taps, you’ll need to create a custom event. Here’s a simple example of how to track phone taps:

document.addEventListener("click", (e) => {
    const a = e.target.closest('a[href^="tel:"]');
    if (a) gtag("event", "phone_tap", { link_location: a.dataset.loc || "body" });
});

Make sure to fire the form submission event only after the server confirms the submission. This prevents counting failed attempts.

Protect Client Privacy

Step 4: Exclude Sensitive Information

When dealing with sensitive data, such as names and phone numbers, it’s vital to protect client privacy. Ensure that your analytics tools do not capture personally identifiable information. Here are some steps to follow:

• Exclude sensitive fields from any recording tools.
• Avoid sending form values in URLs after submission.
• Use event parameters to describe the form without revealing its contents.

Connect Events to Actual Calls

Step 5: Use Call Tracking

Tracking phone taps shows intent, but it doesn’t confirm that a call was connected. To bridge this gap, consider using call tracking with dynamic number insertion. This assigns different phone numbers to different marketing sources, allowing you to accurately attribute calls. Keep the firm’s main number consistent across the site for local search signals.

Analyze Intake Data

Step 6: Gather Useful Insights

Integrate your site events with actual calls received by the firm. Ask callers how they found the firm and export this data weekly. This will help you compare test variants based on signed cases rather than just raw contacts.

Plan Your Tests Wisely

Step 7: Size Your Tests

Most defense charge pages have modest traffic and few conversions. Before committing to a test, analyze the numbers. If a page generates only twenty calls a month, chasing a ten percent increase may take longer than expected. For low-traffic pages, focus on significant changes to the first mobile screen and run variants for fixed periods.

Step 8: Keep Compliance in Mind

Every variant of your test is considered attorney advertising. If your test alters headlines, claims, or disclaimers, the firm’s lawyers need to approve it. Ensure that this approval step is part of your deployment process to avoid accidental changes.

Conclusion

Setting up accurate conversion tracking is crucial before running A/B tests on law firm websites. By defining conversions, implementing event tracking, and protecting client data, firms can gain meaningful insights that improve their online effectiveness.

Merits

• Accurate measurement leads to reliable data.
• Improved understanding of client interactions.
• Enhanced ability to optimize website performance.

Demerits

• Initial setup can be time-consuming.
• Requires collaboration between teams.
• Privacy compliance can complicate tracking.

Caution

This article is for educational purposes. Remember to replace any placeholder values with real data and verify all claims against the original source before relying on them.

Frequently asked questions

• What should I track for A/B testing on a law firm site? — Track mobile phone link taps, form submissions, and chat interactions as key conversions.
• How do I ensure privacy when tracking calls? — Exclude personally identifiable information from analytics and ensure compliance with data protection policies.
• What is dynamic number insertion? — It’s a method that assigns different phone numbers to different sources, allowing accurate tracking of calls.
• Why is defining conversions important? — Clear definitions ensure everyone understands what counts as success, leading to better data collection.
• How can I track form submissions accurately? — Use GA4’s generate_lead event and fire it only after server confirmation.
• What if my site has low traffic? — Focus on significant changes and run tests for fixed periods to gather meaningful data.

Tags

#analytics #marketing #webdev