Every paid click you earn should have a shot at becoming revenue. Yet many websites still greet visitors with a giant empty text box labeled “Describe your project.” No guidance. No examples. Just a blinking cursor.
Here’s the cost of that silence. Suppose two thousand people start your form this month. Three hundred leave when they reach the open text question. If each lead normally costs fifty dollars, that single field quietly erases fifteen thousand dollars in potential value.
| Form starts | Exits at the text box | Cost per lead | Money lost (monthly) |
| 2 000 | 300 | $50 | $15 000 |
Spot the problem fast
In Google Analytics compare “form started” with “form submitted.” The moment the line drops is almost always your first essay‑style question.
Two fixes you can launch today
- Add a hint - A short note like “Two sentences on goals and timeline are perfect” removes uncertainty and gets people writing.
- Use FillyForm - Drop in FillyForm. When a visitor clicks the field, a ready‑made starter sentence appears. They can accept, edit, or ignore it—but they’re no longer staring at a blank page.
Prove the lift
Capture today’s starts and submissions. Add one of the fixes. Check the same numbers after two weeks. Every extra completion multiplied by your cost per lead is money you just kept in the funnel.
Traffic will always be expensive. Letting one unanswered question chase prospects away doesn’t have to be.
