While being organized, well intentioned, and insightful are certainly good qualities/attributes to have for those engaging in the process of landing page testing, there's an underlying art and science to the process that escapes many of even the most talented Web professionals.
Ultimately, those that have acheived success with landing page optimization are those that explicitly prioritize their content and product's value for users, optimize the experience in a variety of ways, and remain commited to the process of testing over time.
Let's take a closer look at how to make that happen.
Content & Copy: Landing page headlines and the copy used on a website should "activate" and excite users and lead seamlessly into one another, providing proof/evidence and elaboration on the general theme and the benefits to the user. Even the order of words can have a major impact. Ideally, multiple landing pages should be created that focus on a specific topic and keyword(s) used by visitors.
DID YOU KNOW?: AdWords advertisers often see a lower cost-per-click when the ad message and landing page text are similar in content and consistent.
Experience Optimization: Those responsible for the success of landing pages must consider the landing page as a whole and how it is a reflection of the enterprise promoting it. Ensuring a general level of professionalism (correct spelling/grammar), emphasizing relationships that are evidence of trustworthiness, and being cognizant of the ideal pathways and directing users to it are the methods available to optimize the landing page experience.
Testing Commitment: Landing pages should be dynamic assets, changing over time to an optimized path toward conversion. Commiting to ongoing testing of copy, images, and calls-to-action inorder to determine what resonates with users is just good business. Fortunately, there are very powerful, reasonably priced offerings that enable designers and marketers an
opportunity to test efficiently.
One of the likely reasons that more businesses aren't regularly testing landing pages is that there are so many possible tests that can be run. Every test is important and it provides eveidence of what's influencing converion. Below you'll find a few possible evaluations and landing page testing ideas you can consider at your own enterprise.
+ Evaluate the various stages of the sales funnel (prospecting, cultivating, positioning, closing) + Evaluate the inclusion of a range of payment options or methods - from PayPal to Bitcoin. + Evaluate performance of specific offers and opportunities based on the source of visitors. + Evaluate the position of CTA's within page and content. Move forms lower, labels and buttons higher. + Evaluate how images (size, style, content) impact performance metrics. + Evaluate how the presence of related/similar products offers influence conversion. + Evaluate the presence/exclusion of customer reviews (some claims are seen as "light" and don't substantiate product quality of usefulness. + Evaluate the presence of privacy assurances and trust signals like social proof. + Evaluate the depth of content - does short from content work better than long form or vice versa?
If you engage in any level of landing page testing, commit to ultimately deliving an experience for the ideal customer (crafting an experience designed for them), an experience that shows and expresses the results they'll receive, how they will be able to get it, and answers and confirm why they want it at all.
