Landing Page Optimisation

If you have ever arrived at a website from an advertisement or an email link, it’s extremely likely that you were taken to a landing page, rather than the website’s standard homepage. Landing pages are generally displayed when you click a link from an online advertisement, a search engine result, an email or a specific promotional URL. For ecommerce store owners, landing pages are the first chance you have to convince a motivated shopper to pursue a purchase. 
 
On average, you have just 4 seconds to capture a visitor’s attention once they arrive at your landing page, so it’s vital that you get it right. A clear and engaging landing page will enhance your customer’s experience and maximise your campaign’s ROI. Improving your ecommerce store’s landing pages can not only greatly improve your website’s usability, but will also build trust in your brand and increase your ecommerce store’s conversion rates.
 
 
 
 
 
Landing Page Tests
To make sure that it is as effective as possible, it is important to test your landing page thoroughly. There are two standard tests that you can perform in order to find the most effective features of your landing page: A/B tests and multivariate tests. 
 
An A/B test involves testing one whole landing page against another, with one distinct change to a single element between the two versions, for example: using a different headline. This allows you to monitor the exact effect that a single feature of your landing page has on your overall conversion rates and determine exactly which version is most effective. 
 
Multivariate testing allows you to test multiple elements of your landing page against each other in a variety of combinations, for example: different headlines AND different call-to-action buttons. This test allows you to evaluate your landing pages quickly and accurately. It is important to carefully choose which test is the most appropriate for your website before beginning your testing. 
 
 
 
 
 
Why Should I Test My Landing Pages?
Studies have found that 72% of marketers who do not test their landing pages also fail to measure any meaningful return on investment from their landing page optimisation efforts. It is well known that the more you test, improve and optimise your landing pages, the greater conversion rates you will receive. Businesses who spend more of their budget on landing page optimisation tend to see higher conversion rates:
  • 33% of marketers who test see conversion rates of >5%
  • Only 12% of marketers who do not test see conversion rates of >5%
 
 
 
 
What Should I Test?
It can be quite difficult to know where to start when testing your ecommerce store’s landing pages. You can test any area of your landing pages as many times as you want, but I would recommend focusing on testing and optimising these five key areas of your landing pages:
 
  • Headline Copy:
Your headline copy should be snappy and to the point. Experiment with different headlines which appeal to your audience’s ‘What’s-In-It-For-Me’ (WIIFM) and test a variety of benefits-driven headlines.
 
  • Body Copy:
When writing the main section of text on your landing page, make sure to write in the second person; i.e. ‘you’ and ‘your’, as opposed to ‘we’ and ‘us’. By directly addressing the reader, you will be able to make your landing page feel more personal and specifically designed for that individual reader. Use action-language that focuses on benefits to draw the reader in and encourage them to convert. 
 
  • Page Layout:
Remove any distractions from your landing pages, such as navigation options or social media buttons, to place full focus on your main calls-to-action. Test different page designs and combinations of content and images to find which is most effective layout for your landing page. 
 
  • Calls-to-Action:
Your calls-to-action should be simple, easy to read and to the point. Use direct and compelling language to engage your visitors, and experiment with a range of action words; such as ‘Register’ vs. ‘Sign up’. Try different colours for your calls-to-action - red is often the most effective colour to use, but it is a good idea to test a variety of colours before settling on one. 
 
  • Form Layout:
By having only a small number of fields in your forms, visitors will be able to complete your forms quickly and the barrier to entry will be lower. If your forms are simple and easy to fill out, you are more likely to have an increased level of conversions. Respect your customers' privacy and only ask for information which is necessary - this will make them more likely to complete your forms.
 
 
Create a clear testing plan with well-defined, measurable conversion criteria before you start testing your landing page. Determine the main goals of your tests and perform them when there is a high level of traffic to your page. 
 
To find the most effective landing page for your ecommerce store, it is necessary to test every key component of your landing page. However, even if you are using a multivariate test, try not to test too many elements at once - it can become quite difficult to see exactly which area is having an effect on conversion rates if you try to test every element of your landing page at once. 
 
Monitor each test throughout their progress and stop them once you have collected enough data to draw a conclusion. Track key external factors during your tests to ensure that they aren’t affecting your results and, once you have completed your tests, it’s a good idea to conduct follow-up experiments before putting your final landing page in place. 
 
 
 
 
 
Landing Page Optimisation Tips:
  • Your ecommerce store’s landing page should be simple, easy to read and load quickly.
  • Never use your store’s homepage as your landing page; ensure that you have a dedicated landing page for your customers to visit instead.
  • Aim to find the best balance between your content and images by experimenting with different combinations.
  • Create a user-friendly design and ensure that any call-to-action is clearly visible and placed above the fold.
  • The most effective calls-to-action are those which respect the privacy of visitors and don’t ask for too much information; ask only the necessary questions and keep it simple.
  • Use emotional triggers and testimonials to encourage and compel your visitors to convert.
 
 
By creating an engaging, interesting and compelling landing page, your ecommerce store will see an increased conversion rate in no time at all.