Landing page optimization best practices Guide
Landing page optimization is the process of enhancing your landing page so that you can improve the number of conversions you are going to get on the page.
Audience surveys, a good measure of landing page best practices and everything else in between can help you score your current landing page and optimize it for conversions.
Start with landing page problems
Problems help you identify if and what you can do to improve your landing pages from the get-go. Some problems are immediately highlighted.
For instance just running your page by a heatmap tool can help identify where the potential problems are lurking and where people are clicking and paying attention to on the page.
This immediately gives you some ideas on what you can improve.
Use the website behavior to understand what’s missing
You can track website behavior by looking at how users are scrolling through existing content on your site. This website behaviors reinforces what you might already know why conversions are poor.
The red orange and yellow areas on the scroll map highlight where people stopped to look.
Landing Page best practices to boost conversions in 2021
The offer should be clear
Whatever offer you should offer abundant clarity to the user. It should be easy for them to understand what’s in it for them.
To lend clarity to any offer what should be considered is that you use simple language that talks to people and helps them make sense of the offer before them. Academic language or passive writing isn’t going to help.
Put some contrast
Opinions vary around the choice of colors on your site. The landing pages that have the highest conversions use contrast cleverly. They make their CTA stand out with their bold choice of contrast and colors.
Think of a black background and a screaming cta is gold. It’s hard to ignore that. It’s clear, it stands out and demands attention.
The textured background should separate the cta. Also use the negative space around to put emphasis around the call to action.
Keep the most important information above the fold
Above the fold is the area that is visible to people landing on your site without scrolling down further.
It’s natural to place the most relevant and riveting content on the first page at the top. This helps build interest in the content that follows and makes people read more.
By keeping landing page elements above digital fold you should be able to achieve the same. This is the point where the user must scroll down below to get more information.
You can use a scroll map to properly understand where above the fold is located for most devices and manage to keep the headline, a description and a CTA at the front and center.
Scarcity marketing rules
Offer ending in few minutes or limited time deals are more popular than ever because scarcity helps egg a user toward a conversion.
These phrases compels landing page visitors to act in the present because they know that if they dilly dally they’re going to lose out on the momentum that’s getting built.
Every store offline or online uses this technique.
Next to the order you’re going to see how many of these items remain and that requires action from the part of the visitor.
You can do the same for your site with limited-time discounts.
A countdown timer adds further to the proof that the items are actually limited and would cause a stampede.
Use simple language with the call to action buttons
The call to action buttons you’re using shouldn’t stress the reader.
The offer is supposed to clear, concise and obvious.
Most companies who are really doing well understand this. They don’t use clickbaity language or language that’s too obtuse.
Instead they rely on simple verbs and pronouns to do the job.
Examples.
Join now
Download today
Get your free trial
Start free.
These simple words that allow our brains to jump over their meanings are the easiest to use.
Use contact information
There are many ways to provide contact information. Put the phone number or email address on the landing page or use the contact form.
Shopify and similar sites use help center links.
Customers know that they can find contact information and FAQs in the the help center.
Vary your headlines and your copy
Your headlines and copy make a lot of difference to what you sell. People are going to read what you write and this makes a difference in their decisions.
This should resonate with your target audience.
A/b test different headlines on your landing page. Change the copy and run a/b tests to see how the elements can perform.
Consistent
Messaging matters and so does visual consistency in your messages.
This can often make or break conversions.
If you create a Facebook ad that takes people to a landing page. And the landing page visuals and copy is a world apart from what they saw on the Facebook ad, people are going to get confused right?
You want to maintain the text, imagery and other visual elements to reflect on the landing page.
This visual consistency nets conversions.
Add testimonials to compel visitors
Online reviews are as powerful to a reader as word of mouth recommendations from a friend are.
People use products and services taking inspiration from what other people are doing.
You want your customers to tell others how wonderfully a product has worked for them.
You want to communicate this with them in the clearest manner possible.
Testimonials are the best way to do this. When you convince customers to create video testimonials you have an edge. Quotes work equally well.
Vary the number of form fields
]It’s my opinion that short forms are the best.
And I have a reason to say that after having tested hundreds of forms across industries. Ideally you should only ask for the email id.
But this doesn’t hold true for every scenario you can imagine.
If you want qualified leads you need longer forms like this one that Salesforce uses.
These are more effective and considering the pricing of the tool they are right in not wasting time with unqualified leads.
It’s not always the case that super long forms only work. Sometimes all you want is a bit more info like the client’s budget for SEO, writing services or anything else.
Optimize your landing page for SEO
Landing pages’ discovery is aided by organic search as well. People might find your landing pages through your homepage as well. This means if someone searches for a company you should be ideally ranking for that word.
Tools likeAhrefs or SEMRush can aid your progress in finding the best keywords to populate your landing pages and realistically rank higher.
Use exit intent popups
An exit intent popup shows up when the user attempts to leave a page. It’s an opportunity for a conversion.
These popups are the least intrusive you might come across and often seen as a way to redeem a lost conversion.