3 Landing Page Optimization Mistakes You Don’t Have to Make (Because I Already Made Them)

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Making errors and studying from them is a vital a part of mastering the artwork of touchdown web page optimization. I’ve discovered that out the laborious approach.

The excellent news is that there’s no motive it’s a must to make the identical errors that I did.

On this put up, I’ll allow you to in on 3 primary touchdown web page optimization errors which have value me a variety of conversions. Furthermore, I’ll provide you with easy suggestions that’ll allow you to keep away from making these errors your self.

1. “Optimizing” With No Clear Conversion Purpose In Thoughts

Figuring out what your targets are is important to attaining success in any realm. Touchdown web page optimization is not any exception.

If you wish to create a high-converting touchdown web page, it’s worthwhile to begin by defining the conversion goal of your touchdown web page. After that, it’s worthwhile to construct a touchdown web page remedy that revolves round your conversion aim.

In case your aim is to get prospects to fill out a lead gen kind, your touchdown web page needs to be laser-focused on getting them to fill out that exact kind. In case your aim is to get potential prospects to purchase a product, your touchdown web page needs to be laser-focused on getting them to purchase that product.

How I used to get it mistaken

I used to do that mistaken on a regular basis, however there’s one story specifically that involves thoughts.

I used to be engaged on an LPO challenge with a designer and the web page we had been engaged on was copy-heavy and really boring, so we determined to do a redesign. We had been very happy with our work and felt 120% sure that our new touchdown web page would rock – just because we thought it seemed loads higher.

Fortunately, we examined the web page in the true world. As a result of as lovely as it might have been, the touchdown web page remedy truly harm conversion considerably:

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The product on this case was heating oil, and our aim was to generate leads for the consumer. Now, deciding who you’ll purchase heating oil from is a giant determination for most individuals and an exquisite touchdown web page will not be sufficient to make extra individuals say sure.

Sadly, in all the joy we forgot concerning the conversion aim and the audience and went off on a design journey that resulted in a web page that truly scared off extra leads than it generated.

A easy strategy to keep away from this error

Outline a transparent conversion aim earlier than you even begin eager about optimizing your touchdown web page and preserve it prime of thoughts in each step of the optimization course of.

When your design draft is finished, go over the person parts separately and ask your self, “How will this component assist prospects make the appropriate determination?”

If the reply is, “Hmm, I’m unsure – nevertheless it seems to be cool!” it’s possible you’ll wish to think about whether or not that component ought to even be on the touchdown web page. As my good friend Roger Dooley says:

“If it isn’t motivation, it’s friction.”» Tweet this «

2. Basing Optimization Selections On Whims and Private Preferences

In LPO, the standard of your work will in the end be measured by the influence it has on conversion – not how lovely it makes the web page look or how horny it makes the copy sound.

If you wish to be a profitable optimizer, it’s necessary that the adjustments you make are knowledgeable options to actual issues – and never simply arbitrary guesses.

How I used to get it mistaken

I used to base my optimization efforts on no matter felt good or appeared like a terrific thought within the second. This method gave me fast inventive satisfaction however not often did it end in conversion lifts.

I’ve wasted valuable time engaged on minor design particulars when there have been way more basic points that wanted to be resolved. Small inventive adjustments are enjoyable a variety of enjoyable to geek out on, however they not often have direct influence on conversion if basic items like your headline are off.

Right here’s an instance the place altering a headline elevated sign-ups on a betting discussion board touchdown web page by 41.14%:

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On this case, the headline remedy didn’t come about on a whim or as a result of I felt that it sounded superior. This headline was created based mostly on information on audience perception. Furthermore, the remedy is targeted 100% on giving prospects an excellent and related motive to remain on the web page and enroll.

Discover that the headline begins with the verb “get” – a very highly effective phrase that may work wonders in your messaging. For extra on the superior conversion energy of “get” check out this article.

In my expertise, concepts for remedies that come about on a whim often result in poor outcomes. You possibly can after all get fortunate and stumble into one thing that works, however in the long run it’s actually not a successful technique.

A easy strategy to keep away from this error

The extra focused and strategic an A/B take a look at is, the extra possible it’ll be to have a optimistic influence on conversions.

A solid optimization hypothesis goes a great distance in preserving you heading in the right direction and making certain that you simply’re conducting useful advertising and marketing experiments that may truly have an effect within the thoughts of the prospect –and, by extension, on conversions.

In touchdown web page optimization, the optimization speculation is the essential (however data-driven) assumption that you simply base your optimized variant on. It encapsulates what you wish to change on the touchdown web page and what influence you count on to see from making that change. Furthermore, it forces you to scrutinize your take a look at concepts and helps you retain your eyes on the aim.

Formulating an optimization speculation might be so simple as filling out the blanks on this template:

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Take a look at this article for a extra in-depth information on the way to write a strong speculation.

3. Assuming That “One Measurement Matches All”

Life can be simpler if the one-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter method labored. A lot simpler.

Nevertheless, in my expertise there isn’t a such factor as a worldwide answer that works each time. All merchandise, gives, touchdown pages, and corporations are completely different, similar to the motivations of your potential prospects can be completely different. You should discover out what works to your particular audience.

How I used to get it mistaken

I used to suppose that each single case research or weblog put up I learn was immediately relevant to any given touchdown web page.

“So a call-to-action above the fold carried out greatest on this LPO case research. Okay, then I ought to all the time place my CTA on the prime of the web page.”

As you’ll be able to most likely think about, it didn’t take many touchdown web page experiments to seek out out having the CTA on the prime of the web page isn’t all the time the most effective answer. I’ve examined plenty of touchdown pages the place a CTA positioned under the fold out-performed a CTA positioned above the fold.

However actually it’s not a query of above or under the fold – it’s a query of inserting the call-to-action the place it greatest enhances the decision-making means of your prospects.

As a basic rule of thumb, if the product/provide is advanced and the prospect has to digest a variety of data in an effort to make an knowledgeable determination, positioning the CTA decrease on the web page usually works greatest.

Alternatively, if the product/provide may be very easy and the prospect hardly has to do any considering in an effort to make an knowledgeable determination, positioning the CTA above the fold usually works greatest.

However all the time take a look at, take a look at, take a look at to seek out out what works greatest to your marketing campaign.

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A easy strategy to keep away from this error:

Be taught what you’ll be able to from different individuals’s outcomes, however don’t simply assume you can merely replicate these outcomes by yourself touchdown web page.

You may get a variety of inspiration and concepts from case research however earlier than you begin implementing issues, all the time take the time to construct a strong speculation on how this specific take a look at thought will enhance conversion in your particular touchdown web page.

In lots of instances, this straightforward train is sufficient to preserve you from implementing issues which can be unlikely to work in your touchdown web page and audience.

The Principal Lesson I’ve Discovered From All My Errors

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Your “audience” on the opposite aspect of the display is made up of flesh and blood. In the end, their choices and actions will decide whether or not your conversion charge goes up or down.

In the event you go away your potential prospects out of the equation, your optimization efforts won’t ever, ever attain their full potential.

What touchdown web page optimization errors have you ever made and discovered from?

— Michael Aagaard