CRO: How’s Your Landing Page?

Your landing page: this is where things get serious.  You’re not being subtle; you are telling visitors what you would like them to do, whether it is “Buy now,” “Register,” or “Sign up for our free newsletter.”  This page has a huge impact on consumer behaviour, and thus affects your conversion rate directly.  A big part of CRO is determining how you are losing people, how you are grabbing people, how you could improve. Start with where they land.

1. What do you want people to do? What’s your CTA? A common problem with landing pages is that it is unclear what action is being solicited. Sometimes, there isn’t really one, and other times, there are more than one. Look at Intuit’s landing page for QuickBooks. At the top is “Try QuickBooks Online for Free.” Almost diagonally is a “Try It Free” button, clearly reinforcing the message. There is no doubt about what Intuit wants you to do.
2. 2. Put it above the fold. Eye tracking studies show us that visitors spend most of their time above the fold; if you do not grab them immediately, they are not going to bother to scroll down. If your call to action is below the fold, your conversion rate is going to suffer. Bring it up; supporting information can be located below the fold if necessary.
3. Have a clear value proposition.  A call-to-action is essential, but what’s in it for the site visitor?  What are they getting in return?  To go back to QuickBooks, the value prop is clear: work anywhere, anytime, less paperwork, free upgrades and support. That is what’s in it for you.
4. Clear and clean. Aesthetics matter.  HuliHealth is a good example; this international service matches up dentists and patients. The landing page is simple and logical. Step 1, step 2, step 3, Go. It isn’t too busy, cluttered, or verbose.
5. Make sure it loads quickly. Forget Flash or heavy graphics. You want to stay light and agile – especially as more and more of your traffic could be coming from mobile devices.

A good landing page is the first step to better conversion rates.  What are you offering your visitors?  If they’re not taking you up on it, it’s time to get down to work and make changes.