No matter what kind of business your starting, it’s important to know what works and what doesn’t. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by setting up different landing pages so you can test elements for higher conversions. Once of the biggest problems I had when starting my business was to find out what works with visitors and how to get conversions rolling. Here’s the thing…at one point creating landing pages was a complete mission because everything would have to be coded, however you have so many tools available that will help you get the job done. For example, two very awesome tools are Unbounce.com and Clickfunnel.com. Both help you create pages quickly and allow you to test every element quickly providing data on what’s working. You can then tweak going forward increasing your conversions and profits. However, sometimes you have to know how to get things to work and what headlines to add.
Today, I’ll be discussing some of the things I’ve learned about creating the right landing pages and what you should be testing for maximum conversions.
Here are some of the things I’ll be discussing right now…
- Page size
- Headlines
- Text and images
- Videos
- Data collection
I’m talking from my experience so it’s important to provide as much feedback as possible. Let’s jump right in a talk about the elements you should be focusing on when testing landings pages for conversions.
Page Size
When building a landing page, it’s important you have the page size width corrected. There is NO point in building a landing page if it won’t be visible to everyone who is landing on your page. It’s equally as important to ensure your landing pages has been optimized for mobile and tablets. To solve this problem, you might want to use fluid layouts which adjust to the size of your screen. You also have the option to adjust size using percentage instead of “pxâ€. For example, when designing your landing page, it’s a great idea to set 100% in the coding or page width slot because the page will adjust to 100% of the screen size going forward. It’s a great way to ensure you get maximum exposure and everyone visiting will be able to view the content. Next,
If you have very little experience with designing pages, then you have another two option to help you tweak this:
First, you can hire a coder to help you out and this is really cheap because you can hire a freelancer from India who will do the work for a fraction of the price. Next, you can design your page using the smallest resolution because anything above will display it correctly. These are just two methods to keep in mind when you sit down to design your page going forward.
Headlines
I can’t tell you how important this part of designing a landing page is when getting started and going forward. The headlines must be right to the point and capture your visitor’s attention almost immediately. People want to read and gather the value out of the page almost right away which is why I put enormous emphasis on the headline. I like to try 3-4 variations of headlines and keep a close eye on the ones which have been converting better than others. With that said, here are a few tips I like to use to make sure my headlines capture attention and are right to the point at the same time.
First, make sure your headline is visible and is big enough that the reader sees it clearly. This is how you will capture the attention and force them to stay on the page. This is a great way to get the visitor to keep reading the rest of the text present on your page. Secondly, I like to play around with colors because this is a great way or strategy to use to have that part of your page standout. You can use the following which have been known to convert higher than others:
- Read
- Orange
- Green
- Light blue
However, the color you choose will obviously depend on the universal color on your page. For example, if the rest of your text is black then it will be a good idea to make your headline red.
Third, the headline must represent what you are selling or what you are offering to the reader. If it doesn’t then it’s a great way to lose credibility and lose the reader if they decide to opt-in. Finally, the amount of characters used within your headline is important. You want to make it short and right to the point so all it takes is 3 seconds to get your point across. At the same time, it must make sense so the reader knows what the page is representing. I dislike when headlines are long and I have to sit there and read to gather the value. By then I have probably lost my attention anyway.
Text and Images
A very important aspect of designing the right type of pages because you can relate to more of your visitors as they arrive on your page. These two elements are a quick way to show your visitors what your product is about and can increase the likelihood of a conversion. With that said, you have to be careful when adding images and videos. Here are a few things you should follow when adding either or.
First, it’s important to make sure your images and videos are relevant to your bottom line. No one wants to watch a video and opt-in to find out it was deceiving because this will force you to lose credibility very quickly. Secondly, keep an eye on the time limit because I’ve been on many landing pages that keep rambling on. This has forced me to leave because I didn’t see an end in sight and NO clear call-to-action. Third, if you will be adding a lengthy video because you need the timing to explain your product, then have a clear call-to-action that will allow the visitor to redirect to sales page. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t have to be a sales page, but one which provides insight into the product further. Fourth, I like to provide as much information as possible within the videos because many people visiting will NOT be able to understand written English text. This means I will like to show as much as I can through video, etc.
I’ll admit over the years adding videos and images have become more popular because of the value they provide. Keep your purpose in mind when adding them so you can convert a higher level of visitors who are arriving on your page.
The next section was going to be about videos, however I have discussed this in the above point. You can do a quick search within Google to find out more information on creating videos for landing pages.
DATA Collection
Depending on the tool you are using to build your landing pages, you’ll have a backend way to collect the required data. However, many people are unsure how to run split tests and this can cause them to spend more money than they expected to. For example, there are certain things I like to look for when building landing pages and a specific number of days I will run tests for before I start to narrow down the results. Let’s look at some of the basics I’ve learned about this process so you can do the same.
Google Analytics – this is probably the best way to collect enormous information because it will provide you with complete stats on your visitors. For example, it’s important to know NOT only the conversions but where they are coming from. Using Google Analytics, I am able to find out highest landing page conversion, location and search query (if any). Google Analytics also provides me with a complete understanding of the bounce rate I am dealing with so I can find ways to improve this going forward.
Backend Conversion – I like to keep a close eye on the conversion rate and what pages are getting the highest. For example, Unbbounce.com with their script will give me a good understanding of the converting pages so I can keep a close eye on the rest. Once you run a test for a certain amount of time, we can start to remove pages. Let’s discuss timing now:
Trial period – I test in intervals of 7 days because this allows me to keep an eye on my budget and make changes as I need to. During the 7 days, I’ll remove pages and keep narrowing them down until I find one which converts better then all others. This is important because my goal is to achieve a conversion rate of higher than 20% which can lead to enormous traffic and conversions.
Final Thoughts
It’s important you know the fundamentals of split testing your landing pages. By having a solid formula in place, you’ll be able to protect yourself from unnecessary expenses going forward. You’ll also find creative ways to convert your visitors which can lead to enormous business growth and profits. It’s time to start at the top and go through each one until you find a combination that works well for you. Then, you can continue to design the best landing pages that NOT only convert but help you build your business the right way.
Get started now and your feedback will be appreciated going forward on the progress you’ve made.