9 Ways to Optimize Landing Pages for Conversions

January 19, 2011 By Brian Lewis

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Headlines and offers are key components to conversion performance. But there is a third factor that is paramount to successful conversion and it plays a much larger role in online conversions: the optimized landing page.

In a direct mail piece, a letter is very one-dimensional—even though readers may not read the entire letter in order, we have given them a clear starting and ending point. We have a certain amount of control over how they receive our marketing message.

A Web page, on the other hand, is multi-dimensional and interactive. So unless we know how to direct the visitor through its various elements, the visitor's attention may run in every direction, ultimately bouncing off the page.

It's the combination of a compelling, benefit-driven headline, effective offer and mastery of visitor control that separates winning landing pages from the losers.

To achieve the greatest conversions, you need to guide your visitors through your landing page to complete the desired action. Just like an author who tells his story in a sequence of ordered chapters, you want to tell the story of your product or service offerings in a pre-determined order of Web page elements. The more control you have over the visitor's experience, the more control you have over your conversion rate.

High converting landing pages use a variety of visual cues and an understanding of typical Web page viewing habits to guide visitors through to conversion. The use of colors, font styles and sizes, images, and white space are all important considerations. Here are some proven landing page conversion tips:

• Make sure your offer is clear.
• Include credibility logos—trust and security are foremost in many visitor's minds.
• Place a persuasive message above the call to action.
• Avoid multiple different calls to action.
• Place your call to action in a prominent location on the page.
• Create a sense of urgency with terms such as "Start now" and "Apply now."
• Tell your visitors exactly what you want them to do.
• Use an arrow to your call to action. This has increased conversion rates in many cases.
• Don't forget about the critical importance of testing and metrics. At a minimum, measure conversion rates, average order values and bounce rates on your landing pages.

Fast Track Debt Relief is an example of a lead generation site that utilizes many of the above items. The page features a strong benefit-driven headline that guides the visitor to bulleted features and benefits. Notice how the features and benefits are all action-oriented and start with either the word "You" or a verb implying the word "You."

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