Think your website is beyond repair?
Tell it to Jeff Bezos. Once upon a time, his website looked like this:
Soon enough, after significant trial, error, and observation, he turned it into this:
Yes, it's still ugly...but what Bezos realized early on is that, to be a successful online business, you need to optimise, test and change.
Are you this dedicated to website optimization?
Fundamental 1: Reinforce the search term
By definition, users “land” on a landing page because they’ve typed in a specific search term and clicked on a search result. So it might surprise you how rarely that landing pages actually reinforce this key piece of info that the user has provided.
For instance, let’s say a user types in the search term “online stock trading.” I’d wager that it’s pretty clear what the user is looking for! So, why would you send them to a page that’s labeled “Explore our Suite of Online Financial Services”? Way too general and complicated for the user to decipher!
Make sure your landing page speaks directly to the search term. It’s worth it.
Fundamental 2: Present a clear call to action
Once users arrive on your landing page, they are looking to complete an action. Don’t make it hard for them! Give them a clear path to complete the task they came to accomplish.
Take a look at your own landing page with a fresh set of eyes. Is the key call to action clearly visible on your page? If not, start removing the things that are getting in the way. Which leads me to the next fundamental…
Fundamental 3: Less is more
The biggest mistake most sites make is in putting too much information on their landing page. Remember, searchers are task oriented. They are looking for an efficient, easy and economic way to meet a particular need. Make sure every word and image on your landingpage serves this goal.
Fundamental 4: Keep options to a minimum
All right, your user has typed in “online stock trading.” They’ve arrived at your page, judged it relevant, found a clear call to action and they’re ready to move forward. But wait – now they have to choose between three different trading plans. Suddenly this just got very complicated.
Except in cases where options can be clearly stated in an easy-to-read grid (like cell phone plans or tax software), it’s best not to confront the user with too many options on your landing page. Keep it simple. After all, no one wants to make the wrong choice.
Fundamental 5: You have three seconds; make them count
That’s right, you have about three seconds for your users to decide whether to invest their time with you or to hit their browser’s “Back” button. Think about your own experience searching and you’ll realize how little time you give the landing pages that you come across. Look at your site’s landing page and count to three.
How does your page compare?
1. Proflowers.com -27.5%
2. Office Depot - 25.8%
3. Lands End - 24.8%
4. QVC - 19.4%
5. CDW - 19.1%
6. HSN - 16.8%
7. Vistaprint - 16.8%
8. Oriental Trading Company - 16.5%
9. Williams-Sonoma - 15.6%
10. eBay - 14.8%
*Source: Nielsen Online / Marketing Charts
The case study shows that the page performed better after removing the image of a customer service representative and a sidebar, both of which impeded the view of a beautiful set of stairs. How much did it improve? Online conversions increased by a whopping 144% and
average order size increased 18%.
Do you test best practices? What is your opinion about this case study? Let us know in the comments!
