21 ways to increase landing page conversion rates

By Christopher Gerber, Associate Digital Editor
June 28, 2012
Filed under Chris Gerber

The landing page is just as important as the advertisement that gets a customer there. It turns visitors into leads, which your sales staff can turn into sales. Here are 21 quick tips from around the Web for improving landing page optimization.

Keep it focused
Don’t try to make the page do all the work. Stick to one goal (gathering emails, RSVPs, phone numbers) and make sure everything on the page supports that goal.
Keep it simple
Da Vinci said “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Trying to fit too much information or too many design elements makes it harder to locate your call to action.
Don’t over-design
Just because something looks fancy and new doesn’t mean it belongs on your landing page. A well-designed page doesn’t need to have every new HTML trick to capture leads.
Use multiple calls to action.
From Web Digest for Marketers: Not everyone clicks the first link they see. Some people will read everything before converting. Use multiple calls to action around the landing page to capture all types of visitors.

BUT …

Stick to one offer per page
Test multiple points on the page for conversion, but don’t confuse readers by offering many different ways to convert. Remember, keep it focused.
Set goals
You can’t tell if your landing page is working if you don’t know what to expect. Set goals and design a page that will reach those goals.

AND …

Keep testing
Optimization is the word. No page is perfect, so keep tweaking the call to action and the layout to find out what works for your audience.

AND …

Test everything
Don’t just look at calls to action or forms. Keep in mind design, layout, number of required questions and even your goals for the landing page.
Pick your colors:
Change up the colors of your design. KISSmetrics has a neat graphic about gender and color and how men and women associate color with value.
Include everything on one page
From Wordstream.com - Your landing page is the final step in converting a visitor. You want them to take an action, and the goal is to get that action in as few clicks as possible. Include the registration or contact form right on the page rather than on a separate site.

AND …

Capture emails early
If you’re making them go to a second page to complete registration or to better segment leads, make sure there’s a way to capture their contact information on the first page. Even if they abandon the form, you’ll still have a way of contacting them after they’ve left for follow-up.
Clarity
From Performinsider.com - After designing, go through and remove unnecessary elements to make it clearer to the visitor exactly what action you want them to take.
Design for the user
From Brafton.com - Just like SEO, it doesn’t matter how well a page is optimized if the user doesn’t know what to do. The user experience should always come to the forefront of your designs. Make it as easy as possible for visitors to contact you.
Pick your target
An accurate marksman is more successful than the one with more bullets. Target your landing page to the customer you are hoping to convert, rather than designing a landing page that isn’t going to convert anyone.
Put yourself out there
Visitors are less likely to give up their email or other information if they don’t know anything about you. Include as much information as necessary on the page to convert passersby into phone or email leads. This could include information such as your location, phone number, email contact and business hours.
Tie in social
Include positive comments from Facebook and Twitter, along with photos from events (or maybe a Top 100 logo or two) to show why a visitor should give you their information. But don’t forget to include ways for visitors to share it on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest or by good old email.
Be unique
Each dealership is different, so don’t base your design or keywords off of what is working across the country. Dive into your analytics and see where your visitors are coming from and design a page that will be interesting to them.
Don’t ask so many questions
From Eloqua.com – Don’t make the effort of completing your form or converting on your page more difficult than the reward justifies. Only do as much as you need to in order to segment the lead, otherwise visitors will start hitting the X.
Match your message with your ad
A visitor shouldn’t wonder why they’re looking at your page. Match the ad or content that brings them to your landing page with the design of the landing page itself. It creates a smooth process from gathering interest to conversion.
Use “evergreen” content
From Web Design for Marketers – Even if you’re no longer optimizing or targeting a keyword, you can still use the page to capture leads. Leave pages up if the content isn’t dated. Email addresses and contact info can continue to trickle in months later from a particularly well-made page.
Give it fresh eyes
If you aren’t sure if the page is drawing eyes where you want them to go, find someone who hasn’t seem it before and test on them. And then test again with as many fresh eyes as you can find.