In the previous introductory post about Email Testing we talked about lots of different aspects that could be optimized, from subject line to landing page. A landing page is a dedicated page you send people to, rather than sending them to an existing web page. Landing page testing deserves more attention than it currently gets, because a simple change to the landing page can increase conversion dramatically.
![]()
Why Landing Page Testing?
Why Landing Page Testing?In many cases, you’d like email readers to take a certain action after reading the email. For example, you may want them to download a whitepaper, start a product trial, or buy your product with a discount. To accomplish that goal, recipients need to open the email, click on a link in the email, and – once on your website – perform the desired action. Research has shown that landing page optimization can have the biggest impact on your overall conversion rates.
What To Optimize For?
The most common thing to optimize for is conversion rate, which is defined as the number of people who complete the desired action divided by the total number of landing page visitors. So if 100 people visit the landing page and 30 submit the registration form, you have a 30% conversion rate.
How To Optimize a Landing Page?
First of all, if you haven’t already created dedicated landing pages, this may be a good time to start. There is a big difference in conversion rate between a generic web page and one that is designed specifically to convert. The general rule for landing pages is that you remove all potential distractions from the page. Use only 1 column, few images, no navigation, and make it very clear how people can take advantage of the offer. If you’re using a form, make sure it’s above the fold and has a big submit button. If you have a download link, test whether a button works better than a text link. See MarketingExperiments for an interesting case study.
In addition to testing how simple you need to make the page, you can test the headline, the copy and the length of the copy. Also, you can test whether adding testimonials has any effect. The placement and design of the call-to-action buttons can also have a big impact on conversion rate, and so does the positioning and length of the registration form (or lack of a registration form). So lots of ideas on what to test.
How to Test Landing Page Versions?
It’s usually best to start testing two different versions, unless you have lots of landing page visits (1000+). For high volume pages you use a multi-variate testing strategy, essentially testing 4 or 8 versions at a time. Obviously, you will have to create those different versions, so you may need help from IT or your web team. That can sometimes slow down the process, so it may be useful to create stand-alone pages using a landing page builder.
On the landing page you can use Google Website Optimizer to create different versions. This tool supports both A/B testing as well as multi-variate testing, and it’s really easy to use. They have a Website Optimizer overview video on their site which clearly explains the different steps.
Getting Started
If you don’t use landing pages yet, figure out the easiest way to start creating them, either on your existing website or with a separate landing page tool. Then install Google Website Optimizer, create a second landing pages with only 1 thing changed, then start measuring. Google Website Optimizer will tell you when you’ve collected enough data to get statistically significant results. It’s not that much work, and it will pay off tremendously when you double or sometimes triple your conversion rates.
