Great landing pages do not happen overnight or as a lucky happenstance. They are developed through many rounds of testing — some successful, some not.
My experience with conversion improvement efforts and landing-page testing has taught me three critical lessons that apply, regardless of the type of company or conversion:
- Don’t settle for the first big win
- Run both A/B and Multivariate (MVT) tests
- Nothing is too small to test
Below I’ve compiled results from several landing-page tests to help illustrate these three key points.
1. Don’t Settle For The First Big Win
Even if you improve conversion rate on your first test… there may be a subsequent iteration of the page that will perform even better. This series of three tests, designed to improve page design and layout, illustrates this point.
Test #1 – Test Page Design/Layout
Here, we are testing a completely different page including call-to-action, imagery, form, text and layout.
Results: Version B won with a 28% lift in conversions over Version A (Control).
Test #2 – Test Page Design/Layout
In our second test we continue to modify the overall look and feel, but this time, more focused on the colors, imagery and branding of the page.
Results: Version B won with a 26% lift in conversions over Version A (Control).
Test #3 – Test Page Design/Layout
Finally, we focus on the improving the user experience through color, contrast and layout.
Results: Version B won with a 27% lift in conversions over Version A (Control).
Through this series of three consecutive tests, we were able to continually simplify the page, keep aspects that were proven to increase conversions, and remove the elements that hindered conversions.
By not being satisfied with the first win we achieved an 81% total lift in conversions.
2. Run Both A/B & Multivariate Tests
Running multivariate tests (MVT) also fills an important role in your overall testing plan because it allows you to see how multiple landing page elements interact with each other.
Multivariate testing allows you to quickly squeeze the most conversions possible out of a landing page. By testing different combinations of page elements, we begin to see how the entire page works together (or not) to assist in driving more conversions. The test below illustrates a multivariate test designed to maximize response (click-through).
Test #1 –Testing 5 Variations Of Headlines & Sub-Headings Against One Another
Results: Version D was the winning combination with a 15% lift in conversions over Version A (Control).
3. Nothing Is Too Small To Test
Small changes can have a big impact on conversion rates. No element is too small or insignificant to test — you might just be surprised by the results. Making small changes with no rhyme or reason will simply waste valuable time; but, with the proper analysis and data to support your hypothesis, large gains can be achieved.
Test #1 – Testing Colors Of The Form Submission Button
Results: Version D won with a 17% lift in conversions over Version A (Control).
Harness The Power Of Continual Landing Page Testing
Remember, don’t settle for your first testing win. Continue to use A/B and multivariate tests to analyze broad elements like page layout as well as specific items such as calls-to-action and button color.
Conversion improvement is a process that requires analysis and effort — over time. It’s well worth the time and effort since conversion improvements have a significant positive impact on ROI without requiring an additional media investment!
Additional Resources
- More information on conversion improvement and testing strategies
- Example tests and additional testing ideas
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