The A/B and C of landing page optimisation
Also known as conversion rate optimisation (CRO), making sure your landing page is converting is an incredibly important part of your SEO effort. After all, what’s the point in driving all that traffic to your page if you’re not effectively selling to visitors once they get there? It’s one thing having a great design, engaging copy and a strong call to action, but how do you actually measure how well it works?
If you’re not testing your landing pages, you’re missing out on a potentially massive jump in your conversion rate. And due to the massive diversity of users, products and trends, there is no single formula that can be applied to your page to make it a success. That’s why A/B testing is not only good practice, but essential.
Why is A/B testing so effective?
If your landing pages aren’t tested, answer me this: how do you measure their quality? How do you determine whether they’re as good as they can be? A/B testing seeks to measure—and optimise a page’s conversion rate by taking a single element and changing it. Its performance is then measured against the original page, and whichever creates more conversions gets to stay. Elements you might adjust for testing could be anything. The call to action, images, headlines, body copy, the way your offer is presented, the colour of your ‘click here now’ button.
More testing means more revenue
You really can’t overdo it when it comes to testing. Every part of your page effects the way users respond to it, and the only way to know if you’re moving in the right direction is by having something to compare it to. Saying “oh, we get a 8.4% conversion rate on our page, it’s too good to change” makes no sense when you could realistically double that in a short space of time. Yes, that’s right. Double it. Start with the obvious stuff. Does your page create the right first impression? Does your copy create desirability for your offer? Is your call to action placed in the optimum position? Does your colour scheme compliment your message? The list is endless, but don’t let that put you off. Once you start testing, you’ll never look back.
How do I set up A/B testing?
It’s actually pretty simple. You need to create two versions of your landing page and use a simple piece of javascript to split your traffic between them. Before you do this, it’s essential that you have a good analytics program and know how to use it. Testing is a waste of time and money if you can’t effectively analyse the results.
Will I be penalised for duplicate content?
Absolutely no. Duplicate content is the marketing bogeyman of many an online business, to the extent that large e-commerce sites regularly employ a small army of copywriters to ensure that none of their copy is ever duplicated on another URL. But testing isn’t seen as duplication by search robots. Testing has been used for years by successful website owners, and robots have learned to tell the difference between testing and cloaking (the dubious art of creating one page for search bots, and another for users.)
So we know about A/B–what’s C?
Conversions. Or, more bluntly, cash! A/B testing is just one way of measuring your page’s efficiency, but it’s also the most effective—in part because it’s easier to implement and analyse, and therefore less time consuming and expensive. Don’t take my word for it—try it, and watch your conversions really take off.
About seoblogger:
Our SEO blogger is an expert in Web Marketing, Usability and Interface Design. He has been a vital part of The Blue Cube Communications since 2003. As the West Midlands fastest growing web marketing agency, we always strive to maximise return on investment for our customers.
