How to Optimize a Landing Page to Enhance Customer Experience

By Dan Annetts

Many of the web pages you end up on are landing pages. You might run into them when you click on an ad and are taken to a page with a call-to-action (CTA). For some businesses, the homepage of their website is a landing page, because that is where they direct most of their visitors.

No matter what type of landing page a business has or how visitors end up there, the purpose of a landing page is to convert a visitor into a customer or lead, which makes them a powerful part of a company’s marketing strategy.

What is a Landing Page?

A landing page is a standard web page that is designed for one specific purpose. It is supposed to convert visitors into leads or sales. Landing pages come in a variety of types, but at their core, they serve the same purpose.

Here are some common types of landing pages:

• Squeeze page: A squeeze page captures a visitor’s email address, usually in exchange with providing them with gated content or a free download.
• Long-form sales page: This type of landing page is essentially the web version of a long-form sales letter with a CTA asking visitors to purchase a product at the bottom.
• Click-through landing page: This type of landing page shares the benefits and features of a product along with a CTA button, encouraging them to start a free trial.
• Splash page: This type of landing page doesn’t necessarily capture leads. It is an intermediate page between a link and the content it is linking that could present an ad or ask you for language preferences or your age.
• Product details page: On ecommerce sites, a product detail page is a landing page where the goal is to get a visitor to buy the product.

The end result that most businesses want is a landing page that convinces a customer to take an action, whether it is to add them to a prospects list or get them to check out, which is why every business should spend time improving their landing pages.

The Importance of Landing Page Optimization

A landing page is a chance to create a new customer or potential customer. Landing page optimization is the process of improving the performance of a landing page, so it gets the highest possible conversion rate. This is a subset of Conversion Rate Optimization or CRO.

Landing page optimization starts at the technical level. A page must perform well or customers may leave. It also involves tweaking design and copywriting so that offers are more appealing to customers. And it is an ongoing process. You won’t get everything perfect on the first iteration, but once the page is live, analytics and A/B testing will help you improve your landing page incrementally.

Landing page optimization is critical because it will increase your overall conversion rate. Landing pages aren’t something you create and forget about if you want them to perform.

6 Landing Page Optimization Tips

Optimizing a landing page is really a never-ending job. Consider its initial launch just a first iteration. The tips below will help you make that first version the best it can be. After that, use analytics and split testing to make it best in class.

Reduce Page Load Time

There are a couple of reasons you want to create the fastest landing page possible. Page load time is a factor in Google search results ranking. If your page is slow, it will rank lower than a faster similar page, all else being equal. The second reason is that visitors will abandon a site if it loads too slow. At three seconds, you’ll lose around 40% of your customers.

While a lot of landing page optimization will involve graphic designers and copywriters, this step will need technical skills, because users won’t be able to take an action if they never land on the page to begin with.

Implement Live Chat or Chatbots

The difference between converting a visitor to a customer and having them go back to Google could be the answer to a simple question. The problem is you may not know the question. If you did, it would be addressed on the landing page. Adding a live chat or a chatbot to your landing page gives you a chance to answer that question and keep your visitor there.

Use a Responsive Design

Not everyone will visit your landing page from a web browser. In fact, most won’t. Smartphones changed the world. Every landing page you create should account for this.

Responsive design is a method of designing a webpage that is aware of what type of device is loading it. When it is loaded into a web browser, you get the full page and when it is loaded on mobile devices, it is optimized dynamically to look good with a vertical design that fits without having to scroll sideways.

If responsive design is not an option, create a separate mobile landing page so visitors on their phones don’t bounce when they can’t navigate or read the page.

Optimize All Visual Elements

Every visual element on your landing page should guide visitors to your CTA. It is important to use an interactive design that transmits your message to visitors but doesn’t overwhelm them with a page that is too busy or cluttered.

Be aware of accessibility when you choose the colors and fonts for your page, balance the scale between text and background, and use visual elements that capture attention.

Tweak Headlines and Copy

Your visitors will read the headlines first. They are the most important text elements on a landing page. Writing compelling headlines takes research. You have to know your audience, understand how they think and behave, and dig into all of their needs.

But don’t forget to optimize the rest of the copy. On average, about 20% of the people that read the headlines will read the rest of the copy, but those that do are still looking for a solution to their problem. It is your landing page’s job to convince them that you have that solution.

Use a Dedicated Number for Branding

While the ultimate goal is to get a customer to take action when they are viewing your landing page, that won’t always happen, but there is a way to have that customer call you later without needing to revisit your landing page. All it takes is a dedicated toll-free vanity number.

When you customize your phone number so people remember it and add it to your landing page, you could get a call even after a visitor has left your website. A perfect example is 1-800-FLOWERS. You really only have to see that number once. And if you choose the right phone provider, you could get call tracking and call analytics with it to help you tweak the ROI of your landing pages.

Key Takeaways

Landing pages can be where you are getting most of your leads, so they need to be optimized to get the highest possible conversion rate. Ensuring your page loads fast, looks good on any device, has copy and graphics that get attention, and provides visitors with a way to contact you later are significant steps toward more conversions.

About the Author

Dan Annetts is the Director of Outreach + PR for 800.com. He has a passion for all things tech and content marketing. When he’s not working, you will usually find him walking his Rottweiler Lola in the forest.