The Best Tactics in Landing Page Optimization

Moderator: Ken Jurina
Speakers: Joanna Lord, SEOmoz, Tim Ash, SiteTurners.com, Brad Geddes, bgTheory.com,  and Kate Morris, Distilled Consulting

Joanna Lord of SEOmoz kicked this session off by reviewing some of the top tools and tips for successful landing page optimization. Before giving us the tools needed to optimize our landing pages, though, Joanna made it clear to the audience that landing page optimization is a process that takes attention and time. Prior to beginning the landing page optimization process, it is important to understand what aspects of the landing pages need to be optimized by data mining your analytics until you find the correct page to focus on. Once you find the landing page to focus on, here are the steps you should take to improve the landing page and the corresponding tools to accomplish the steps:

1. Research current performances: Understand where on your website users are clicking (or not clicking).
   1. Click Heat
   2. Crazy Egg
   3. Click Density
2. Usability: Find out what users are thinking as they interact with your website.
   1. User Testing
   2. Keynote
   3. KissInsights
3. When the User Left: Find out why and where the users left your website
   1. Provide Support
   2. Zendesk
   3. Assistly
4. Test out new options: Now that you know what is NOT working, run tests using new options.
   1. Unbounce
   2. Google Website Optimizer
   3. Optimizely
5. Roll out changes, rinse and repeat: Landing page optimization is a never ending process! Repeat all of the above steps.

Next up to speak was Kate Morris of Distilled. Kate focused on the idea that every page of your website should be viewed as a landing page and needs to be optimized and include conversion factors. She listed four factors that should be present on all website pages:

1. Call to action
2. Information for the searcher
3. Images to draw the eye
4. Contact information

All marketers should use their analytics to find their most searched pages and then compare the amount of conversions that occur on that page. Many marketers may find that their top visited pages to do not have a high conversion rate. So add a conversion factor! Add a newsletter sign up field, etc.

Tim Ash of SiteTurners.com ended the session with some vital tips on how to develop page shells and home pages that will keep customers on your page and convert them.  Even the most minor malfunctions of a website will make the difference between a user who stays and a user who leaves. Tim began by explaining some aspects that make up a poorly designed page shell:

1. Unprofessional Appearance
2. Lack of trust and appearance
3. No authority or trust factors

Instead, here are three items that should be present in all page shells:

1. Professional, uncluttered look and feel
2. Borrow authority and trust factors from others
3. Make visitors feel safe and secure

Conclusion: Landing page optimization is a process that takes time but must never be over looked. As Tim Ash said, it takes an alarmingly fast 50 milliseconds for users to form a first impression of a landing page. In order to ensure your users decide to stay on your website after those 50 milliseconds, we must always be testing, optimizing and refining our landing pages.

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Contributed by: Kate Rasmussen, Milestone Internet Marketing