Is Your Landing Page Killing Conversions?

Slow Landing Page Load Speed

Most website owners don’t seem to care about their landing page, load speed.

There is no expense spared to get high-resolution pictures. Of their products. For use on their landing page. Pictures with just the correct lighting and top quality resolution.

Then they load about 2 to 4 such pictures on their landing page, which in turn loads like a turtle with arthritis.

When the page does load it looks awesome BUT if any landing page fails to load under 2 to 4 seconds, 74% of people bounce off. This is especially if they’ve accessed the landing page on mobile devices.  Don’t forget, mobile devices have almost outpaced desktops / laptops for internet access.

It does not matter how valuable the landing page offer is. If people don’t stick around long enough to see the offer you’ve got zero sales. This is terrible for business.

Here’s what you must do to find what needs fixing to make your landing pages, load blindingly fast.

Test Your Landing Page Load Speed

Use Pingdom or Google’s PageSpeed Insights to quickly get a sense for how quickly ( or, not ) your landing pages load on mobile devices, desktops or laptops.

You will get clear recommendations which will tell you how to fix unacceptably long page load speeds.

Clean Up Your Landing Page Code

The best landing pages are visually clutter-free and well-organized.

The same holds true for the landing page code underlay.  Write clean code, free of extra junk. This is the quickest way to achieve fast loading times.

Do not use JavaScript or Ajax excessively.

Remove unneeded HTML sections and tags from landing page code.

If you must use JavaScript, ensure you load other landing page content first.  Then load the JS libraries. This is as per Google’s recommendations.

Check all errors and warnings using the W3CHTML Validation Service. It’s free to use. Your landing page must show you zero errors and zero warnings.

You just may be shocked at the results displayed by the W3CHTML Validation service .  If there are a ton of errors and warning you can NEVER have a swift page load speed.

Minimize Redirects Where Possible

Resize And Compress Images

Using images and video on a landing page can substantially impact its loading time.

Always host large video files externally. Don’t forget that your main priority in a landing page is conversions, not SEO.

With options like Wistia, Vimeo, YouTube why would you host your large video files on your web server?

Always resize images. Then upload them to your website for use in your landing page.

Ensure you’re not forcing your Browser to squeeze 3000+ pixels down to 600 pixels every time the landing page is loaded.

Use SmushIt or an image compressor like Compressor.io. Reduce image size to the minimum. While balancing image clarity against fast loading.

Upgrade Your Hosting

Nothing kills load times faster than shared hosting. Shared hosting splits up web server and other resources across multiple websites.

Just say NO to cheap hosting.

Cluttered Landing Page Design

Here’s are some basic landing page mistakes you must not do.

48% of landing pages contain multiple offers.

Only 16% of landing pages do not have a menu section with menu items.

Landing pages should lock a site visitor to the page.  They must not offer any easy way to navigate away from the landing page.

Ensure your landing page has not visible ways of navigating away.

You could see a 100% improvement in conversions.

Yes! That’s right. I did say – One hundred percent.

Browse a list of the great landing page examples. One thing quickly stands out.

They’re clean, well-organized, and clutter free.
They’re laser-focused on one (only one!) Call To Action.
This makes sure site visitors know exactly what they must do on the page.

One of the best books on usability I’ve read is titled – Don’t Make Me Think.

It says. Make your website so simple to use that site visitors, don’t have to think. This is the best way to make your web more fun for the site visitor.

Here’s a great example of a landing page, which works.

The HubSpot Academy primary headline is big and bold. The orange button can’t be missed.

Its Call To Action is succinct. Start The Course.  White text on an orange button. A classic combination that catches a site visitor’s eyes.

There’s no navigation to distract site visitors away from the landing page.

The page copy is superbly organized.

It flows logically. Is easily scannable.

Here’s another great example of a landing page, which works.

The MailChimp page has navigation. But then it’s a Home page, not a true landing page.

The page content is beautifully simple. Has eye catching pictures that do not distract from the message.

A terrific headline. Spelling out a message, which speaks directly to site visitor’s desire.

A bold blue button with the magic words ‘Sign Up Free’.

Only one simple, supportive, sentence to read below. Content that is easily scannable.

It’s not surprising. The MailChimp Home page coverts like crazy.

Standard Landing Page Structure

The best landing pages also follow a standardized template.  Do you want to know the structure and content of a landing that converts like crazy?

This Kissmetrics infographic will give you all the information you need.  Landing page structure and content is beautifully described visually.  Spend some time studying it. You’ll never regret you did.

Using Insipid Limp Landing Page Headlines

Great headlines explain a landing page, value proposition. In a few simple, jargon-free words.

A headline is what a recipient encounter first.  When scrolling through their News Feed or checking out their mailbox.

Limp headlines, are those which do not arrest and engage a recipient’s attention.  Such headlines kill landing page conversions like nothing else does.

Want better headlines for your landing pages?

Get copy of Headline Hacks.  Do pause a second, to admire the exceptional headline employed its landing page.

Read this eBook cover to cover.

Discover how arresting and engaging headlines differ from limp, insipid ones.

Learn various tips and tricks that will empower you to create terrific headlines.

Start checking out different landing page headlines. Headlines used by websites that drive a ton of business income via their landing pages.

What Do The Best Headlines Do?

The best headlines arrest and engage with the promise to – Take Away Pain. Headlines commonly tell people that they are looking at a specific solution.

People are busy – overworked, overstressed and over-committed.

Here’s how to effectively arrest and engage their interest.  Give them a simple, pain-free solution that works for them.

Headlines can also deliver negative messaging. Surprisingly, this often results in a 63% click through rate. This is a much higher click through rate than more positive headlines.

When Negative Headlines Work Best

Negative headlines work best when they alert and inform.

For example:
Here Are The Top US Cities With The Worst Bed Bug Infection
OR
7 Things Your Doctor Will NEVER Tell You (Unless You Know How to Ask!)

Do not use negative headlines which imply a connection between the negative thing AND the person reading the article.

For example: Stop marketing like a spammer. How to Get More Email Subscribers the Right Way

Headlines like these can get the complete opposite reaction from your site visitors.  Their reaction can be – “Who are you calling a spammer?”   The rest of that headline gets completely ignored.

Using Irrelevant Visuals To Support A Landing Page Headline

Stock photos are worst. Not just because they’re ridiculously overpriced. But because they just don’t work.

Using people in real photos, instead of using stock ones, can result in a 35% conversion increase.

For best results, the visuals on each page should:

1. Show off your product or service in use (or in context)
2. Give people an example of what they’re going to get
3. Show the before and after transformation
4. Highlight that ‘after’ end result so people can project themselves into it

Top athletic brands do this extremely well.

Lulumom as shown above shows their products in context of use, which is excellent.

Their high quality, original photography, creates a mood and set the tone of engagement. This perfectly matches the words used in the headline and subhead.

Together, these attributes grabs the attention and engages the site visitor immediately.

Nike has been a trailblazer in showing their products in use. Their commercials incorporate a mix of product usage, humour, and storytelling.

Generic Calls To Action

Okay your landing page loads lightning fast. Up in under a two seconds.

It’s jaw-droppingly attractive. Has the most appropriate, headline supportive images.

The headline conveys how unique your offer is. The – headline supportive – image shows exactly how people benefit.

Now, it’s time for the Call To Action to tip the site visitor into sharing their contact details. That’s when they become a lead.

Only question is… where should you put your landing page, Call To Action?

Your CTA positioning must help it stand out from everything else on the page. This is a crucial detail.

Let’s take a look at how Basecamp places their CTA on their landing page.

At the Top Right Hand corner.  It converts.

To Conclude

The best offer in the world won’t convert if people don’t stick around long enough to read about it.

Slow loading pages KILL conversions. Visitors simply leave in droves with each extra second taken for the page to load.

Cluttered designs. Mixed messages. Confuse visitors. This distracts them from the primary goal on the landing page.

Generic headlines don’t capture or convey why people should care about your offer in the first place.

Irrelevant images fail to inspire or motivate people. It prevents then taking that critical step towards sharing their name and email id with you. You lose a lead, a potential customer.

Uninspiring Calls To Action leave site visitors with doubts. Right at the moment when they need to be converted.

Avoid these issues and your landing page will convert like crazy.

That’s money in your bank.