I am a Landing Page Designer

Free Landing page critique

2012-02-08T14:41:35-10:00

I'm back peeps. I am in the mood to critque landing pages again.

For a limited time, I will offer free landing page critques witih detailed advice on how I think you can increase your conversions. I will do the critque absolutely free of charge if you're ok with me posting it here on iamalandingpagedesigner.com.

If you're interested, email me at iamalandingpagedesigner@gmail.com with the following info:

1) Landing page URL

2) Are you doing any testing currently?

3) What are you traffic sources? PPC, Email, Affiliate, SEO, etc

4) What's the curent conversion rate? (Landing page through put)

Looking forward to the submissions!! Don't make me wait too long.

Does Adding a Video Spokesperson increase Landing Page Conversion?

2010-12-14T15:19:52-10:00

I've been curious as to whether adding a video spokesperson (or video in general) helps to increase landing page conversion. The best way to be certain is to obviously test it, but sometimes you need to do some research before you propose a test project like that so I did some digging.

Here are my findings:

Adding a video spokesperson on your landing page can increase your conversion rates 90% of the time.¹

... More after the jump

The addition of embedded video and then a video spokesperson on Closet World's landing page increased conversion rates from 0.5% to 1.0% and 2.2% respectively.²
Tandberg, a video conferencing company was able to increase conversion on their lead gen page from .75 to 3% with the addition of a video spokesperson. With "Video Conferencing" and "Tandberg" as a keyword, their conversion rate jumped to 5% and 7% respectively. ^1,4
KoreOne, an IT Staffing company, was able to increase their conversion rate from .25% to 1.26% for employers seeking employees. For job seekers, their conversion rate increased to 2.96% ⁴
Video vs text landing page test for a Work from Home Opportunity site saw only a small increase in overall lead numbers, but a greater gain in lead quality. ³
According to research, over 90% of people favor having video spokespeople on their landing pages because of the added element of trust.¹

If anyone has done any testing on video landing pages, please be kind and share it with the rest of us by adding a comment. It would be great if you could post a url of the landing page too.

Here is a site that offer Video Spokesperson services:

Virtual Live Actors

Hawaii Water Sports Center Landing Page Design Optimization

2010-12-14T14:59:38-10:00

First of all, the colors and imagery on this landing page are awesome. It really looks Fun. Very good job with communicating the emotional appeal of the offer. That said, and if I had my way, here are things I would test:

Make the book now buttons and form area stand out more
Create activity specific landing page designs:
Right now you end up on individual description pages for each activity before you can book. Since there is a large number of activities, maybe it's best to create separate landing pages for each activity, so its easier to focus the user on the task at hand - booking?
Make the phone number more prominent
Emphasize the Special - Save $40 on 3 rides

http://hawaiiwatersportscenter.com/

Debt Relief/Reduction Landing Page Design Inspiration Set

2009-06-10T06:00:00-10:00

American Financial Service:
The obvious goal of this landing page is to get the user on the phone either by having them call the number (that's really hard to miss), or have them fill out the form to be called.

Design elements to take note of:

Family with dog image - common lead gen image
Authoritative/ Official Seal looking logo - to establish a sense of trust, even though it's fake
Third party logos - again, to give off the "legit" feeling
Privacy policy by the submit button - to address trust & potential anxiety by the user
Arrow pointing to form - lead gen must-have!
Single column form - good usability

Call Instead?
The below screen shot shows a neat way to urge the user to pick up the phone and call. When you mouseclick on the first name field, a layered pop up appears on the left that says, "Call Now! 1.800.724.4065"

I like this! Very smart because not only does this serve as an enforcer for users to just skip the form and call, but it also helps relieve any anxiety about having to enter private info such as email and phone numbers.

Differences in phone numbers:
I noticed that the phone number on the landing page (including the layered pop up) is different from the number that appears on the confirmation page (see below). I imagine this makes it easier for them to track whether a user calls before filling out the form, or after. Neat. Important thing to consider from a testing standpoint.

Fidelity Debt Solutions
Here's another landing page design in the same debt relief vertical See the similarities? Single column form, official seal looking logo, and third party logos.

Keydebt:
And another... Family photo, single column form. This one doesn't have the authority seal logo. They may want to test the logo out to see if it helps conversion. Strange how the form field label for "state" and "total debt" moves over to the right. They should also test to see if moving the labels to the left of each field helps conversion. The way they have it set up now is weird.

Summary:

The debt relief landing pages featured above share the following design characteristics:

- Use of caucasian family images
- Use of third party logos
- Authority design elements - "official seal" type logo for example
- Single column, vertical form
- Phone number to call

To measure landing page to phone call conversion, display different phone numbers on each page/step so you can properly identify the process the user took to convert.

Can Footer Slide Up Ads Increase Landing Page Conversion?

2009-06-05T06:00:00-10:00

Have you heard of slide up footer ads?

They are these ads that "slide" up from the bottom of your browser. Great way to call attention without being annoying. They are as eye catching as pop ups and overlays, but a lot less intrusive because they happen at the very bottom of the browser - not where you are reading. See it in action here and here.

Footer Slider Ads could potentially help conversion rates because most users are generally less accustomed to this type of lead capture method. Everything I've read claim they do wonders for conversion (they may be biased), but regardless, these ads make the offers very hard to ignore.

Imagine asking for email addresses, zip codes, rss feed subscriptions, twitter follow requests, other lead gen/affiliate type questions... possibilities are endless.

Ultimate Footer Ads
Utlimate Footer Ads is one company that sells this solution.
They claim to increase subscriber optin rate by as much as 249.84% (Wow!)

- Price $47

- GOOD: Ad display time and text on the ad is customizable.

- GOOD: The only thing you have to do code-wise on your existing landing page is insert some javascript.

- GOOD: They have templated designs (see left) and you can customize the headline, call to action, font style, font size, colors of those.

- GOOD: You can also create an add your own custom graphics templates.

- GOOD: Unlimited Domain License: You can use one license on all of your sites.

- GOOD: Works with virtually all autoresponder services (Aweber, GetResponse and Email Aces).

- GOOD: 2 different Ad Types. Standard clickable and Opt-in ads. You can rotate both types as well.

- GOOD: Customized display settings. You get control over how many times a user sees the ad, including ‘Always‘, ‘Never‘ and ‘Once every X visits‘

- GOOD: Rotate multiple ads to return visitors

Instant Slide Up
Instant Slide Up is also another company that sells footer slide up ad solutions.
Claims to increase opt-ins by 25.3%, and increase click throughs by 20%

- Price $67

- GOOD: Ad display time and text on the ad is customizable.

- GOOD: The only thing you have to do code-wise on your existing landing page is insert some javascript.

- GOOD: You can insert your own images into the ad template. There are also several templates to choose from. Full customization is another $67.

- GOOD: Customized display settings (show once, or show everytime etc)
- GOOD: Set up is in 4 quick steps that involves uploading files to your webserver.
- BAD: not integrated with Feedburner Email Form.

In conclusion:
I'd test the effectiveness of footer slider ads on a very simply designed landing page as a supplement to a lead/email capture form. It would really stand out and quite possibly look good if the designs match.

As for picking between Ultimate Footer Ads and Instant Slide Up, I'd just go with the cheaper solution to test it out. I've checked some reviews online but I'm not sure how reliable they are since they are probably just written for the affiliate commission.

Please leave a note if anyone has experience with footer ads and know how they perform!

Disclaimer: I've never tried these footer slider ads (although I intend to). I came across the ads while researching testing ideas. After reviewing the ads and learning about it, I feel it's a worthwhile experiment to run on landing pages to increase conversion. I realized both companies have affiliate programs after I started writing. I get affiliate commission if you purchase using the links on this page, so if you decide to purchase please do so through me :)

Testing Ideas: Employment Agency Sign up Form Landing Page - Hirefox

2009-06-04T06:00:00-10:00

Hirefox is a UK based web talent (web designers, developers) agency. Very clean and sleek design. Striking. However, my first concern when I landed was the black dark background. I'd love love love to see an A/B test of this landing page using a white or very light background color. (I'll get to the why later).

More testing ideas below.

Testing Ideas:

Header:
While the blue bubble containing the text "UK web jobs and web talent" provides some hints, the purpose of this form is not obvious. Unless you read the left text carefully, you have no idea what the form on the right is for. The inverted color scheme does not help legibility. I don't know about the UK audience, but Americans hate reading online*. It's all about speed. I'd test to see if using a stronger call to action helps increase conversion.

Instead of saying "We aim to build the UK's best web talent database and need your help"
I'd try: "Get matched with quality web jobs in the UK," or something similar.

Users don't care about helping out a company. They care about what they're gonna get.

Form Header:
The header says, "Your Details." My details for what? What do I get if I fill out this form? Again, the reason why I should fill out this form is not clear. The subheader, "We will never pass on your details or spam you" is nice.

Form Fields:
Tab order is good.
The form fields are in 2 columns. This looks good visually, but again, I wonder how conversion rates could increase if the fields were arranged in 1 column. If you look at sign up / registration forms of the major players, they are all 1 columned layouts. That would be another test to consider.

Button Text:
This is an area to experiment as well. Right now it says "Add your details" on the top of the form, and on the button. A little redundant. I'd try testing by using different text such as: "Get matched with a job!" or "Find a quality job"

Color Scheme:
As I mentioned in the beginning, dark landing pages give me anxiety. How often do you see yahoo, paypal, ebay, or any big name player use a black background color? Those guys do extensive testing. I think the only sites that do well with black backgrounds are the sketchy sites (you know which ones I'm talking about). Then again, techies may have less of an aversion to dark bgs. Either way, I think it's worth it to test a version using a lighter color scheme (or less dominant color).

I do love the black from an artistic standpoint, though, and the form does definitely pop.

In Closing:

The first impression of HireFox's landing page is "BEAUTIFUL!" Clean and modern aesthetics can go a long way to keep a user's interest. As with all landing pages, there is a lot of potential to improve conversion rates by testing variations. For this particular page, I suggest testing the call to action, general copy, form layout, and a lighter color scheme.

I hope these ideas can help increase someone's conversion rates! Let me know if they do.

*Side note: An international usability researcher once told me something interesting about the difference between American and Japanese web audiences. He said that Americans like to get straight to the point without reading everything on the page. Japanese, on the other hand, like to read EVERYTHING - even links to long documents such as privacy policies and terms of service.

Note: iamalandingpagedesigner.com is in no way affiliated with hirefox. These testing ideas are merely ideas and were cooked up without any knowledge of hirefox's conversion rates.

Lead Gen Campaign Dissected: ResVLife - Email, Landing Page and Live Agent Experience

2009-06-02T23:16:00-10:00

Digging through my spam box (gmail filters everything), I found another aggressive email campaign for an anti-aging and weight loss supplement called ResVLife. Here is a dissection of this email Lead Gen campaign form start to the final page of the order form.

ps: I have a feeling this was designed by the same person who did the Government Grants Creative.

Email Creative:

Email Subject: RE:Try RESVLIFE Anti-Aging Today. Your life is waiting
From: Never Grow Up

Landing Page:

Error Validation:

Payment Page:

Live Agent Use:

Summary:

Email:

Email Subject: RE:Try RESVLIFE Anti-Aging Today. Your life is waiting
From: Never Grow Up
Button CTA: Try it Risk-Free CLICK HERE! ("Risk Free" seems to work well)

Landing Page:

Arrow pointed to form with "Risk Free Trial" text.
Right aligned form labels
Button text is "Rush my order"
2 security lock images
News paper image with headline supporting the health benefits to the left of form.
Image of Rachel Ray right by the form button and "Truste" image and security locks.
The video links to this YouTube video posted by CBSNewsOnline: The video is about the health benefits of wine.
Featured below the fold are all the health benefits of Resveratol supported by recognizable logos such as WebMD, CNN, Fox, and Harvard.
The final cta button text says: Get Your Risk-Free Trial of Resvlife. When you click on that, you get anchored back to the top of the page where the form is.

2nd Page (Payment)

The second page informs you that you only need to pay for shipping and handling to receive the trial bottle.
The form is pre-popped with the values submitted on the first form.
Not sure why "Yes, I want to get healthy with ResVLife and agree to the terms" checkbox is not pre-checked. Maybe business reasons, but it would be better pre-checked.
Submit button text is: Complete Order
The photo of Rachael Ray is to the left of the submit button again.

Error Validation:

Standard, system default style.

Live Agent:

When you try to leave the form, the Live agent chat box appears. What should be noted is that the chat box says, "99cent shipping and handling" Which is a third of what the form said. This is smart since most people probably get turned off by the price (even though its low).
When you click on "CLICK HERE" it just takes you back to the original landing page (the first one). My suggestion for improvement would be to link to the second page if the user already filled out the first page.. or at least pre-pop the first page with the values that were already entered.

Live Agent Chat Except:
(My chat entries highlited in yellow)

Carly Says: Wait! Don’t Leave! My name is Carly and I have just been authorized to give you a CHAT ONLY DISCOUNT!

CLICK HERE now to get $0.99 SHIPPING!

Carly Says: Just type 'HI' or 'Hello' in the space below to let me know you are there.

Carly Says: This is a Ground-Breaking anti-aging and weight-loss pill!

Carly Says: Whenever you are ready, just type 'HI' or 'HELLO' and we can get started...

Carly Says:CLICK HERE to take advantage of this amazing offer.

You: hi

Carly Says: Hi, thanks for chatting with me today...CLICK HERE to get this CHAT ONLY Discount now!

Carly Says: You can prevent premature aging, slow-down the aging process!

Carly Says: Increase your healthy lifespan and prevent cancer and disease…

Carly Says: ResVLife supports cardiovascular health and enhances athletic performance.

You: how do you get 99 cent s&h?

Carly Says: Don’t wait any longer and remember when you order today you will receive Discounted shipping of just $0.99! CLICK HERE to take advantage of this deal right now!

Carly Says: When you CLICK HERE and order right now through this Chat Only, you will receive a discounted price of just $0.99 for shipping!

You: is it good?

You: how do you lose weight

Carly Says: Poor health habits have become a worldwide epidemic. Start getting the results that you want and your body needs!

Carly Says: This amazing offer is only available through this chat and for a limited time. CLICK HERE to take advantage of this deal.

(the rest you can see in the image)

Landing Page URL: http://www.greatestall.com/ODMzMnwxNDc5fDMxMDkwN3x2Mg==/i3qam4b9/g

How Rudder.com Increased their Subscriber Conversion Rate by 45%

2009-06-02T06:00:00-10:00

Widerfunnel, a conversion rate optimization agency used Google Website Optimizer to increase Rudder.com's subscriber count by a whopping 45%. Looks great!

Before and after pics after the jump.

Before:

After:

Here are some observations on the differences between the 2 designs.

What helped increase conversion:

Swapped Main header copy & image positions. Copy on the right, image on the left.
Value statements in bullets with check mark image.
Security Lock image next to security statement
A lot of white space above the button to draw the eye.
Increased button size and used more descriptive CTA text
Placed testimonial directly underneath the button - gives that extra push.
Placed a tumblr status message: "Updates involving email issue" - I guess 'freshness' is good even if the message is somewhat alarming (huh, what email issue?)
2009 Webby Awards Nominee icon
Iphone App Notice with iphone image (looks current)
As Featured in Press icons
Removal of Truste icon.
Addition of McAffee and Verisign logos (interesting)

You can read more case studies from WiderFunnel here.

Lead Gen Form for Seniors: Guidelines & Close up of AARP Registration Form Design

2009-06-01T07:00:00-10:00

I'm a big believer of studying the form designs of industry leaders.
When it comes to designing forms for seniors, I think AARP's got in it the bag.

Preventing Users for clicking the confirmation button twice:

Error Validation:

Page 2:

Guidelines for Designing Forms for Seniors:

General:

Form Field Labels: Right Aligned
Form Fields: Fixed width, Single Columns
Submit buttons: Right Aligned

Address possible vision impairments:

Large font
high contrast coloring
See more considerations for vision impaired browsing here

Accommodate Older Browsers, Computers, and Dial up:
(slow machines, dial up, ie 6 etc)

very light weight
minimal graphic usage (3 to be exact: logo, progress bar, and button)
Pop up that asks users to only click on the continue button once.

Ease Anxiety / Friction Points:

Include a phone number to call
Include an option to request a bill be sent instead of entering credit card information.

Error Validation:

Make it bold and proud.
Don't make email a required field.

Side notes/Questions:

AARP used yellow as the error validation color instead of the common red. Perhaps this was to create contrast from the logo?
AARP error text says, "Processing Error - We were unable to process your membership request because first name is required. Please check."
"Processing Error" sounds very technical and impersonal. I wonder if they did testing and that's what worked best?
I am also surprised that the erred field(s) didn't get highlighted or marked in anyway. I'd imagine it's harder to identify them quickly on the form.

Source: https://mss.aarp.org/servlet/wppdispatcher?keycode=U5HAC3&packageid=&componentid=&whocalled=promo_enroll

How to use testimonials (text, image, video) to increase conversion rates

2009-06-01T06:00:00-10:00

Video Testimonials:
eDiets does a great job implementing a video testimonial AND focusing the user on the form. I love it! This one above is my favorite example of a landing page that makes effective use of a video & testimonial. I'd love to find out how much this video boosted form completion rates. Does anyone know? Check more examples after the jump.

Bubble Testimonial is a company that specializes in producing video testimonials that "pop!" on to your screen. You can see an example of the video testimonials on cool site of the day's landing page. This seems fairly simple to implement. I'd be interested in seeing if the addition of a video testimonial (such as this) can help increase conversion.

Video Testimonial DON'Ts:

Don't just link to a video file such as .wmv. I've come across this many times. No one wants to download a file and go through the hassle of open it up in realplayer, itunes, etc.
Avoid directing users to a different page to play the video. Embed it. If you can't embed it, at least use a lightbox.

Image Testimonials

When I think of image testimonials, I think of before and after pics like what you see above. I think Diet sites in general do a good job with implementing image based testimonials. I guess it's hard to mess up since it's so relevant!

Below is another one from eDiets. This one is very clever and pretty. The image testimonial is part of the button to complete the form. Great way to address potential form anxiety.

Text Based Testimonials:

Use Testimonials to Relieve Anxiety & Friction points on Check out forms:

- Where to place:
Close proximity to anxiety inducing fields that ask for sensitive information (credit cards, reliability, personal info) ¹

- Consider Relevancy:
Put testimonials that are relevant to the anxiety. For example: Testimonials that address the smoothness of a transaction should be placed on the page where credit card info is entered. ¹

Testimonial Writing Tips:

Be Specific:
- Example: Within 5 weeks, I started to notice a visible reduction of dimples in the fat around my stomach. My cellulite is steadily disappearing and I can't wait to flaunt my new body!
- NOT: These guys are the best! A+++!
Address Skeptics
- Example: "At first I was skeptical about XYZ product helping me reduce the pregnancy stretch marks. By Day 20 of using the product, I saw a huge difference. Even my husband noticed!"
Consider the Context
- Landing Page: Put testimonials that urge the user to take the first step in filling out a form, clicking the submit button etc.
- Check Out Page: Put testimonials about risk free returns, how great the outcome was etc to urge them to complete the process.

Third Party Testimonial Tools of Interest:

Virtual Live Actors: Have live actors do your testimonials
RatePoint: Captures, manages, and promotes real customer feedback and reviews
Bubbletestimonial: Displays a floating video on your site
Visit MarketingExperiments for the full study regarding text based testimonials