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Landing pages play a critical role in lead generation. After all, they allow your website visitors to convert into leads and express interest in your company’s content.
So what makes a landing page successful? “The number one rule,” said Dr. Flint McGlaughlin at the MarketingSherpa’s Optimization Summit, “is clarity trumps persuasion.” As proud sponsors of this conference, HubSpot will keep sharing the lessons we learn with our audience. But before you jump in to landing page optimization, let’s get familiar with some of the key terms used in the process:
1. A/B testing - Testing two different versions of the same landing page to evaluate which one performs better.
2. Authority endorsement – Visual proof that an authority is recognizing the value of your offer. This is a way to establish credibility.
3. Anxiety elements – The page elements creating anxiety for your visitors and reducing their inclination to take action. (For instance, the absence or "Privacy Policy" link next to email field.)
4. Benefit Reinforcement – Similar to value proposition, it is a reinforcement of why the visitor wants to fill out the form.
5. Bounce Rate or Exit Rate – The rate at which a visitor clicks away from your page without converting.
6. Call to action (CTA) – A phrase or button that prompts the visitor to take action, such as “Subscribe Now” or “Download the Whitepaper Today.”
7. Control Page – The initial page you want to improve.
8. Conversion Rate – The rate at which a visitor converts into a lead.
9. Cumulative Optimization Gain – Optimizing a page with a series of tests and gaining higher conversion at the end.
10. Friction – The page elements preventing the visitor from converting into a lead. (For instance, too many calls to action which distract the visitor's attention.)
11. Funnel – The process logic as a visitor gets to your page and completes the "transaction." (Think of a visitor as someone at the top of the funnel. How do you push them to the bottom of the funnel?)
12. Guarantee Images – Images that instill trust and show credibility.
13. KPI – Key Performance Indicators, or the metrics you will look at to track progress toward your goals.
14. Layout – How the landing page is designed.
15. Lead Nurturing Campaign – An email series that can be triggered after someone fills out a form on your landing page.
16. Mockups – An outline defining what your landing page design should be.
17. Motivation of User – The visitor's desire to receive your offer.
18. Navigation – A web page element, usually located at the top, with links that help visitors to navigate through a website.
19. Page Views – The number of views a page got.
20. Returning Visitor – A visitor that is returning to your site, and is generally self-qualifying herself as actively interested in your offer.
21. ROI – The return on investment of your marketing efforts.
22. Security or accreditation seals – Visual elements proving your offer is secure and risk-free.
23. Statistically significant number – The amount of data you need to collect in order to announce accurate results from your testing.
24. Test validation – Proving with data that a test has been successfully conducted.
25. Time on page – How long a visitor spends on your landing page.
26. Treatment Page – The page you have treated and expect to perform better.
27. Value Exchange – Giving out a valuable offer in order to get information from your visitors.
28. Value proposition – The primary reason why your visitor will choose to convert on your page. (The answer to the “What is there for me?” question.)
29. Variations – The changes you make in order to optimize a landing page.
30. Visitors/uniques – The number of (unique) visitors who came to your page.
Are we missing anything essential from this list? Please add it by commenting below!
On-Demand Webinar: Optimizing 60 Landing Pages in 60 Minutes