What page elements should you test and analyse with an A/B test?
As you build landing pages and calls to action, you’ve probably wondered about the elements you can test and optimize to increase conversion rates.
Should you change the background colour of the landing page? How can you modify the
language on the call-to-action to attract the most clicks? What if you removed all images?
Not all variables are created equal, and some may prove more worthy of your time than others. In fact, there are some variables you shouldn’t bother testing at all because they won’t impact click-through or conversion rates all that much. Focus on testing elements that have the most impact on your end result (like conversion rates). Below is a list of areas to focus on for landing pages and calls to action.
Landing page elements to split test
Offers
You should start your optimization process by finding out what types of offers convert the most visitors into leads and which offers to help you push leads down the sales funnel.
Examples of offers to test include ebooks, webinars, discount codes, coupons, sales, demos, and more. For instance, at CCK we have found that ebooks perform better than webinars in converting visitors to leads, but webinars do better than ebooks in converting leads to customers. That has led us to maintain a balanced mix of content types.
More middle-of-the-funnel offers, such as sales consultations and demos, will most likely be characterised by a high customer close rate. You can also test different topics and find out how they compare in driving business results.
Copy
How should you position your offer? What messaging will entice your reader? Should you add testimonials to strengthen the visitor’s incentive?
People looking for information online will pay attention to the description of your offer. Consider different landing page copy that can help you drive more conversions. For instance, bullet points and data-driven content have traditionally performed well for us, at CCK. Start with a radical test in which you compare a short, one-paragraph long description to a long-form but still a valuable copy.
Form Fields
Should your lead capture form only request an email address or should it ask for more information? Inbound marketers diverge in their decision whether to place content behind a form or keep it form-free with no exchange of information. Some argue that forms create friction in the lead-generation process, while others believe that forms are essential for qualifying traffic and prioritizing work for the sales organization.
Landing page A/B testing enables you to evaluate how your audience reacts to different questions - what prospects are willing to answer and what information they would rather not share. Form fields help you qualify leads and nurture them. With form-free content, you have to relinquish more lead nurturing control - you didn’t ask for their information, so how can you get back in touch with them unless they bookmark your site?
You can also test the placement of your form fields. For example, using an exit-intent lead flow on your pages or fully gating your content.
Whole Page
As we mentioned earlier, taking the entire page as the page variable is the fastest way to achieve drastic results and produce a landing page that drives many conversions. It’s also a great approach when you’re not seeing gains from micro optimizations (like changing the colour, image, or copy).
Make iterations to the whole page that affect image placement, form length and copy. Once you have a statistically significant result pointing to the variation that performed better, you can continue optimizing through smaller tweaks.
Elements to optimise on a call-to-action
Placement
The argument over where the “best” place to put a CTA is never-ending. Some say the best place to put a CTA is on the top left-hand of a page. After all, we start reading from left to right and from top to bottom.
However, at CCK, we’ve found that different assets (including blog posts, emails, landing pages, and more) have seen different results for which CTA placement performs best. That’s why we’re constantly testing our placement over time. Try A/B testing the right and left sides of the page. Later, try testing in-text CTAs vs. traditional CTAs. You can even try pop-ups, exit flows, and more. Run an A/B test (remember, just one treatment variable at a time!) to see if you get more clicks and find a winner.
Size
The size of a CTA is tightly related to the context of the page and the other characteristics of your call to action. For instance, the CTA will naturally be large if it includes a graphic or an image that strengthens the message. Create an A/B test to see if a big call-to-action adds value to the message-e.g. a customized blog CTA attracts more clicks than its control.
Remember: bigger CTA’s will help draw attention to the desired action you want your user to take, but if it’s too big, it can also overpower your content and decrease your conversion rates.
Colour
What’s the ideal colour for CTAs? Should you use a bold, in-your-face colour like bright red or should you focus on brand consistency and determine the colour based on the design of the page the CTA is on?
It’s a never-ending question that can only be solved for each individual brand through A/B testing. The goal of a CTA is to stand out and draw your user’s eye so they take your desired action. Make sure to use a contrasting colour from the rest of your page, but run
A/B tests to determine which colours do a better job of capturing users’ attention. Pay attention to your brand recognition, however. Choose colours that make sense for your brand and website, not just colours that you think will be the loudest.
Copy
The copy of your CTA should be short, sweet, and to the point. But it should also effectively describe what the user will get if they take your intended action. A/B testing copy is an effective way to test what kinds of copy resonate best with your audience. Maybe it’s copy that uses social proof to convey the impact of an offer. Or, perhaps it’s a bulleted copy that describes the details of what’s inside the offer. Only one way to find out: A/B test it.
Graphic
While you should focus on your call-to-action text, don’t forget that graphics can help convey meaning and strengthen your message. Experiment with various shapes besides the standard button-like CTA form and test how the new look affects your click-through rate.