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Landing Page Optimization -- Any Advice?

by Bon508
5 replies
This is driving me batty... any landing page optimization or conversion rate experts out there who might have some advice for me?

I'm trying to help someone improve their landing page conversion rate.

Here's the original landing page: Barcelona apartments, rentals in Barcelona, Barcelona rentals

Here's the revised version: Barcelona apartments, rentals in Barcelona, Barcelona rentals

(I hope those show two significantly different pages for you -- they don't for me, but I've been visiting the site a lot and think my cookies are going crazy -- even when I delete them, I still always see the new page regardless of which URL I use.)

I followed landing page optimization advice and suggestions from several "expert" sites/blogs, such as www.conversion-rate-experts.com/ regarding: simplify the design, remove distractions, have a compelling headline, include elements to establish trust/credibility, etc.

Here are the results comparing the "old" and "new" pages during a 10-day test (all traffic from PPC):

Original:
Visits: 300
Searched for Available Dates: 63%
Booked Apartment: 4%

Revised:
Visits: 107
Searched for Available Dates: 72%
Booked Apartment: 0%

I realize 10 days is not a long enough test period... but doesn't it seem odd that the new page's conversion rate for "date searches" is higher, but for bookings (the ultimate desired action) it's not only lower, it's ZERO?

I am pulling my hair out trying to figure this out.

Please help -- my hubby really likes my hair and would be so disappointed if I became bald!
#advice #landing #optimization #page
  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Bon508 View Post

    doesn't it seem odd that the new page's conversion rate for "date searches" is higher, but for bookings (the ultimate desired action) it's not only lower, it's ZERO?
    No - it isn't necessarily "odd" at all.

    There's no statistically significant difference between 4/300 and 0/107. These numbers are just far too small for it to have any meaning at all, I'm afraid. If it had been 1/107 instead or 0/107, one would clearly be saying "Well, it's almost the same proportion".

    Without needing any statistical formulae at all, one can see that if a different behaviour from one visitor to the site makes "everything different", then the numbers are far too small to discuss.

    It doesn't (in principle) make any difference how many days the test is for: what matters is the number of visitors.

    With a "strike-rate" of 4 in 300 (originally), I'm afraid you're going probably to need to compare the strike-rate over a minimum of 1,500 - 2,000 visitors (i.e. not 107!) before trying to draw any conclusions.
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  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    Originally Posted by Bon508 View Post

    This is driving me batty... any landing page optimization or conversion rate experts out there who might have some advice for me?

    I'm trying to help someone improve their landing page conversion rate.

    Here's the original landing page: Barcelona apartments, rentals in Barcelona, Barcelona rentals

    Here's the revised version: Barcelona apartments, rentals in Barcelona, Barcelona rentals

    (I hope those show two significantly different pages for you -- they don't for me, but I've been visiting the site a lot and think my cookies are going crazy -- even when I delete them, I still always see the new page regardless of which URL I use.)

    I followed landing page optimization advice and suggestions from several "expert" sites/blogs, such as www.conversion-rate-experts.com/ regarding: simplify the design, remove distractions, have a compelling headline, include elements to establish trust/credibility, etc.

    Here are the results comparing the "old" and "new" pages during a 10-day test (all traffic from PPC):

    Original:
    Visits: 300
    Searched for Available Dates: 63%
    Booked Apartment: 4%

    Revised:
    Visits: 107
    Searched for Available Dates: 72%
    Booked Apartment: 0%

    I realize 10 days is not a long enough test period... but doesn't it seem odd that the new page's conversion rate for "date searches" is higher, but for bookings (the ultimate desired action) it's not only lower, it's ZERO?

    I am pulling my hair out trying to figure this out.

    Please help -- my hubby really likes my hair and would be so disappointed if I became bald!
    You have only run the second test on a third as many people as the first. You can't draw any conclusions from that data. These tests need to be run longer, say closer to 1,000 visits for each page. Often sales will happen in clusters. Don't call the test over prematurely - a lot of people are guilty of doing this.
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    • Profile picture of the author mikeroosa
      Like the others said, you need to run with it longer. If it makes you feel any better, I definitely like the new page better. The only thing I wonder about is the light blue background as opposed to white.

      I would let the test run longer then try making that one little tweak and see what happens. Just a thought.
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  • Profile picture of the author Your Brand Ebooks
    Hi Bonnie, the second landing page may actually convert better. Or not. It's impossible to tell with that few amount of visitors. 300 visitors and 107 visitors isn't enough data to do a conversion analysis.
    Originally Posted by WillR

    These tests need to be run longer, say closer to 1,000 visits for each page.
    I agree. 1,000 visitors at the very least.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bon508
    Thank you, Alexa and Will -- that makes me feel better. I realize I was jumping the gun, but was so hopeful about seeing an improvement, that the results (invalid as they are) bummed me out. I'll be eager to see the results after far more page visits.

    Thanks, Mike -- I was wondering about the light blue background myself. The mock-up I provided had a white background, but they wanted to go with the blue. Definitely worth testing, huh?
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    Bonnie
    ProfitBasedMarketing.com
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