Subscriptions Online - Landing page optimisation session

This is a live session looking at a couple of sites suggested by the audience. Lead by Flint McGlaughlin, Director, MarketingExperiments.

We looked at entertainment.com and the very first suggestion was that there should be an understanding of where the traffic is coming from.

We followed the site through to the sign up page for online membership/subscription - click here for that.

The link to that page said Buy An Online Membership - yet this page does not use that term. So there is a Site Flow Interruption or Disconnect - the expectation of the user has been disturbed.

The graphic on the page gets in the way of the eye path - it draws a visitor to it immediately yet it does not answer the What or Why question. This eye path is influenced by:

• Size
• Motion (dangerous)
• Shape
• Colour
• Position

The heading is not clear enough, too many bullet points, text too small.

There was a discussion on the tension on the site between the printed product (they do money off coupons) and the online membership. The team leading the session have done work with the New York Times and they suggested a single form/page that allows the user to select between printed and digital and not split a site in two.

Clarity Trumps Persuasion

What is your offer?
Why should I participate?
    Emphasise positive
    Eliminate negatives - friction and anxiety

New York Times Casestudy - increase subscriptions to the online edition

They reduced a cause of friction - 3 equal buttons for Subscribe Now, Learn More and Free Trial. The Subscribe Now was made larger and the learn now was reduced to a much smaller link. The changes resulted in an increase in revenue of 65%.

They then looked at the free trial option page - which carried contradictions with Free V pricing information and also CC logos - you should not give pricing and CC logos equal emphasis on a Free trial signup - it introduces anxiety.

A change from a two paragraph layout to a single column (on a longer page) and this brought an 80% increase in revenue. Because the page became clearer with a better eyepath.

Next live site analysis - www.wie.org/unbound/

One of the first comments - never build a landing page with boxes, bars and clips - there is no flow, no sequence and no clarity of offer. The actual objective - signing up a subscriber - is "hidden" mid way down in the right hand column.
The page starts with a banner (text in banners does not get read), then text which is not clear on the offering. This is followed by a number of photos of persons whose audio clips are carried by the service. We are now almost at the end of the screen and the user will still have no idea what the page is about.

Phrase used - component thinking instead of dialogue.

next one - MDR - www.schooldata.com/

This home page is unfocused and has multiple objectives. (as an aside - he made the point that the majority of the internet is full of bad pages working poorly - if you make any improvements you will do exceptionally well. This is a new industry and it is still learning)

The MarketTrial subscription page carries no value proposition - the What and Why are not addressed at the top of the page. The Free Trial text is too small - and the trial of what is not explained.

The form is too long - just collect the name, the email address and phone number.
use relevant testimonials here to validate.

next one - Weight Watchers

We looked at a page that is a landing page used for pay for click advertising with google,

Landing page analysis - the page is not clear. Vague heading, multiple options, a learn more button that goes to their home page! Disjointed eye path.
There are 2 columns with identical options. So make it one column, single call to action and they self sort with a radio button choice.

next one - Wall Street Journal

The page we looked at is a landing page (reached from the home page) for online subscriptions.

First issue was a Free Trial button that lead to a page with a lot of pricing - so a disconnect.
Second one is three equal choices - causes friction and unsupervised thinking.

First get them to buy, then to choose. That is the sequence of thought and the flow should support that. So ensure that the offer is understood and the visitor is immediately going to purchase.

next one - http://www.jobsinsports.com/

No clarity, horizontal layout. A button that says Search and Find at the same time - confusing. Went back again to need for vertical and sequential.
(aside - people buy from people, not websites)

Example of good site:

http://www.sherpastore.com/workshop/index.php?9692

• Headline with key offer.
• Next text addresses negatives.
• What they will do
• More detail on how they will do it
• Simple sign up

keith