Conversion Optimization

Step-by-Step Framework for High-Conversion Home Pages

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Landing Pages vs. Home Pages

Landing Pages

Landing pages bring people who don’t already know about your organization out of hiding. They educate, introduce your product or service, qualify leads, and use a call-to-action to invoke further action in response to your offer. 

In that sense, good home pages are designed just like landing pages.

However pure landing pages do not include site navigation or other elements that might take a user away from the conversion path. Since they are specific and make the case to take a certain action, landing pages are perfect advertising endpoints.

Home Pages

Home pages are extended landing pages. Like landing pages, they also educate, introduce your product or service, qualify leads, and use a call-to-action to invoke further action in response to your offer.  However, home pages include full navigation, and other site-wide elements such as footers and sidebars.

Home pages may not make a deep case for your offer, but they should present a summary, and often act as a way-finding or launch point for visitors with varying interests. Visitors not familiar with your business can learn more clicking through to your posts or landing pages.

How to Launch Landing and Home Pages Quickly

  • Use the checklist below as a rough framework.  Instead of starting with the dreaded “blank canvas”, use the framework to understand what page elements to include, where they fit, and what they should do.  The guide is meant as a starting point; there’s no single “right” answer. You just have to create and test to find out what works for YOU.
  • Use the right tools to quickly build pages, capture leads, and track conversions.  LeadPages, Unbounce, and InstaPage are all valid solutions, but they are relatively expensive and showing their age. We’ve switched over to Elementor Pro to build landing pages, including lead forms, and popups.  It’s the same excellent tool we use to build entire sites. Low cost and effective.

Step-by-Step Guide

Use this guide to create an effective home or landing page that can be deployed quickly, has a structured but flexible flow, and hits both rational and emotional points that help sell your offer.

Top Bar

This part of the page appears above the content and navigation, it might be called a top bar, and might be the same on every page.

  • Logo
  • Click-to-call button
  • Email button
  • Book appointment button

Start with the END RESULT in mind. What action do you want the visitor to take?

  • Figure out what you’re trying to accomplish with the page. A clear goal saves time and frustration.
  • Refine the exact language and action. The action might be buy a product, make an appointment, opt-in to a list, download a guide, etc.
  • Write the call-to-action button text. Make the button text compelling. “Submit” is weak! The button can launch a popup form if you like. 
  • If there’s a secondary pre-sale CTA, like “download our white paper”, the value of that lead magnet must be strong.
  • Decide what information the form should collect. It should be simple and clean, briefly re-state the CTA, and give an indication of what happens next. 

Continue at the BEGINNING, with a killer headline, benefits, and call-to-action button.

In the actual layout, this section will appear at the top of the page, as well as at the bottom of the page (perhaps using a different design).

  • Big killer headline. This is the value proposition, the central promise. Concisely explain the product or service and its value in a few words. 
  • A persuasive sub-headline might be needed to expand on benefits. The headline, subheading, and call-to-action button work together
  • What are the most vital things visitors need to know immediately? What are the major benefits?

Image or video

  • Big relevant Image to that shows the product or supports the service.
  • Explainer video also works well in place of the image.
  • Could be combined with the headline side-by-side, or as a full-width hero image behind the headline.
  • Sliders generally suck for conversion — avoid.

Call-to-Action Button

  • Create a big, contrasting button for the user to take the next step in your conversion process.

Explain how this offer solves a problem and leads to a beneficial outcome

  • Teaser of the content visitors can get
  • If you’re the kind of person . . . (qualify the audience)
  • Problem that will be solved
  • Outcome that will be achieved

What’s different about this offer? Pain, pleasure, and objection points

  • What’s different about this offer? Expand on the value proposition.
  • Bring on the pain! Highlight the problem or frustration visitors feel
  • Bring on the pleasure! What positive emotional feelings does this offer provide? For example: freedom, relief, joy, respect, trendiness, security, vibrancy, calmness, fulfillment, acceptance, appreciation, recognition, honor, compensation, admiration, etc.
  • Anticipate and counter fears and objections

Testimonials and case studies

  • Use full names and photos of testimonial authors to enhance credibility
  • Or, video testimonials
  • Can be sourced from existing reviews
  • Bring out the real evidence of success

Social proof and trust elements

  • Mention any media coverage, brand-name users, number of users, credentials, associations, etc.
  • Use logos of recognized brands, associations, organizations, etc
  • Security seals and credit card logos

Risk reversal or guarantee

  • Simplest form of risk reversal is the money-back guarantee.
  • Make it stronger by guaranteeing a certain level of service, a certain outcome etc.
  • Consider lengthening the guarantee. Long duration guarantees typically result in fewer claims and more buyer confidence

Deliverable summary, what does the buyer get?

  • If applicable, list exactly what the buyer receives, using whatever media is appropriate.

Repeat Call-to-Action

  • Re-state the CTA used at the top of the page. This section is another opportunity for the user to get involved, after they read the core points.

Content Feed

  • Blog posts or social feed . . . some content the user can follow if they are not ready to take action.

Footer

These elements should appear at the very bottom of the page, below the content.

  • Contact details
  • Social icons
  • Navigation
  • Credit card logos

References

http://blog.crazyegg.com/2014/10/07/landing-page-essentials/
https://thrivethemes.com/why-sliders-suck/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SSl7G8fjm8QlBSU3ZmcDRQWnc/view?usp=sharing
https://thrivethemes.com/leads/
https://www.quicksprout.com/2013/10/17/the-anatomy-of-a-high-converting-landing-page/
http://marketingland.com/your-homepage-is-the-landing-page-65502
https://ducttapemarketing.com/homepage-elements/

Conversion Check: How to Update WordPress and Test Your Lead Generation Forms

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Go to step-by-step instructions

Losing Leads is Disheartening and Costly

Over the years, I’ve seen businesses lose hundreds of website leads.

They simply didn’t know that some unnoticed glitch was killing their conversions and revenue. But how could they? No one was paying attention.

Don’t let that be your business.

It’a crucial to update your website, check lead forms, and verify that external automation apps are functioning.

Common issues include:

  • Expired credit cards
  • Outdated contact information
  • Plugin conflicts
  • Outdated plugins
  • Code bugs

Performing basic checks will ensure your marketing pipeline is working, while minimizing security risks.

Yes, there are automated uptime monitors, as well as enterprise-grade conversion testing platforms, but neither is a substitute for simply visiting your own website.

Every 30 days, perform some simple checks and use your website just as a customer would — that’s the most direct, most insightful, and least expensive solution to check functionality.

Does something seem confusing or dysfunctional? That’s exactly what your customers will think too. Get it fixed.

How to Update the WordPress Core, Plugins, and Themes

  1. Sign-in to your WordPress dashboard (your-domain.com/wp-admin)
  2. In the left panel, click on the Updates link (the adjacent number shows how many updates are available).
  3. On the WordPress Updates page, look for any links that indicate an update is available.
  4. Click the links to update WordPress first, then the theme, then the plugins.
  5. When you’re done, the number adjacent to the Updates link in the left panel should disappear (indicating no updates are available).

If the Update WordPress link never appears, your site may be configured for automatic core updates. In that case, move on to the next step.

Do Not click the Re-install Now button, that’s only needed for special circumstances.

 

How to Check Your Forms

  1. Go to each of your forms, (contact page, popup, payment form, etc.) and fill them in with your own information.
  2. The form should submit without an error.
  3. What happens next depends on how the form is configured. Who are the proper recipients? If you don’t know, check with your web developer. Confirm that the recipients are getting their notifications. If your form is integrated with an email automation app such as Drip, ActiveCampaign, or Hubspot, make sure those systems record the lead and start their automation processes.

How to Check Your Email Address

  1. Send an email to your primary public-facing email address.
  2. Confirm it goes through to the recipients. Who are the proper recipients? Again, check with your web developer.

Final Check

  1. Load your homepage, and check a couple of interior pages. Does everything look normal? Is it snappy? If so, you’re good to go. There may still be other underlying issues, but at least you’ve taken basic steps to secure your site and verify that customers can reach you.

That’s it. See you next month!

12-Step Secure HTTPS WordPress Conversion Process

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Now that Google has clamped down on websites that are insecure (not using an encrypted HTTPS connection). It’s time to convert your WordPress site if you haven’t already done so.

Want this done for you, the right way? Hire us. Use the referral code “amigo” to get $100 off for a limited time. Place your order here.    

Getting started with secure website conversion

We’ll need a few temporary credentials to start work. If you don’t have these handy, your web developer probably does. We can reach out to them as needed.

  • FTP user / password to update .htaccess and robots.txt files
  • cPanel user / password to install SSL Certificate (may be same as FTP above)
  • WordPress admin user / password to update General settings
  • Google Search Console user / password to add HTTPS property and XML sitemap (if you don’t have this, we’ll create a new account for you)

Conversion process

Although their are many detailed steps, this is basic process we use to convert your WordPress website to the HTTPS protocol:

  1. Install SSL certificate
  2. Take screenshots and backup the website for safety
  3. Update .htaccess server file to redirect HTTP traffic to HTTPS
  4. Add HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) policy to block man-in-the-middle attacks
  5. Update robots.txt server file to clean-up any legacy HTTP links
  6. Update all internal WordPress links to HTTPS
  7. Install lightweight caching plugin (only if you don’t already have one) to dramatically speed up the site
  8. Test all pages to fix any remaining insecure links, including scripts, CSS files, hot-linked images, etc
  9. Speed Test. The home page should load within 1 – 2 seconds. If it doesn’t, we’ll alert you to other issues
  10. Update Google Search Console to add new HTTPS property, add new sitemap, request re-indexing
  11. Optional SSL / content monitoring setup. We check your certificate and website content site every 15 minutes, and alert you if it’s not loading.
  12. Project report that documents the work has been done correctly. We check your installation for a valid certificate, green padlock, website errors, server issues, and download speed. If you ordered 24/7 monitoring or  a CDN (content delivery network), we’ll include those too.

Sample project report

 

 

SSL Certificates: Why Your Need One, What Type to Get, How Much to Pay

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SSL Certificates 101

You may already know that Google is using a carrot-and-stick policy to force all websites to use encryption.

Starting in January 2017, if your website is not secure — meaning it’s not using the encrypted HTTPS protocol and doesn’t have a green padlock symbol — your pages will eventually marked with red warning symbol.

Google online help says this about the warning: 

“We suggest you don’t enter any private or personal information on this page. If possible, don’t use the site.”

From a marketing perspective, it’s a fiasco, an awesome way to drive away business. But in the long run, it’s truly best for everyone. We support the change.

Here’s the key: to enable your secure website, you MUST have an SSL Certificate.

It’s simply a digital “signature” that ensures visitors that your website indeed belongs to you, and it encrypts the connection between your visitors and your website. Result: privacy and assurance that sensitive data like credit card numbers and passwords are not being intercepted by the dark side.

If you haven’t converted already, we offer a secure HTTPS website conversion service that gets it done quickly and affordably.

Welcome to the world of SSL Certificates, where distinctions are tough to discern, and prices cover an enormous range — from zero to hundreds of dollars per year. Yet, all certificates provide similar features and meet baseline security requirements.

So, what’s the difference between certs and how much should you pay?

Let’s dive-in to quickly find out why it’s “what the market will bear” environment and how to tips things in your favor.

Firstly, be aware they SSL certificate industry is a confusing labyrinth of brands and cross-marketing partnerships. A small number of official Certificate Authorities issue the certificates. The top five — Comodo, Symantec, GoDaddy, GlobalSign, and DigiCert — control 90%+ of the market. If you buy a certificate, you’ll probably be buying directly or indirectly from one of them.

Nice business right?  Scalable, recurring, mostly automated, high margin. This cash cow has been milked for 20 years. And that’s where it gets interesting . . .

SSL Certificates have been a cash cow for years.
Hello! My name is Certi, and yes, I am a cash cow.

Certificates are sold directly at retail prices by the certificate authorities, but they are also marketed downstream by hosting companies as well as thousands of independent re-sellers and affiliates.

Re-sellers often market brand-name certficates at a fraction of retail price — 80% off in some cases. Yet, the product is identical. How is that possible? Because the incremental cost of issuing a new, basic certificate approaches zero. It’s a fully automated process and can be scaled to meet demand. A strong re-seller can negotiate in bulk, driving the price way down.

The primary difference between certificates is the level of validation — how thoroughly the organization that wants the certificate is vetted by the certificate authority. If you want a convey a high-level of assurance to your customers that your website does indeed belong to your organization, you can pay the certificate authority review more documentation about your business. These are the

  1. Domain Verification: Simple, fast, cheap. This is what most businesses need — a green padlock symbol and an encrypted connection. The CA simply checks that the organization owns the domain. The certificate assures the consumer that they are visiting the intended domain.
  2. Organization Verification: A deeper verification process, at a mid-tier price. This is for businesses that conduct a significant amount of e-commerce. The CA checks documents to confirm the business identity and location. Consumers are reasonably assured of the company’s identity and location.
  3. Extended Verification: Extreme verification at a top-tier price. Only the CA does in-depth research on your business identity, location,

For practical purposes though, there’s very little difference. If a

For small business sites that are not deep into e-commerce, I’m not seeing any compelling reason to pay more than necessary. That’s my working theory for the moment.

Recommendations:

By the way, Google will be nullifying all Symantec, Verisign, GeoTrust, Thawte, RapidSSL for security policy violations. You may