Landing Page Optimization: Ordering with Ease

Offer multiple and convenient ordering options

Posting a landing page with a confusing or inadequate order mechanism will almost certainly fail. Your customers should be able to fill in the fields of an online screen and check boxes to select their preferences. Simple and brief; ask only for the information you need to process the order.

Landing Page Optimization Tip #1 – In general, it is unwise to offer more than two options or two price packages. You can test this, but too many choices tend to overwhelm users and diminish response. A good online order page should include alternate order options such as a toll-free number for phone orders.

Landing Page Optimization Tip #2 – The order page should state your guarantee and return policy. Generally, longer guarantees will increase sales and diminish the number of returns.

Landing Page Optimization Tip #3 – It is critical that the online order form incorporates security technology. The current standard is Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption. Once your site has the SSL certificate, transactions are certified to be coming from where they claim to be coming from, to discourage forgery.

It’s always a good idea to remind your customers that their credit card information is protected by SSL. You can state this on your order form, and include the logo of your SSL provider.

[text_ad]

Viewing Your Website Landing Page as a First-Time Visitor

We recently had a client with an unhappy customer who could not join their online newsletter because his credit card has an expiration date in 2015. The drop-down menu for credit card expiration date on their secure order form only showed the years through 2012.

The result: he could not use his credit card. A potential customer who was trying to give them money was turned away in frustration because their order form literally was not up to-date.

Fortunately, he brought the problem to their attention. A few keystrokes quickly fixed the problem, but it made us wonder how many other potential customers had abandoned the site and not bothered to bring this problem to their attention.

Experience your business first hand, much like a customer would. Take a critical look at your website and its landing page from the viewpoint of the first-time visitor. What obstacles to closing the sale need to be removed?