In this installment of Landing Pages 101, we are going to take a look at something that is very important if you are focused on conversion: attention ratio.
#CarnegieConf speaker Oli Gardner defines it as “the ratio of links on a landing page to the number of campaign conversion goals. In an optimized campaign, your attention ratio should be 1:1. Because every campaign has one goal, every corresponding landing page should have only one call to action—one place to click.”
Oli Gardner discusses the ideal attention ratio on a high-converting landing page.
When paying for traffic to a dedicated landing page, you need conversion-centered design, which goes against many of the conventional website design rules, but it is a necessity if you want the best return on your paid traffic. You want that page to have a singular focus that drives visitors to do one specific thing, whether it’s send in an application, sign up for an open house, or request more information about a specific program. The landing page should be laser focused with a single goal.
For example, does it have a standard header or footer with links? You are giving your visitors too many options. Do you have multiple calls to actions for info sessions, apply now, request info? Each one is a chance for your user to click off to some other section of your site. That logo on the top left: does it link to your main site? That’s more lost traffic. Are you adding to your stealth applicant pool? When you’re talking about specific marketing campaigns, these ancillary links are wasted money. You completed a micro transaction by users clicking through to the dedicated landing page—don’t lose the click by giving too many options. This can kill the ROI on your campaign.
Now let’s look at a couple real-world examples. Here is a dedicated landing page for Rutgers’ Online M.B.A. program. The only link that leaves this page is the form’s “NEXT STEP” button. The About Us, Accreditation, Rankings, etc. links at the bottom of this page open a pop-over window so the user can’t get lost clicking around the main site. This is a great example of a 1:1 attention ratio. One goal, one action available, a singular focus. This is conversion-centered design.
In contrast to a perfect 1:1 ratio, we see this landing page below that has 31 links on it. That’s a 31:1 ratio. This greatly reduces the odds of your user completing the goal of the page.
To increase your chance of success in your campaigns, you should have dedicated landing pages with message match and one singular goal. Check your attention ratio and increase the conversion rates of your campaigns.
More in our Landing Pages 101 series:
- What is a Landing Page? Landing Pages 101
- The Importance of Message Match: Landing Pages 101
- Reduce Friction for Better Conversions: Landing Pages 101
Do you have any questions or examples you want to share? Let us know in the comments. You can also follow me on Twitter @seo_george.