June 19, 2023
Shopify Landing Pages: 5 Tips to Increase Conversion Rates on Competitor Campaigns
- Are you providing a product that separates your ecommerce business from the industry competition?
- Is your service the best it can be, with fast shipping rates and stellar customer service?
- Are you selling products in a niche, attempting to seize huge opportunities?
- Are you using the world’s most popular web hosting platform, Shopify?
If the answer is yes, but you haven’t optimised your landing page, then all of the above maybe irrelevant. Whether you’re targeting leads through paid social, Google ads or organic performance marketing, your landing page will offer your audience the first impression of your brand. Get it right and the potential is massive, get it wrong and your ecommerce brand will struggle to attract the customers necessary for success. But what are the essentials? What, if all else fails, can your business do to ensure a landing page that converts?
From CTA essentials to mobile optimisation and UX, we run through the five non-negotiables for Shopify landing page success.
Table of contents:
- Simplicity & information: striking the balance
- CTA essentials
- Visual appeal
- Mobile optimisation
- A thought for UX
- Unlocking your potential with the Shopify landing page.
Simplicity & Information: striking the balance
If you were in the market for a new car, one of your first touch points would probably be a car dealer. Upon arrival, you’d expect to find a car sales representative full of knowledge about each product in their showroom (our figurative version of their product catalogue). It’s safe to say you’d be disappointed if they didn’t have a sufficient amount of information necessary to guide your decision when it came to your desired model.
The same can be said about your landing page. Prospects who find themselves on any landing page expect enough information to A) decipher what it is they are actually being propositioned for and B) to find out what makes the product special, and crucially different from other products they’ve seen on the internet.
Your Shopify landing page must therefore include a sufficient amount of information surrounding the product.
Other valuable information that should be salient on your landing page includes social proof, like positive reviews and bitesize case studies. You could also demonstrate to your audience product details, perhaps with a “how it works’ ‘ section.
There is, however, something that retailers should bear in mind when applying copy to a landing page.
Simplicity is king.
When drawing up a new Shopify landing page, your business must strike the balance between sufficient product/brand information and simplicity. An overload of information will get in the way of a simple, clean page design. But why is a cluttered landing page a problem? It all boils down to our neurology. Countless surveys capture consumers admitting that they prefer a simplistic web experience and scientific studies have confirmed this reality. In neuroscience, this is known as “Cognitive Fluency”. It’s one of the leading reasons 62% of consumers are more likely to recommend a brand because they offer a simple experience. We won’t get into the details of it, you can find that here.
All you need to know is that our brains champion familiarity. Humans want to think about things that are easy to think about when surfing the internet. We don’t want to waste time thinking about navigating around a web page. That means that your landing page must do everything it can to simplify the experience and reduce user friction. The first place to start is design, and we’ll come on to this, but ensuring that your landing page isn’t cluttered with irrelevant information will be key to attaining the desired simplicity we all need when surfing on the web. Avoid including information that is not directly relevant to the purpose of the landing page. Stick to the core message and focus on conveying the key benefits and value proposition of your product or service. Do not use technical jargon or complex industry terminology that may confuse or alienate your audience. Use plain language that resonates with your target market and communicates your message effectively. Try not to overwhelm users with excessive details or specifications that may not be immediately relevant to their decision-making process. Focus on the most compelling and persuasive aspects that align with your target audience’s needs and preferences. Ensure your landing page breaks up the content into easily scannable sections and uses visual elements such as headings, subheadings, bullet points and images to create a visually appealing layout. A wall of text can be visually overwhelming and deter users from engaging with the content. Use white space effectively to create a balanced and clean design.
CTA essentials
CTAs, or “Calls to action” are simply the named action that you want your shopper or web user to take once they are on your page. Their ability to either persuade your audience to move to the next stage of the buyer journey makes them an absolutely vital component to get right when it comes to building a Shopify landing page that can convert. CTAs come in various forms, each with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Let’s explore some popular types:
Button CTAs
These visually striking buttons typically feature concise and action-oriented text, such as “Shop Now” or “Sign Up.” The advantages lie in their simplicity and immediacy. Button CTAs are easy to spot and click. However, their drawback is that they occupy visible space and may distract from other elements.
Form CTAs
Forms require visitors to input information, such as their name and email address. They can provide a direct means of capturing leads or gathering data. However, longer forms can be off-putting, leading to a higher abandonment rate. Striking the right balance between the information requested and user convenience is crucial.
Text CTAs
These are typically hyperlinked words that prompt users to take action. Text CTAs blend seamlessly with the content and offer flexibility in terms of placement. However, they may be less attention-grabbing compared to buttons and require users to actively click on the link.
Pop-up CTAs
These are attention-grabbing messages or forms that appear as overlays on the website. They can capture immediate attention and convey important offers or messages. However, poorly timed or overly intrusive pop-ups can frustrate users and impact the overall user experience.
Image CTAs
These CTAs use compelling visuals to entice visitors to take action. Images can be persuasive and visually engaging. However, they may not always convey a clear message and may require accompanying text to provide context.
Using CTAs creatively
Too often, creativity around CTAs is neglected. You’re vying for the attention of users who come into contact with hundreds of different landing pages every month, so you need to stand out. Simple “buy now” CTAs won’t cut it, they’ll fade into the background and use valuable space without serving a purpose. Use language that evokes emotion. If your product has a specific advantage, try to weave that advantage into the CTA. The key is to align them with your brand’s tone and personality while considering the desires and expectations of your target audience. The result? Compelling CTAs that motivate users to take that critical step towards conversion.
Visual Appeal
The visual appeal of your page will be a crucial factor in determining whether or not it can convert. When visitors arrive on your page, they should be immediately drawn in by visually captivating elements that align with your brand and convey a sense of professionalism and trustworthiness. Choose high-quality images that showcase your products or services in the best possible light. Opt for visually appealing graphics, illustrations or videos that add visual interest and help communicate your brand’s message effectively. Consider using eye-catching colours that align with your brand identity and evoke the desired emotions in your target audience. In addition to images and graphics, pay attention to typography. Use fonts that are easy to read and again align with your brand’s personality. Ensure that the text is legible and properly sized for optimal reading experience on different devices. Remember, visual appeal goes beyond just aesthetics. It also plays a role in guiding users’ attention and emphasising important elements. Use visual cues, such as arrows or contrasting colours, to direct users’ focus towards your call-to-action buttons or key selling points. By creating a visually pleasing and well-structured design, you can enhance the overall user experience and increase the likelihood of conversions.
Mobile Optimisation
In 2021, 75% of European ecommerce consumers had bought a product on their mobile phone. With this number steadily increasing, mobile optimisation is becoming more critical for a successful landing page by the day. Your Shopify landing page must be designed and optimised to provide a seamless experience across various mobile devices and screen sizes. Start by adopting a responsive web design approach. This ensures that your landing page adapts and adjusts its layout and content based on the screen size of the device being used. Elements should be rearranged, resized and optimised for mobile viewing to ensure easy navigation and readability. Pay attention to loading times on mobile devices, as slower load times can lead to user frustration and abandonment. Optimise images and minimise the use of large files or unnecessary scripts that could hinder performance. Consider the mobile user’s context and behaviour. Mobile users may be on the go or have limited time, so it’s essential to make the most critical information and actions easily accessible. Simplify forms and input fields to reduce friction and make it effortless for users to complete desired actions.
A thought for UX
Gathering user feedback and conducting testing is an ongoing process that helps you understand how your audience interacts with your Shopify landing page and identify areas for improvement. Here are a few approaches to collecting feedback and conducting testing:
Surveys and Feedback Forms:
Add user surveys or feedback forms to your landing page to gather direct insights from visitors. Ask specific questions about their experience, ease of navigation, clarity of information and any suggestions for improvement.
Heatmaps and Analytics:
Utilise tools that provide heatmaps and analytics to track user behaviour on your landing page. Heatmaps visually represent where users click, scroll, or spend the most time. Analyse this data to identify patterns, areas of interest, and potential bottlenecks.
Conduct A/B tests:
Create different versions of your landing page with variations in design, copy or layout. Split your traffic between the different versions and analyse the performance metrics to determine which version performs better in terms of conversions.
User Testing:
Invite a group of users to navigate through your landing page while providing feedback in real-time. Observe their interactions, listen to their thoughts and note any areas of confusion or difficulty they encounter. This qualitative feedback can uncover valuable insights and help you fine-tune the UX. By continuously gathering feedback and conducting testing, you can iteratively improve the UX of your Shopify landing page and optimise it for maximum conversions. User feedback and testing provide invaluable insights into your users’ preferences, pain points and behaviours, allowing you to make data-driven decisions and deliver an exceptional user experience.
Unlocking your potential with the Shopify landing page
Your landing page is your digital storefront, so ensuring it is optimised and persuasive for first-time visitors is essential. If this article has shown us one thing, it is that landing page optimisation is never a linear process. You will make mistakes and will rarely get it right the first time, but with some perseverance and careful consideration, you should get your landing page converting in no time.