Episode summary
Your bottom-of-funnel pages are critical for converting visitors into leads and pipeline. But how do you design pages that drive maximum conversions?
In this episode, Phil covers key strategies for creating high-converting landing pages and forms. From layout best practices to demystifying conversion rate optimisation tactics, you'll gain actionable tips for boosting bottom-of-funnel conversions.
Episode transcript
If you want to increase the conversion rate of the bottom of the funnel landing page form on your website, then there's a couple of things that you can do in terms of the language that you use and the design and the layout and the content of that page.
Offer language
So the first thing is about how you get people to it and the continuity of the experience you offer.
So you've got to make sure that the language of calls to action that bring people to that page is consistent with the language on that page.
I've talked about this in other episodes, but there's nothing worse or more frustrating to a buyer than clicking on take a trial and arriving on a page which says, book a discovery call, 30 minutes discovery call with one of our experts.
It grates.
And so making sure those messages are aligned and as simple and as honest as possible is a key first step.
Page design
When you've got people on that page, then the best approach to presentation is, of course, simple. There's no need to overdo it or over-embellish it.
You probably want a relatively simple statement about what people will receive on the left and the form visible immediately on the right, so that there's nothing in between the user and completing the step and taking the action.
A really powerful thing to add to the page is social proof, either in the form of logos or testimonials or something that really supports the value of what you're offering.
And studies have shown that by adding that to your bottom-of-the-funnel landing page, you can increase conversion rate significantly in some cases.
We've seen it in a number of situations, increase the conversion rate really quite impressively. And some studies indicated that it had done as high as 60% in some cases. So definitely include that.
Balancing friction and structure
So of course, marketers are encouraged to remove friction from the buying process and fully, fully agree and support it.
Sometimes that leads us to take steps that go perhaps too far and are counterproductive.
And one of those is, in some cases, replacing the form with that direct calendar booking widget.
Calendar booking software is really powerful and does have such potential to improve the buyer experience throughout the entire buyer journey, especially when in contact with people at the business.
But we found that using a calendar embed directly on the bottom of the funnel page for some reason doesn't produce as good results quite often as the form.
It's probably something to do with the buyer mindset and desire for either control of the process or time. Poor feeling where they don't want to actually look at their diary at that moment in time.
Can't with confidence say exactly what it is, but the results are often worse with the calendar directly on the page.
A side effect of having that calendar, that diary booking calendar open and accessible to all on your bottom of the funnel page can of course be that you end up getting the wrong people, taking up valuable time with your resources, because anybody can book that time.
Whereas if you use a form, you are by definition putting a little bit of structure to the engagement and qualifying.
Only people that fill in the form are going to be able to take up your time and only people who are prepared to fill in the form will.
So it's a good way to actually qualify.
We've seen really quite good results from having a form followed by the calendar on the page.
Because of course, when you take away the calendar from the page, the natural alternative is to email them a link to that diary so that they can take that action.
That does work and people do take that opportunity, but we've seen it work even better when you use a form to effectively qualify the visitor and B2B buyers are okay with that, they've proven it, they've shown it.
But give them the calendar immediately after they fill in the form.
And the rate at which people use the calendars to book the time for the conversation or for the demo, we've seen it increase.
So again, B2B buyers are sometimes strange in their behaviours, but usually consistent.
And therefore we've seen that approach have consistently quite good results on the ultimate conversion rate into the diary, which is really, really key.
Getting that meeting scheduled to turning that into a pipeline opportunity and ultimately revenue.
So try that approach I suggest.
Navigation vs. no navigation
Something you may want to try to see what the impact is for you is removing navigation and footer from that bottom of the funnel conversion page.
Now, in lots of cases, we're in favour of putting navigation back where it was once common to remove it.
So, for example, on pillar pages and landing pages throughout your site, we're no longer of the view that removing the navigation and the footer and preventing the buyer from continuing their journey is conducive to the results that we're looking for, which is affinity and expression of intent and interest.
But on that bottom-of-the-funnel conversion page, book a demo, take a trial, talk to sales. That really is the end of the journey for the majority of visitors.
Until they return a later time to another page, there's little point in them going to that page and then continuing on the journey other than going back.
So try removing navigation and footer there to see what impact that has on your conversion rate. Because, again, focusing the buyers attention on that high intent form may have value and may improve your results.
But, yeah, don't apply that universally because we think that's now counter to the desires of the modern B2B buyer.