6 Metrics to Look out for to Improve Your Landing Pages

Without quality landing pages, your search engine optimization or pay-per-click ads could fall flat. High converting landing pages should always be designed with user experience in mind.

Not only do you need to conduct A/B testing when first creating pages, but you also need to regularly measure metrics to ensure your website's performance is on point. Many different factors go into making a successful landing page.

Most marketers know they need to constantly measure to improve, but this process needs to go beyond the number of page views.

Here are some metrics to study to get the most from your website:

1. Traffic Source

We are in the middle of a mobile revolution, which means you can't just design landing pages with desktop users in mind anymore. Although mobile versus desktop isn't a true metric, this can help you refine your website to accommodate visitors, according to The Business Journals.

For example, a mobile bounce rate that is twice as high as the desktop rate is most likely indicative of a usability problem.

Understanding how users get to your site helps you create more effective landing pages for each channel.

2. Bounce Rate

This metric is the percentage of users who arrive on your website and exit without visiting any other pages.

If you are seeing a high bounce rate from your landing pages, it typically means users aren't finding what they need, the content isn't engaging or there isn't a strong enough call to action to lead them to another page.

Potential issues need to be addressed to ensure your pages are driving conversions.

3. Visitor Flow

Ideally, customers will leaving your landing page to consume more information on other parts of the website.

Visitor flow details the path a typical customer will take to learn more.

If a user returns to the home page several times in one visit, it indicates you aren't providing clear directional cues to guide individuals through the site. Marketers can gain some control over visitor flow with stronger calls to action.

This keeps people on the site for longer and helps you place more relevant information in the right places.

4. Content Shares

It isn't enough that people are reading your content. A high number of people sharing a particular article tells you readers are finding value and want to pass it on to other colleagues who may be interested. This can positively influence search engine rankings as well.

5. Visitor Duration

This is a simple metric to measure. In general, longer visits indicate that your website is full of engaging content. However, spending too long on one page may tell you that a user has lost interest.

You have more chances to convert visitors when they stay on your website longer, and this is good for SEO efforts as well.

6. Form Abandonment Rate

Many landing pages use lead generation forms to collect contact information from prospects. A spike in people failing to complete the form once they start may mean you're asking for too much information upfront or the design isn't user-friendly.

The most effective landing pages create a sense of urgency, which can get derailed when marketers ask users to fill out a large number of fields.

If the form is targeting new leads, asking for a name and email address is often enough because it allows you to target prospects with nurturing campaigns. A/B testing can help you determine the optimal number of fields for your lead generation forms.

Approaching landing pages scientifically and constantly measuring results makes your efforts more successful and drives conversions. 

Read about more Landing Page Metrics