Optimize your conversion rates by removing clutter

It takes a lot of work to design and build high-quality landing pages. So it’s frustrating when they don’t perform as well as you expected. But sometimes, low conversion rates aren’t a reflection on your copy, your design, or even your targeting.

Sometimes low conversion rates are a sign that your landing page has too much going on. If there are too many things competing for someone’s attention, they’re not going to follow your call-to-action—they might not even know it’s there.

If your pages aren’t doing as well as you’d like them to, here are a few ways to make sure clutter isn’t killing your conversion rates.

Choose one purpose for each page

When people click a link, they’re following an information scent—they’re hunting for something specific. If your landing page has multiple objectives, you’re increasing the risk that someone will lose the scent when they get to your page.

When someone clicks your call to action, it’s your job to take them to the place where they can take that action. When they arrive at your landing page, the first thing they see should immediately affirm that “this is the place to do that thing we just asked you to do.”

Unbounce calls this message match. This is about the relationship between the call-to-action (CTA) that leads to your page and the landing page itself. And if your landing page is too broad or tries to match too many “messages,” your conversion rate is going to tank.

Focus your landing page around one primary action, so there’s no confusion about what they should do when they get there.

A/B test every piece of your page

We’ve talked before about how A/B tests are essential when you want to increase your click-through rates, but they’re just as crucial for increasing conversion rates.

A/B tests let you compare two (or more) variations of your page to find the version that converts the best. The key to a good A/B test is making sure that you only test one variable at a time. 

If you remove several major elements from your landing page and it performs better or worse than the original, you can’t know for sure that all of those elements had a positive or negative effect. You have to test each one separately.

A lot of people have opinions about what belongs on a landing page. This often leads to pages with multiple objectives, as we discussed above, but more importantly, it can lead to a landing page full of junk that doesn’t have a positive effect.

Rotating image carousels are a pretty common way to present multiple offers and address a variety of visitors. But do they increase conversions? Probably not. (You’ll never know until you test yours, though.)

Customer testimonials are typical as well, but if they’re done poorly (without names, titles, and headshots of real people), they can actually hurt your conversion rate.

Keep in mind: the more people you have working on a landing page, the more opinions you’re bound to be working with. Everyone has their own ideas about what does or doesn’t belong on a page. A/B tests let you settle the debate with cold, hard data.

Get rid of spammy pop-up ads

It’s no secret that everyone hates pop up ads. Google already penalizes sites that use them because they provide a frustrating user experience. 

According to Ahrefs, there are more than 10,000 searches related to “how to block pop up ads” every month. But you know what’s easier than hunting for ways to block spammy ads? Leaving websites that have them.

If you’re using pop up ads, it’s probably hurting your conversion rates. Don’t believe me? A/B test them.

Declutter your landing pages

If you have poor conversion rates, it doesn’t mean you have to completely overhaul your landing pages. But it’s definitely a sign that something isn’t working. You might have the right pieces there already—they’re just buried in the clutter.

Focus each page on one goal. Test each element. And get rid of anything that detracts from the experience people have on your website.