John Wanamaker, a 19th century department store owner, is attributed with saying, “I know that I waste half of my advertising budget. The problem is I don’t know which half!”
Heard that one before? There’s a reason it’s remained a popular saying in advertising – not much has changed in the last 100 years since Wanamaker. Businesses continue to spend dollar after dollar on advertising and marketing with no effective means of tracking which ads are working and which are not.
Over $83 billion dollars are spent globally on online advertising, fifty percent of which are never seen. Getting a consumer to click through to your landing page can be difficult, but it’s only half the battle. Once a visitor arrives at your page you have three seconds to capture their attention.
In this market, learning how to optimize your online investment is becoming more and more critical. Start with measuring the effectiveness of your landing page. Take a step back and see your page for the first time through the eyes of your consumer. Eighty percent of the information we perceive comes to us through our eyes. Where your consumer looks, in what order and for how long can give you insight into content selection, textual presentation, format and bottom line – ROI.
Online eye tracking studies test consumers in your target demographic in their natural environment as they free browse. Heat maps and Opacity maps from our webpage studies have generated key takeaways that can be applied to your landing page.
1. In-Screen is Not the Same As Seen
While important material should be featured above the fold, only 30% of all impressions displayed ‘in screen’ are seen. Now more than ever it’s critical to know if your most important landing page material is being seen.
2. Images to the Left, Text to the Right
The right side of the brain processes images and the left side processes text and numbers. The brain works in an inverse relationship. Images should be on the left and text to the right. Otherwise the brain has to flip it. The brain does not like to waste energy. Eye tracking studies have shown significant increases in attention and memory recall by placing text and images in the correct area.
3. Separate Images and Text
Never put text over images. You will lose comprehension of the image and the text.
4. Human Faces
If a face is featured on your landing page and you want your clients to focus on the face it is best to use an ambiguous expression. A visitor can easily process a happy or sad face and move on, but will spend more time with an ambiguous face. A good example is the Mona Lisa. Put a smile on her and she is just another pretty face.
5. Curve your Corners
Since the beginning of time humans are conditioned to back away from sharp objects. Using curves instead of sharp edges will increase engagement and give a warm enticing feeling. The brain has a millisecond avoidance response to sharp pointy edges.
The best example of doing this is Apple, all curves.
In a digital wasteland it’s easy to get lost. With $83 billion dollars on the line it’s important to get to know your consumer, and your landing page will speak for itself. Eyes don’t lie.
About: Created for Sticky.ai (now acquired by Tobii Pro).
