Is your website homepage optimized to engage and convert visitors? Or are you leaving potential leads and revenue on the table?
The homepage is one of the most important pages on your site. It‘s often the first touchpoint for new visitors, and it sets the stage for their entire user journey. Even small improvements to your homepage conversion rate can have an outsized impact on your marketing ROI.
But how do you know what to optimize on your homepage? That‘s where A/B testing comes in. A/B testing allows you to experiment with different variations of your homepage and use data to determine which version performs best.
By continuously A/B testing and iterating, you can create a homepage experience that is laser-focused on your audience and business goals. In fact, companies that use A/B testing software have seen up to a 300% increase in conversion rates (Invesp).
Not sure where to start? Here are 10 simple but powerful elements you can start A/B testing on your homepage today.
1. Test Your Main Headline
Your homepage headline is one of the first things visitors see, so it needs to make a strong first impression. It should clearly communicate what you offer and compel visitors to stay and convert.
Try A/B testing different variations of your headline, such as:
- Benefit-focused vs. descriptive headlines
- Short vs. long headlines
- Question-based headlines
- Headlines with numbers or statistics
- Different tones (professional, casual, humorous, etc.)
Example:
Movexa increased conversions by 89% by changing their homepage headline from:
"Movexa is the world‘s leading business relocation service provider."
To the more benefit-oriented:
"Effortless Office Relocation. Minimize Downtime. Simplify Your Move."
Tips:
- Focus on your unique value proposition and key differentiators
- Emphasize benefits over features
- Keep it concise – aim for under 20 words
- Make sure it‘s easy to understand for your target audience
- Place the headline in a prominent location – don‘t make visitors hunt for it
2. Test Your Hero Shot
The hero shot is the main visual on your homepage, usually placed above the fold. It‘s a key opportunity to grab attention, set the mood, and showcase your brand.
Consider A/B testing different types of hero shots, such as:
- Photos vs. illustrations vs. videos
- Customer images vs. product images
- Variations on the same image (e.g. different crops, colors, etc.)
- Text-based vs. visual heroes
- Static vs. rotating carousels
Example:
Humboldt County Visitors Bureau tested three different hero shot variations – a bird‘s eye landscape view, a couple in the redwood forest, and a solo traveler. The landscape image outperformed the others by 32%.
Tips:
- Make sure the hero shot is high-quality and professionally designed
- Avoid cheesy stock photos – use authentic visuals that resonate with your audience
- Consider adding a text overlay to reinforce your value prop
- Optimize images for fast loading times
- Test placement and size of the hero shot
3. Test Your Call-to-Action (CTA)
The call-to-action is the most important element on your homepage. It‘s what turns visitors into leads and customers. Even small tweaks to the design, placement, or copy of your CTA can have a big impact.
A/B test variations of your CTA, such as:
- Copy (e.g. "Get Started" vs. "Try for Free")
- Button color, size, and shape
- Placement on the page
- Anchor text CTA vs. button CTA
- Singular vs. multiple CTAs
Example:
A B2B software company tested two variations of their homepage CTA – "Request a Demo" vs. "Get Started". The "Get Started" CTA increased conversions by 23%.
Another company, Nature Air, changed their CTA button from green to yellow and saw a 14% increase in clicks.
Tips:
- Use action-oriented language
- Create urgency (e.g. "Limited time offer" or "Get started today")
- Make the CTA visually prominent – use contrasting colors and white space
- Place CTAs above the fold and near key content
- Align the CTA copy with the next step in the user flow
Your homepage navigation menu guides visitors to key pages and content. An confusing or cluttered navigation can be a conversion killer.
Try A/B testing different versions of your navigation, such as:
- Number and order of menu items
- Naming and categorization of menu items
- Dropdown menus vs. simple navigation
- Hamburger menus vs. visible navigation on mobile
- Sticky navigation vs. static
Example:
Yuppiechef, an ecommerce company, tested the order of their navigation menu items. By moving the most popular category to the far left of the navigation, they increased clicks to that category by 61%.
Tips:
- Keep the number of top-level menu items under 7
- Use clear, concise labels for each menu item
- Order menu items by importance and user flow
- Make sure the navigation is mobile-friendly
- Consider using mega menus for sites with a lot of pages
5. Test Social Proof
Social proof helps build trust and credibility with new homepage visitors. It shows that other people have had positive experiences with your brand.
You can A/B test different types of social proof on your homepage, such as:
- Customer logos
- Case studies or testimonials
- Press mentions and awards
- User-generated content (e.g. social media posts)
- Trust badges (e.g. security seals, BBB accreditation)
Example:
Express Watches added a press mentions bar to their homepage, featuring logos from publications like Forbes, Mashable, and TechCrunch. This simple change resulted in a 37% increase in sales.
Tips:
- Place social proof in prominent, relevant locations
- Use real photos and names for testimonials
- Rotate different customer quotes and logos
- Leverage embedded social media feeds
- A/B test different types of social proof against each other
6. Test Benefit Statements and Copy
The copy on your homepage should clearly communicate your unique value proposition and key benefits. Vague or jargon-filled copy can turn visitors away.
Try A/B testing different versions of your homepage copy, such as:
- Headline and subheadline variations
- Benefit statements and value props
- Tone and language
- Short vs. long copy
- Bulleted lists vs. paragraphs
Example:
Codecademy saw a 213% increase in conversions by expanding their homepage copy to clearly explain their main benefits and what users would get.
Tips:
- Focus on benefits over features
- Speak to your customer‘s pain points
- Use simple language and avoid industry jargon
- Break up long paragraphs with headings, bullets, and white space
- Include numbers and data to make your copy more compelling
7. Test Page Layout and Design
The overall layout and visual design of your homepage can have a big impact on engagement and conversions. Even small changes to things like colors, fonts, and image placement can make a difference.
Consider A/B testing elements like:
- Page length (above vs. below the fold)
- Content placement and order
- Whitespace and page density
- Sidebar vs. no sidebar
- Background colors and images
- Fonts and typography
Example:
Truckers Report redesigned their outdated homepage to a cleaner, more modern layout, resulting in a 79% increase in leads. The new design used more whitespace, a simplified header, and a shorter page length.
Tips:
- Use a wireframe or mockup tool to experiment with different layouts before building them
- Make sure the visual hierarchy guides users to key content and CTAs
- Use responsive design best practices for mobile
- Limit the number of fonts and colors for a cohesive look
- Consider accessibility best practices like contrast ratios and font sizes
8. Test Forms and Lead Capture
If your homepage includes a signup form or lead capture, optimizing the form itself can have a big impact on conversions.
A/B test variations of your form fields and design, such as:
- Number and type of form fields
- Required vs. optional fields
- Form layout and styling
- CTA copy and button design
- Multi-step vs. single-step forms
Example:
Expedia removed one field from their booking form (the "Company" field), resulting in a $12 million profit. The shorter form reduced friction and increased completions.
Tips:
- Only ask for the information you really need
- Use field validation and error messages
- Auto-fill known information for returning users
- Use a progress bar for multi-step forms
- Make sure the form is mobile-friendly
9. Test Personalization and Segmentation
Personalizing the homepage experience for different user segments and traffic sources can be a powerful way to boost relevance and conversions.
You can A/B test personalized elements like:
- Dynamic copy and headlines based on user data
- Tailored CTAs and offers
- Unique hero shots and visuals
- Custom navigation menus
- Location-specific content
Example:
ReallyGoodStuff.com tested a homepage banner that dynamically displayed the visitor‘s city name, such as "Hey Chicago, get free shipping!" Conversions increased by 31% for personalized banners compared to the default.
Tips:
- Use visitor data like location, search keywords, and past behavior to personalize
- Create separate experiences for new vs. returning visitors
- Segment by traffic source (e.g. social media vs. organic search)
- Don‘t get too personal – it can feel creepy if not done well
- A/B test to find the right level of personalization for your audience
10. Test Page Speed and Load Time
Finally, don‘t underestimate the importance of page speed. A slow-loading homepage can tank your conversions, no matter how well-optimized the content is.
A/B test backend changes to improve speed, such as:
- Image compression and optimization
- Caching and content delivery networks (CDNs)
- Removing unnecessary scripts and plugins
- Minifying CSS and JavaScript
- Lazy loading images and videos
Example:
Ancestory.com saw a 7% increase in conversions after improving the render time of web pages by 68%, reducing page bloat by 46%, and reducing load time by 64%.
Tips:
- Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or Pingdom to benchmark your speed
- Aim for a load time under 3 seconds (ideally < 1 second)
- Compress images and use appropriate file formats
- Minimize third-party scripts and plugins
- Use browser caching and gzip compression
Conclusion
A/B testing your homepage is one of the most high-impact ways to optimize your website for conversions. By continuously testing and iterating, you can create a homepage experience that engages visitors and drives them to take action.
Start by identifying a key page element or section to focus on, then brainstorm variations to test. Use an A/B testing tool to split traffic between versions and measure the results. Be sure to QA the variations thoroughly and only test one element at a time for accurate results.
Over time, even small conversion improvements can add up to significant revenue growth. A/B testing should be an ongoing process, not a one-and-done experiment.
Key Takeaways:
- A/B test one element at a time to isolate the impact on conversions
- Focus on high-impact elements like headlines, CTAs, hero shots, and forms
- Use a hypothesis-driven approach and let data guide your decisions
- Don‘t just test random variations – base them on user research and best practices
- Make sure your A/B testing tool integrates with your analytics platform
- Continuously iterate and retest based on insights from previous tests
By following these tips and best practices, you can uncover valuable insights about your audience and create a high-converting homepage experience. Happy testing!
