Great, but where do I start?

It doesn’t seem to matter how many conferences we attended or webinars we host, no matter the topic or focus, the overwhelming question we seem to be asked at nearly every turn, is “Great! But where do I start?!” 

Whether new to conversion optimization or a seasoned pro, this idea of where to start can certainly be a significant frustration point. For many marketers, finding that starting line can be a daunting task. The options seem either overwhelming in their abundance, or hidden below a layer of data that appears equally as overwhelming. 

The good news is that finding that initial domino to topple the rest, isn’t that hard to find…if you know where to look. Below are a few of my favorite idea generators that I often turn to when I’m starting to feel ‘marketers block’ take it’s toll. 

1. Harvest the low hanging fruit: Sometimes we’re looking for ideas so big and innovative that we fail to notice the really ripe, low hanging fruit. Not every test has to be a grand, new idea and in fact, it’s these smaller changes that often lead to significant lifts in conversions. 

So I know what you’re thinking: “Great, but where do I start?!” 

Start by testing your headline, change the CTA (Download Now vs. Get the Whitepaper), experiment with button color and placement, test people vs. product focused imagery. It can really be as simple as wisely choosing an element, and testing something different. 

2. Gather insights and ideas from the data you already have: Especially for first or earlier testers, anything you choose to test can sometimes feel like a guess. With the data that today’s marketers have at their fingertips, none of your tests (even the very first) should have to be a guess. 

If your landing experiences themselves aren’t providing the data you need, start to look at the other analytics you have available. For instance: 

• What are your underperforming adgroups and what landing pages do they go to? 
• Which of your adgroups are providing the highest CPC and could it be due to your pages? 
• Which of your current webpages are visitors spending the most time on and how can you capture that in your landing pages? 
• Where are your visitors engaging the most on your website and how can you incorporate those same elements? 

There is always a source of insights and data, but you can’t be hesitant to look outside of your landing experiences to find it.  

3. Find things you like to gather inspiration: Sometimes it’s not a lack of data but rather a lack of creative inspiration that hides the starting line. In this instance, don’t be afraid to start looking in different places for ideas. 

A great place to start is your competitor website and landing pages. How are they displaying information and engaging their visitors? You won’t always know if there techniques have been tested or even if they’ll work for you, but if it looks interesting and you don’t have clear data from your pages telling you it’s not a good idea, give it a try. If nothing else, you’ll be on par with your competitors and won’t let them run away with a winning concept. 

It’s also a good idea to get out of your industry all together. If you’re in education, take a peek at insurance. If you’re in insurance, look at some ecommerce pages. Inspiration isn’t an idea, it’s the genesis of an idea, and that can be created anywhere. 

Finding your test ideas and inspiration doesn’t have to be a challenge. It should be exciting and something that you look forward to doing. Hopefully with these few tips, you’ll find it easier than ever to know exactly where to start.