Landing Page Optimization for Affiliate Managers #AMDays


Chris GowardEditor’s Note: Welcome to live blogging coverage from Affiliate Management Days. We’ll have several articles during this event covering topics of interest to businesses running affiliate programs.  More coverage of #AMDays.

This is a live blogging recap of the session “How to Optimize Affiliate Landing Pages for More Conversions and Revenue.”  This covers remarks during the session featuring speaker Chris Goward (pictured left), the CEO of WiderFunnel Marketing, a firm specializing in landing page optimization and conversation rate optimization.

Chris’s remarks:

  • Conversion optimization has been undersold. Testing buttons and fonts is not effective A/B testing. In fact, true A/B testing is situation-specific, and best practices and tips and tricks are not really hallmarks. Your sales process and sales cycle will determine what/how you should be testing.
  • Interesting note: “Smiling people” in some cases has reduced conversion rate as opposed to providing lift.

Conversion Optimization

  • Static screenshots often outperform video in conversions. However, the content/value of the video can influence conversion rates as well.
  • Value proposition is still the greatest indicator, but other factors (design, offer, layout) can weigh down your conversions.
  • Relevance: Does the prominent language in your affiliate ad match the prominent language on your landing page? Matching lifts conversion rates.
  • Clarity: Form follows function. Don’t sell so hard or artfully that the visitor misses the call to action.
  • Anxiety: Minimize anxiety/data points on key “decision pages”. Quote forms, Add To Carts, etc.
  • Distraction: Don’t take away from the call to action with superfluous information. Drive the process.
  • Urgency: Why should they take action now? Even if you can’t show a tangible, time sensitive urgency, create one! What are they missing out on by waiting?

Chris urged us to look at their whitepaper for more information:  Conversion Optimization Whitepaper

Note: Inasmuch as this is “live blogging” there may be minor inaccuracies. We may correct them after publication, if brought to our attention.


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Kevin Webster Kevin writes about web analytics, affiliate marketing and more at Kevin Webster and acts as a consultant on SEO/SEM/Web Analytics and Lead generation at Growth Spurt Media.

6 Reactions
  1. Chris is a great speaker and if his slides go up on Slideshare you should include them with this coverage.

  2. Very nice informative article split testing always confused me . I always wondered how well the new video trend was converting and you answered that question for me .

  3. This wrap up of information is valuable – have you considered writing more posts to talk more about how to extend some of these concepts for more effective use in a marketing plan? I’m especially interested in learning more about “the art of conversion optimization” – how you think someone without prior knowledge can decide what types of things to test? Thank you. Erik Bortzfield ion interactive