Before you push the “Go Live” Button ... do Usability Tests

Tip from Unbounce (chapter 6)

Itʼs tempting to be impatient and “get it out the door” as soon as you can, but it pays to take a few deep breaths and do some final checks and balances before you publish your landing pages.

Have a checklist: The next few items will explain some of the tasks you should perform as part of this checklist. If you can establish a checklist and incorporate it into your process, you will soon start to develop good habits that produce better, more effective landing pages.


1. The 5-second rule
Do some simple usability and page goal testing using people in your office (or friends & family).
A good rule of thumb is to follow the 5-second rule. Sit your subject in front of a computer screen and show them the page for 5 seconds. Then hide it and ask them what the purpose of the page was.

If they are unclear, you may need to re-address the communication of the primary message and call to action. You can also crowdsource this activity through a service like Five Second Test.


2. Many sets of eyes
Print your landing page out and pin it to the wall so that people can see it. This will open up discussion about your design. Often, an objective set of eyeballs will spot simple things that can help refine the page before you push it live. This is also a good way to increase collaboration and youʼll be surprised at some of the skills or insights your co-workers can provide.

3. Quality Assurance
Some companies have this built into their process, others are too small and rely on the owner/creator to do everything. Even in large companies, small marketing campaigns often get the short end of the stick and donʼt have a dedicated person for quality assurance.

To be viewed as professional you cannot afford to have any typos or errors on your landing pages. With such a short time to convince a visitor that you have something of value, even minor slip-ups can cost you a sale. Make sure it looks good in the major web browsers your target market uses. Fortunately, most landing pages are relatively simple, but donʼt forget to check.