<% ab_test('determine_the_best_page_with_numbers_to_back_you_up', ['page1', 'page2']) do |action_name| %>

        render :action => action_name

  <% end %>

    A short primer in unconstrained, high-dimensional, non-linear 
    global optimization (over time!)

    You can't do it.

Unconstrained and high-dimensional means that your search space is IMMENSE. Non-linear means that the optimal designs may be arbitrarily twisty, very small, fractaline and chaotic, and, most importantly, unconnected. Temporal dependence means that even if you magically find a good solution, it may fade with time.

Fortunately, we never have to do that because we use an incredible amount of prior design information (craft) to ensure that our search spaces are much smaller. This page provides an overview of that information (and even includes a call to test) which will hopefully put you somewhere in the neighborhood of a useful page and inform you of what direction to go.

If you "just had to test" then there'd be no need for art, science, literature, stock markets, language, thermodynamics, technique, craft, effort. Computers would have already solved everything (not that we would have ever invented them).

My opinion is that testing is vital because it's your only consistent, trust-worthy way to measure your value function (conversion rates). It's how you put a stick in the water to measure depth. That is only one tiny part of a complete solution no matter how important it is.

In other words, haven't you ever tried to A/B test the full page? :)

I wonder if it's harder to figure out _what_ is better about your split tests as the tests themselves become larger, though.

Nothing's wrong with starting out with some great guidelines, and then testing it to death.

Many people have an opinion about the perfect landing page based on some narrow experience. See http://www.google.com/search?q=perfect+landing+page for examples. Absorbing these guidelines provides a good starting point for any landing page optimization campaign, but only a starting point.

Claiming you have created a "perfect" landing page is simply wrong. There is no such thing as a perfect landing page. Through rigorous A/B/n & multivariate testing you can identify pages with better conversion rates and discard poor performers. It is also important to note that this optimization is not necessarily transferable to different ad messaging, user segments, products, or conversion goals.

#10 on their list, in fact, discuss A/B testing.

However, that advise alone is useless. Testing whether A or B is better is useless if both A and B don't have a good foundation.

You may find it a nice complement for the infographic

</grammar-nazi>

Also, they're using two different font weights and different kerning at different points. There is also a superfluous space in one of the bullet points.

The point? Have someone proofread your landing page, too.

I love it in theory, but the interface is kind of janky - specifically, I have lots of trouble with alignment, positioning, and lack of an Undo button.

Another great resource to build perfect landing page. Makes great reading to compare these two resources together

But yeah, probably some real world statistics is better.

You could do the test yourself, and see if people are convinced by the image alone (even though the link only goes to for example the main page of verisign.com). I'm not sure verisign would be too happy about that, though :)

Why not put the picture just at the top and write their 10 points in html ? They could have linked to their reference in context, the text would be easier to correct, possibly prettier and definitely more accessible. And I could adjust it to a decent font size. Aaaaaaaaaaaargh.

I'll keep them in mind the next time I'm choosing the colour scheme for a new site.

Plus, now I can see why Facebook is all blueish.

Get a check list to go through and design it however you (and your users) like it. If you're patio11, don't add any social media fluff.

Check this post out - Trust logos almost always provide a lift when used in the proper context / placement ->

http://conversionvoodoo.com/blog/2010/07/proper-placement-of...

Results like these are highly context dependent, so don't expect that if you make the same change you'll necessarily see the same result. But seeing specific examples is great for coming up with test ideas.

I think this page is far too cluttered.

I like less and less content on a landing page for anything other than a link aggregation(LA) site (HN/Reddit/etc)

I am at your place (if not said LA site) for a specific reason; get me to that reason asap.

More and more, I have less time and less attention..