Home & Landing
Long Page or Short Page: Landing Page A/B Test Idea
A longer page can address more objections; a shorter one asks visitors to process less. The result depends on which sections are removed, not length alone. Keep information needed for a decision in both versions.
A/B test scenario. This page is a test plan, not the result of a real experiment.
- Home & landing
- Primary action completion rate
Option A vs Option B
Two alternatives; neither is the incumbent.
- Changed
- Options
- Page
- Home & landing
- Difference
- changed
Hypothesis
If visitors stall on objections about the product, the long page that answers them one by one may come out ahead on the primary action completion rate. If visitors already know what they need, the short page with fewer sections could lift the same rate by speeding up the decision.
Test plan
When to run this test
Session recordings of visitors skimming past long sections, predefined sections that few visitors reach, or support requests about questions the page leaves unanswered all hint that length is shaping the decision. Whichever version comes out ahead should do it by getting more visitors to complete the primary action without lowering the qualified lead rate or adding support contacts. As you build the short version, confirm that price, coverage and cancellation terms appear in both versions, and if visitors stall on the offer itself, review the offer first.
How to measure success
Primary action completion rate
Compare completion of the primary action among all eligible assigned visitors.
Also track
- Section visibilityCompare visibility of predefined sections rather than the same scroll percentage on pages of different lengths.
- Support contactsMake sure unanswered questions do not increase support volume.
- Qualified lead rateMake sure the share of qualified leads does not fall as less information is shown.
- Time to actionMeasure time to action using a predefined event.
How to set it up
- SectionsFor the shorter version, remove predefined sections that are not required.
- Keep constantKeep the order and presentation of remaining sections, CTA and offer unchanged.
- Unanswered questionsReview relevant support requests.
- AudienceReview existing new and returning visitor segments.
- Separate testDo not change section order or visual density in this comparison.
What to watch when reading the result
- 1The primary action completion rate tells you which length wins, but a gain that comes with a lower qualified lead rate or more support contacts does not justify switching to that version. Also, do not write off a section in the long version just because few visitors scroll to it; its placement may be the problem, not its content.
- 2Everything here is bounded by this page and the specific set of sections you removed. Test again before applying it to product pages at a different price point, and read new and returning visitors separately, since they may need different amounts of information.
- 3A flat result does not mean length is irrelevant here; the two versions may serve different visitor needs and offset each other. On a page with limited traffic, enter the current primary action completion rate and the smallest lift worth detecting in the sample size calculator before launch. If your traffic cannot reach the sample per variant it returns in a reasonable time, this test will not show that difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which information must stay when shortening a landing page for CRO?
Preserve information necessary for the decision, including applicable price, scope and cancellation terms. Define optional sections to remove beforehand. The result concerns those content choices, not length alone.
Why can scroll percentages mislead across pages of different lengths?
The same percentage refers to different content. Compare exposure to defined sections instead. A rarely reached section may be poorly located rather than unnecessary.
Where might the cost of removed information appear?
Inspect relevant support questions and qualified-lead outcomes. Use completed main actions as the primary outcome, with predefined qualification and information-access guardrails.
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