Improving New Scientist’s subscription journey with a new Piano landing page
Scope of work
- Subscription landing page delivery
- Campaign journey support
- Conversion-focused UX
- Piano implementation
Project overview
New Scientist needed a new subscription landing page within Piano to support campaign-driven offers and improve the conversion journey from high-intent traffic to purchase. Optiten delivered the landing page implementation, translating an approved design into a flexible, performance-conscious Piano experience that could support promotional campaigns, dynamic offers and ongoing optimisation.
the client
New Scientist is a leading science and technology publisher with a strong global reputation and a loyal readership. Known for its authoritative reporting, curiosity-driven editorial approach, and high-quality subscriber experience, it is one of the best-known premium publishing brands in its category.
key challenges
Converting campaign traffic more effectively New Scientist needed a dedicated landing page in Piano that could turn high-intent campaign traffic into subscriptions more efficiently.
Creating a clearer conversion journey The approved design had to be implemented as a focused subscription journey, with clear messaging, visible CTAs and minimal friction.
Launching within an active Piano environment The new experience needed to be delivered inside an existing setup without disrupting the wider subscription journey.
Connecting campaign activity with the wider subscription system The new experience had to work as part of a broader subscription setup, not as a standalone page disconnected from the rest of the journey.
Solutions
New subscription
landing page
One of the key parts of the work was the HTML delivery of a new landing page for subscription offers.
Using an existing approved design, we translated the page into HTML for deployment within Piano. This ensured the subscription offer journey was accurately implemented and ready for campaign use, demonstrating how specialist implementation can support stronger commercial journey performance.
Deeper Piano integration
The landing page was integrated with Piano to support dynamic offer presentation, multiple subscription packages, promotional campaigns and personalised user journeys for both registered and anonymous visitors. Rather than acting as a static campaign page, the experience became part of New Scientist’s wider subscription infrastructure.
- Dynamic display of offers from Piano
- Multiple packages and pricing options
- Limited-time promotional campaigns
- Personalised offer logic for known and anonymous users
- Clearer CTA paths into the purchase journey
Improved tracking and performance visibility
The implementation also improved visibility across the funnel, making it easier to understand how users moved from landing-page visit to CTA click, purchase start, completed transaction or abandonment:
- Total page visits
- Clicks on individual CTA buttons
- Number of purchase journeys initiated
- Number of completed transactions
- Abandoned cart analysis
Mobile and performance optimisation
The page was also optimised for desktop and mobile performance, helping reduce friction across the subscription journey. Faster load times and stronger Core Web Vitals can make it easier for users to review the offer, interact with CTAs and continue into the purchase flow, particularly on mobile devices or slower connections.
By reducing page load times and improving key Core Web Vitals metrics, users gain faster access to content and subscription offers. This directly results in:
- Lower bounce rates
- Higher user engagement
- An improved user experience
- More subscription purchases
OUTCOME AND IMPACT
The new New Scientist landing page was published on 31 July 2025. Performance was then reviewed across the three months before and three months after launch, and that analysis showed a clear subscription increase after publication.
Following the launch of the new landing page on 31 July 2025, a comparison of the three-month period before launch (May–July 2025) and the three-month period after launch (August–October 2025) showed a 23.8% increase in new subscriptions and a 37.2% increase in the active subscriber base. The increase translated into a 15.4% rise in total payments.
| New subscriptions | +23.8% |
|---|---|
| Active subscribers | +37.2% |
| Total payments | +15.4% |
The results show the value of treating a campaign landing page as part of the wider subscription journey, not just as a standalone promotional page.
For New Scientist, the new Piano landing page helped create a clearer route from campaign traffic to subscription action and provided a stronger foundation for future offer updates and optimisation.
Optiten integrated with our team in a way that’s rare for an external partner. They asked the right questions, pushed back when it mattered, and were genuinely invested in getting things right, not just ticking off deliverables. That collaborative approach made a real difference.
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