Interactive Business Landing Pages
Interactive sales and marketing strategies were a development of the late
1970's when marketing professionals looked for ways to increase sales through
crossover and overlapping business services and products. Enter online
marketing and a new world of marketing strategies developed. When blogging
became a popular means of interactive communication, what followed were
businesses creating interactive community pages within their business blogs.
The idea was to incite enough interest in products and services to elicit a
more immediate response from blog viewers and increase sales. But, business
blogs often create competition with business landing pages. Business landing
pages should contain all of the necessary information needed to execute a sale.
Business blogs on the other hand, could maintain better business relationships
with existing customers and encourage repeat sales. Success of business blogs
depend on the blog style just as business landing page styles are important.
Business is obtained from many sources. Blogs create an insular community that
limits expansive marketing strategies. So, the business owner must choose
between a chatty style of blog versus an informative business landing page.
However, one consideration that shouldn't be overlooked is the value of a
business blog with regard to customer referrals and product or service
recommendations.
Determining the Use of Landing Pages and Blogs
It's important to think of landing pages as having the purpose of service or
product introduction and information, as well as the point of introduction of
business. The landing page is necessarily more formal in nature in order to
obtain the most useful positioning among competitors. It is akin to a menu from
which potential customers survey the offerings and choose which suits needs or
preferences most. A business blog has a very different purpose. Therefore, it
is afforded more informality than a landing page. There isn't a need for a
menu. Rather, there are many options available that allow potential customers
to expand on questions not answered in the formal landing page. In addition,
prospective customers have the ability with a business blog to comment on
services or products with which they have had some experience. The business
blog leaves open the ability to compare products or services with competitors.
But, for the owner, a business blog can also have merit by way of the
opportunity to personalize staff to blog users and open an avenue of
intercommunication prior to an actual sale. This is a means of establishing
good will. Look closely at both types of interactive communications and
determine which needs refinement and adjustment to compliment each other and
achieve compatibility. Make sure the landing page introduces products and
services. But, leave a bit of interest in the landing page that will activate
interest in the business blog. It needn't be a case of "either/or".
Update, Update, Update
If there is one problem with landing pages, it's lack of proper and consistent
updating. Viewers will spot "old" information immediately. Refresh
the landing page so that it doesn't take on a patina of "age". This
is also true of business blogs. Keep all information accurate and up-to-date.
Nothing is more annoying to users than outdated information. Lack of updating
may hinder potential sales, a worst-case scenario for any business. This
includes any changes in staff, product line or service offerings and
especially, contact information.