Landing Page Optimization Tips

When we hear the words Landing Page we generally think of PPC campaigns or some other form of internet advertising. But I like to use landing pages for all of my off-line advertising also. However, you're using it, a landing page is a web page, typically hidden from the site's menu bar and other navigation - meaning the only way you can get to the page is to type the URL directly into the browser.

The web page is directly related to the ad campaign that listed the URL. Since only the people who have seen the ad will land on this page (because the URL isn't advertised any where else), you as the website owner know exactly what the visitor is looking for and you can provide it to him immediately. For that reason, this type of web page is also referred to as a Dedicated Landing Page because it is dedicated only to the ad that brought in the visitors.

Landing pages are critical to your success on line; in fact, they are often the "makers or breakers" of your ROMD (return on marketing dollar).

If you're just getting your feet wet in the use of dedicated landing pages, I suggest starting small. Google AdWords is a great way to start small since you can easily limit your budget. Here are a few other tips to follow when creating your dedicated landing pages:

** Use a Consistent Message

Many small business owners believe they need to have one message in the ad and another message on the landing page. They think their visitors will "get bored" reading the same thing over and over. They want to showcase their expertise by talking about every single one of their skills and they want to "maximize" their advertising dollar by getting out as many messages as possible.

But this is exactly opposite of what you want to do. Today's audience is busy and overwhelmed. Studies show you have less than 3 seconds to grab your site visitor's attention. You want your prospect to arrive at your dedicated landing page and immediately say "Yes, this is exactly what I came here for." By presenting the same message that you gave in your ad, your visitor will know he is in the right place.

** Remove All Other Distractions

A few years ago, several ingenious web marketers discovered that by removing all other distractions from your landing page - i.e. take off the navigation bar, take off your logo linking to your home, get rid of any other advertising, etc. - you can increase your conversion rate significantly.

But I do want to caution, this is not a one-size-fits-all, do-or-die solution to increasing your landing page conversion rates. You've got to know your business, know your message, and, above all, know your market. For some audiences, the bare bones, no graphics, no branding web page technique might look like spam. If your branding is strong, your visitors might think they've landed at the wrong page. Extremely web-cautious visitors might think it's a phishing scheme. Know your audience and know their expectations before you dive into this technique.

** Test as Much as Possible

If you're new to split testing, my biggest word of warning is to pay attention to the details. Just last week I consulted with a new client who advertised one landing page in Publication A and another landing page in Publication B. Since the second landing page received more conversions, he was convinced it was the "winner" and he was ready to roll it on a full scale.

However, upon further review, we discovered that the demographics for Publication A readers were very different than Publication B readers. The success of the second landing page couldn't necessarily be attributed to the page itself, since the visitors being sent to the page were more highly qualified for the offer. After running some split tests, we decided the best combination was to advertise the first landing page in the second publication.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, when you're testing your ads and landing pages, make sure you're comparing apples to apples. Google Website Optimizer is a great tool for running on-line split tests which will send 50% of your visitors to page 1 and 50% to page 2 (or however you decide to divide up your traffic).

** Offer Multiple Ways to Respond

It's not safe to assume that because your prospect landed on your website, she wants to respond via the internet.

If your dedicated landing page is offering a product for sale, she might not want to give her credit card over the web. She might be on a computer that has scripting disabled. She might be on a shared computer and hesitant to submit personal information. She might just need a little more convincing before she takes the final leap.

Whatever the case may be, different visitors may wish to respond in different ways. Be sure to include all of your contact information and allow your prospect to place an order (or request your free report, or sign up for your newsletter, or register for your webinar, etc) over the telephone, through direct mail, via Skype, by visiting your brick and mortar location, whatever is applicable to your business.

** Take Advantage of Your Thank You Page

Remember all that "other" stuff that you wanted to include on your dedicated landing page? Well here's a great place to take advantage of some of that content.

Your Thank You Page is the web page that visitors are taken to after they have responded to the call to action on your dedicated landing page. This is an extremely under-developed piece of real estate for most small businesses. Instead of presenting a plain Jane message like "Thank you. We received your submission and will respond shortly" why not present another product for sale? Remember, customers who have recently purchased from you are the ones most likely to purchase again.

Or how about presenting a freebie bonus offer to really win the hearts of your new customers? You can present a survey to gather additional customer data (your customer data is your single most valuable business asset!) explain a complimentary service that you offer, advertise an extended warranty, encourage your new customers to refer their friends, etc. The possibilities for your Thank You Page are almost endless, and since this page will typically receive a very high response rate, this is an opportunity that you definitely want to take advantage of.

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