 Article Writing & Marketing Insights |
Is Your Landing Page a Little Rough?
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A landing page is not your home page
– although many business owners believe that it is.
Your landing page is the page that a potential customer gets after clicking on a link in your resource box – or as the result of a search engine link. The page is designed to display content relevant to the article they read (or the keywords they searched for) and is optimized specifically for those keywords or phrases in search engines.
(10) Tips for Creating Smooth, Effective Landing Pages
- Your landing page needs to be directly relevant to the content your reader just read…ie: the reason they clicked on your link. This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people write about yoga, and then send their readers to a landing page on debt consolidation!
- Create more than one landing page. If you only have one product or service to sell, then you can optimize your home page to accomplish your goals. However, if you have more than one book, report, CD, service or other thingamabobber to sell, then you’ll want a page for each category – or each item.
You must make sure that the content on each of these pages is unique! Don’t just change a few words here or there. Don’t duplicate – or you may not get the listing in search engines that you’re looking for.
- Don’t skimp on design. Nothing tells a visitor to surf on more than a web site with a poor or dated design. If your site looks like it was created with HTML 2.0 then most likely your reader is going to assume either a.) your technology and ordering platform is not safe or b.) you are behind the times and should be hawking encyclopedias door-to-door rather than selling online.
Unfortunately, you can judge a book by its cover, particularly on the Internet and you’ll lose conversions if you don’t look the part.
But before you spend thousands on new web design, remember that function comes first – and a functional and clean site will work well for anyone. Keep the design clean and the functionality will speak for itself.
It’s WAY more important to have a working order or newsletter sign-up form, than a Flash video on your landing page.
- Demand action! OK, well, at least call for it – nicely, but firmly. You want your call to action to be noticeable and exciting, but not annoying. Think of your call to action like a toddler. You want to say “Can I have some ice cream, pretty please?” and look adorable while your asking – rather than the much more annoying and whiney, “Gimme some, gimme some, gimme some now!” (Think Veruca Salt in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).
- Be clear. Make your call to action readable, simple and powerful. Offer something in return. Use large text – but not obnoxiously large. Use a font that is clear and in a color that contrasts with the rest of the page. Use images to break up the text, but not so many that the content is lost.
- Break it up. Put your most important information up top and break up supporting points into a bulleted or numbered list.
- Make the sale. Try not to send your visitor to another page unless you have to. Make the sale right there. If you’re looking for newsletter sign-ups or registrations, put the text field right there in front of them. If you want them to buy now, start that process. You can always send them more links and information after you put the money in the drawer!
- Keep it simple! Don’t put all of your options on your one landing page. If you have different plans or customizations – save them for later. Your goal right now is to inform and convert your visitor – confusing them with different plans and options will only make them surf on.
- Get physical! OK, well maybe not physical, but interactive at least. Create a landing page that gets your viewer doing something. Have them sign-up for something, follow you on Twitter, friend you on Facebook or order your product!
- Testify! Have some great testimonials? This is where to use them. Engender trust and respect from your viewer by showing them other customers’ (good) opinions of you.
Remember that landing pages need to be integrated into your overall site structure so that they can be organically searched and indexed.
Utilize some of these tips (not all will apply to every landing page) on your new landing page(s) and let us know what’s working for you. Have another way to give your readers a smooth landing experience and convert visitors into customers? Leave a comment and let us know!
| Posted by Marc, Public Relations on August 11, 2009 at 12:38 pm | 1,212 views |
23 Comments »
Quick and easy tips that work wonders for your conversions.
Some things I found useful in my own testing are:
Make call to actions in the form of buttons and make the graphics LARGE.
Install heat map tracking so you can look at what is attracting views and clicks.
Add audio and/or video as a tool to engage your visitors. You can add your call to action in the video also.
Post your content on the Web 2.0 sites so that you can put their logos on your landing page along with text that says “As seen on” Facebook, Blogger, etc.
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Each one of the points are important. However, I think that the most important one is having a landing page to not only reflect each product or service you want to sell, but for each unique article available on your website for downloading and reading.
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I often get physically sick and throw up when I see article makers send readers to a slam page (Squeeze Page) demanding an email address and name for the reader to go to the next step. I think it cheapens “article marketing” and makes all article authors look stupid. Thus, I am sickened by those types of tactics, and would hope EzineArticles would speak out against that trick and stand tall with integrity in that regard.
Oh know, I have to run back to the toilet to throw up, I just saw another one.
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I get the point. if my article refers to getting answers and sharing experiences that should be the landing page not the home page where thy would have to find the link to that page. like wise if I refer to finding the right magnet for their need it should land them on the page that describes different magnets with pictures that are affiliate links.
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Good points again Marc. I am having a struggle with my coach. This Lady simply is tired of the fact that we must register our name and e-mail address before we can see what the content is. How else does one build a list if the opportunity to register a contact does not exist right up front?
[Reply]
Barry,
By forcing someone to give you their email address before you deliver value… you’re going to be turning away 90%+ of your site visitors unless the offer is really compelling.
Build your list by delivering VALUE first and then give an opportunity for them to join your list. If your value sucks, they won’t join your list and if you forced them to join your list with a squeeze page and your value sucks, they’ll unsubscribe from your list anyway.
Gerry,
Metaphoric articles work, don’t they! :-)
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Awesome tips there mate especially relevancy on landing page. I have seen many direct to irrelevant landing page and was a little shocked.
Best is the value part I feel. It’s like movies. You get news on magazines, newspaper, tv and now, on youtube.
Raises curiosity. Then you see buses with adverts and billboard.
It later moves to interviewing the director, film producer and it’s now on TV even more on budget, and will move be a hit.
So from day one, give value, create the audience first, a following but on right hand side, have an optin form.
Now, we give a choice, not trap the prospect but they see more value and decide, “Yes, I like more..!”
Bingo. Course sold. or whatever it is but definitely value, and qualify prospects too.
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This newbeeee asks, “Who wrote this?”
(One of/my most serious) problems is that I’m an offline marketer/expert from way back when, but whose information, applied, can be worth it’s weight in bullion.
My next problem: I don’t know a damn thing about internet marketing. I started a blog site and then, just, stopped, though I knew something about the results I wanted, but not understanding the language…where to start.
Next NO MONEY to invest.
Next: at 77 years, in fantastic physical condition, having recovered from twenty-two years of illnesses, not having worked a day during that, living on US SS retirement.
I feel like a bag about to explode with success: it’s all there, right before me, but I don’t know where the pilot light is.
All the foregoing, so far as I can see, is RIGHT ON. And the caveats that “almost no one knows what a ‘landing page’ function truly is.
God bless you all.
Allan
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Allan,
Here are some great places to find decent information;
http://ezinearticles.com/?cat=Internet-and-Businesses-Online
And this appears what we are all doing here; Article Marketing to drive traffic to our websites; so this might be of value too:
http://ezinearticles.com/?cat=Writing-and-Speaking:Article-Marketing
There is so much information on this website, but soak it all up, lots of good stuff.
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You put quote some thought into it, have nothing much to add. Just make sure the landing page talks about the benefits of your offer. The customer must be able to see what’s in it for him within a few seconds. Then make it easy for him to order from you.
Gunter
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