Increasing Conversion Rates with a Consistent and Focused Message of Value
“Landing page.” It’s a term Internet marketers throw around like it should mean something to you. Maybe you’ve sat in a meeting only to hear this term thrown out there. And you just nodded along because… Well… It sounded like something you needed. You should, by no means, feel stupid. It’s a more common question than we give it credit: “What is a landing page?!?”
At its simplest definition a landing page is:
A single web page, or small self-contained group of web pages, that people visit in response to an advertisement. The landing page is written as a logical extension of the advertisement. Its goal is to capture a business lead (get someone to contact your business) or generate a sale.
Landing pages can be used with PPC, paid search, direct mail, Facebook ads, magazine/newspaper ads, and pretty much anywhere else you could put an advertisement.
Why You Should Use Landing Pages
If you ask me, using landing pages in your online and offline advertisement campaigns is an absolute necessity. Every (good) advertisement prepares the viewer with a preliminary message of value about your business. It will have given people an expectation about you; a reason to research, click, or visit your business.
A landing page allows you to immediately address the expectations already in the mind of your visitor. It is a golden opportunity to meet your potential client with exactly the right relevant information.
You don’t want to send your ad traffic to your website. If you send people to your website you are losing your limited time opportunity because it probably doesn’t directly connect to your advertisement. A website typically provides other information that may distract or confuse the visitor from their main goal.
After spending your budget on an ad, the landing page is the next logical step in receiving a return for your investment. By having targeted landing pages you can greatly increase the number of people who connect with your business. This is a scientific fact.
What Does a Typical Landing Page Look Like?
There’s no set design to a landing page. However, they usually all have these elements:
- Targeted copy – It can be short or long, but it will always attempt to be relevant to the visitors purpose for “landing” on it.
- Self-contained navigation – Don’t ever distract the visitor with more navigation than necessary. All pages must support the main message.
- A call to action – Something that spurns your visitor into accepting your offer.
- A lead capture form or purchase button – You’ll need this to move the potential client further into your sales cycle.
Some other elements you might want to consider adding to your landing pages are:
- Images that support your content
- Share buttons (NOT follow buttons)
- Affiliations, memberships, and other professional organizations that establish your credibility
- Testimonials
- Free download, software trial, information guide, discount, or other perk for completing your lead capture form
We’ve Barely Scratched the Surface
There is a whole science dedicated to improving the effectiveness of landing pages called “landing page optimization.” So don’t be afraid to test, experiment, and innovate with different ideas on your own landing pages. Of course, make sure you have proper tracking in place!
What do you think of landing pages? Did this article help you understand their usefulness? Have you found other reasons for using landing pages? Please share, I’d like to hear from you! Leave your thoughts below.
