People who say they're afraid of flying shouldn't worry so much about being up in the air. It's landing they need to be concerned about.
It's the same with online marketing.
To be successful, Web site landing pages need to demonstrate clear relevance to the marketing message that persuaded visitors to make the journey in the first place.
Most Web site promotion and Internet marketing campaigns focus on the drive to get more traffic, measuring success by the number of hits gained for the Web site. But knowing where visitors land and controlling what they see and do when they get there can be just as important.
Online marketing might begin with your message, but it ends on your Web site. If visitors attracted to your landing page don't see what they were promised, they won't stay. They'll bounce away. And search engines won't think the page is relevant either.
Here's what Google says about the way it measures the relevancy of landing pages in Pay Per Click campaigns. The same applies to any page you'd expect a visitor to land on.
"There is no one specific formula to determine the quality of a landing page or Web site. We evaluate the content, structure, and navigation on a case-by-case basis. But the most relevant landing pages will include a substantial amount of content that is highly relevant to not only your choice of keywords, but also to your advertising. Does your landing page actually offer the specific product or service you mentioned, along with information about it?"
Six Point Plan
At Zen Web Solutions, we like to get our clients thinking about providing content that meets expectations with a simple six-point plan that's designed to hold on to visitors and convert them into customers.
1. Relevancy
Landing pages need to match the offer made by the invitation to visit, whether it's advertising or a search engine result. Keywords should be highlighted or displayed prominently. The relevant copy should be up front and easy to find. Don't make people search for what you've told them is there. Take them straight to it. If you were promoting a product with a link to "learn more," visitors expect to land on a page with more information. If it was "order here," they expect to land on a page to begin the order process.
2. Format
Bullet points work well on Web pages. Most first-time site visitors will 'skim read' their way through your copy. Headlines and brief paragraphs grab attention best and offer instant reassurance. They can include links to more detailed copy.
3. Focus
Limit options. Avoid copy or links that might distract. Focus attention on the end goal - the call to action. Sell something!
4. Call-to-action
Don't miss this one. And make sure visitors don't miss it either. A call to action is simply a button, or invitation prominently displayed on your site that invites your visitor to do something. Make it easy. If somebody wants to 'buy now', subscribe, send an enquiry, or call you, let them know how to do it right away.
5. Reassurance
First impressions count. Avoid spelling mistakes and poor grammar at all costs. Carelessness about copy suggests you might be careless about customer service or the quality of your products. At best, it's a distraction, at worst it's an excuse to leave your site and look elsewhere.
6. Presentation
Colours, graphics, kitemarks, trade association logos - all play their part in reinforcing quality. Avoid clutter. Offer a smart, professional layout with matching images and messages that follows on from the invitation to visit (advertising, e-mail, print) and your landing page will lead to better recognition and more conversions.
With good design and copy tailored to meet expectations, spending on marketing your Web site needn't be lost in the void, driving traffic that bounces away. You can see the results for yourself. Zen Web Solutions makes it easy to monitor exactly what visitors do when they land on your site's pages. We can set up free Google Analytics monitoring for you, and tell you the best ways to use it.
The Zen Web Solutions team has almost a decade of experience designing and delivering business Web sites to meet exacting marketing demands, along with a range of full-service promotional expertise that gains top search engine results for successful campaigns selling products and services in every kind of industry.
Why not contact Zen Web Solutions to discuss how a Web site designed with conversion and the customer in mind can help your business succeed online?
Call 0845 058 9050 or complete our contact form.