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12 Steps to Maximize your Landing Page Profits (Part 2)
http://www.payperclicksearchengines.com/articles/115/1/12-Steps-to-Maximize-your-Landing-Page-Profits-(Part-2)
Reena Shohet
Reena is the Product Development Manager at SpeedPPC, the innovators of the patent-pending SpeedPPC campaign building system. SpeedPPC builds high quality pay-per-click campaigns that sync keywords, ads and landing pages in a "perfect relevancy" structure.
 
By Reena Shohet
Published on 07/1/2008
 
This is the second and final article which explores steps 7-12 of optimizing your landing pages to increase profits and Quality Score.
Optimize your landing pages to increase conversions and Quality Score

Welcome to part two of the 12 steps to maximize your landing page profits. Steps 7-12 are waiting so let's get straight into it!

7) Provide relevant and easy to read content

Write your copy to appeal to both search engines and your audience.

Your audience should see persuasive, targeted copy that is benefit-driven. Tell them what's in it for them. It should answer their question, speaking their language ie. using their search terms.The use of jargon should be appropriate to your target audience. If in doubt, don't use it.

For search engines use your main search terms at a keyword density of 3-7%. They can then easily determine the relevancy to user searches. Denser than this can look like keyword stuffing.

Your landing page delivers on the promise in your ads. There should be a strong relationship between your keywords and ad text, which is continued on your landing page. For example, if your ad offered a free bonus your landing page should back this up.

How much content depends on the product and your audience. A computer needs a more detailed description than a bath mat. Likewise, someone searching for computers may require more information than someone searching for bath mats.

Using Dynamic Keyword Insertion is a great way to target the content of your landing pages to your visitor. Tools such as the SpeedPPC Landing Page Generator do most of the work for you.

Not only does it automatically match your page content to the user’s search term, it'll also spare you from hand-making separate landing pages for each keyword. Great news if you've got hundreds or thousands of keywords!
8) Issue strong and clear calls to action - in the right amount

The meek may inherit the earth, but they don't have profitable websites.

Your landing page must have strong calls to action telling your visitors what you expect them to do.

Whether it’s transacting a sale, signing up a subscription or referring them to a merchant site – HOW the visitor accomplishes this ‘positive outcome’ should be obvious to them.

Calls to action aren’t just for purchasing – they can include Buy Now, Click Here, Sign Up, Log in, Opt in boxes, etc. Basically, they are triggers for your visitors to perform the action you want.

Consider that people take action in various ways. One may click a link, another may go for an image. Supply different conversion triggers to appeal to people’s varied preferences.

The right amount of triggers depends on your web page. Be careful not to overdo it, but make sure wherever your visitor is, they can clearly see how to take up your offer.

Remember you’re catering to experienced users and first timers who may tread different paths through your site.

Eg. A return visitor may be ready to purchase straightaway. A first time visitor needs more convincing and might read to midway or the very bottom of your page before deciding.

Cater your action calls to any visitor. Make it obvious and easy for your soon-to-be customers.

9) Keep your calls to action above the fold

This may sound obvious but it’s still surprising the number of landing pages I see where the only call to action is at the very bottom of a long spiel of text.

Yes, you should definitely have a call to action there to capture those people who need full convincing. However, always include a call to action that’s immediately obvious, without the visitor needing to move.

Whatever the subject of your landing page, make sure there’s enough above the fold for your visitor to make a decision and take action.

Moving your triggers from below the fold to above, can sometimes increase your conversions by several hundred percent.

Take a look at your landing page/s now. If you can’t see your call to action without scrolling, clicking or twitching, try changing it and watch the effect!


10) Provide bonuses or incentives to take action immediately

This one’s all about giving your visitor a reason to purchase (or take other positive action) – now!

Think of this one like a win-win situation for you and your convert.

Someone who finds your site, browses and leaves without converting may never come back, even if they liked what they saw. If they’re given incentive to take action then and there, they become an existing customer you can cultivate a relationship with.

More than the immediate sale, it could bring you repeat and referral business, worth way more than the price of the incentive you offered!

Some ideas for "incentivizing":
  • Free shipping
  • Discounting - eg. 20% off, buy 2 get 3
  • Competitions – eg. Free iPod
  • Free gift or bonus with purchase
  • Gift voucher on repeat purchase
  • Loyalty/Rewards program
Incentives don’t need to cost money. It could be as simple as emphasizing being part of an online community, or offering a free newsletter subscription. Adding value is another way for your customer to ‘win’ and inspire them to take immediate action.

11) Include customer testimonials or other social proof

Testimonials are a great way to gain the trust of your visitor and reinforce your message.

Including a couple of well-placed comments on your landing page is more convincing than sales copy, because it’s an independent opinion.

If you offer various products or services, then a good testimonial on a specific product appearing on that product's page is gold.

Imagine a prospective customer searching for a ‘heavy duty stain remover’. They arrive at a landing page that’s all about heavy duty stain removing. Then they see testimonials from other users who have bought the very same stain remover, and rave about the marks it’s removed for them that nothing else worked on.

That’s half your work done right there!

Social proof plays a valuable part in converting prospects to customers, and one of the best ways to use it is with testimonials.

12) Use simple data forms to capture information

If you are collecting data from visitors, then keep the form clear, short and simple.

Don't scare off your visitors by trying to capture too much information before you have gained their trust. A long-term customer you have cultivated a relationship with may be far more willing to give you certain information than a first time visitor.

Your privacy policy and what you will do with their data should be clearly stated for users to see.

The Importance of Testing

When all’s said and done, testing plays a crucial part in refining your landing page composition.

You should continually test and refine different types of landing pages.

Employ A/B Split testing or multivariate testing to determine which elements are performing, then refine your landing page further based on the results.

For example, does my landing page convert better when my copy is based on the benefits or the problem? Which "hero" image worked the best? Which incentive won the most customers?

This is a constant process but absolutely necessary to keep your landing pages performing.

Finally

Adopting just a few of these principles into your landing pages can have a huge impact on your conversion rate and quality score.

Depending on your product offering and your target audience, the mix can change. Keep testing, monitoring and optimizing.

Successful landing pages are an evolution!
Landing Page Zen

Dynamic landing pages are just the tip of the iceberg in the art of landing page optimization. There are many other conversion secrets you can apply in your quest for the perfect landing page.

Here in our office, the Landing Page Handbook by MarketingSherpa is our "bible". We've seen massive increases in conversion by following its guidelines.

For example, just one simple trick we learned from the new version lifted a client's application form completion by 10%, which will add an extra $90,000 profit to their bottom line.

MarketingSherpa's best-selling Landing Page Handbook has now been updated and expanded even more for 2008. You'll receive:

  • Page Design & Copy Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Research data and usefal stats including 54 Stat & Data Charts
  • 114 Samples of Landing Pages to Copy
  • Specific Help for Search marketing (PPC and SEO), Email, B-to-B, Ecommerce, Blogs & Lead Generation Conversions
It's a very comprehensive and easy to read guide that can help you raise conversions by up to 55% or more for search, email, and ad campaigns for lead generation, ecommerce, and even blogs.

You'll find the answers to questions such as:
  1. How can we raise ecommerce sales with landing page tweaks? and
  2. What's the Number One, easy, way to lift Google PPC (paid search ad) conversion rates?

“I suggest that if you are spending any significant money on pay per click that
you NEED to get this guide.”
- Jim Kukral

About the Author

Reena Shohet is a PPC marketing specialist and the Product Manager for SpeedPPC. Increase your profits by overcoming the Top 7 Challenges of PPC marketing. Discover how and sign up for a FREE Email Course to Improve your PPC marketing - visit www.SpeedPPC.com.