Traffic conversion is everything. How does the landing page cope?
Bringing web traffic to a dedicated conversion landing page is at the heart of most online marketing campaigns. But the original concept of landing pages has evolved and transformed into many different shapes and sizes. In an online world where Twitter follows and Facebook likes are as much about conversions as a website newsletter or online info product signup, how does landing page construction cover all that ground?
How do marketers effectively deal with visitors and leads coming from so many various sources, shares, promotions, search results and other links from all over the Internet? How best to connect with potential customers across such different platforms and applications?
Separate Valid Leads From ‘Just Looking’
On the other hand, customer support calls, job-seekers, competitors snooping, and other ‘random’ website visitors do not represent valid marketing leads, and are far less likely to convert. Is there some aspect of landing page construction best practice that can lead even some of these visitors to the lip of the conversion funnel?
This is of critical importance to online marketing campaigns. A detailed, long-term study shows that conversions from validated leads convert on the first visit to a website by a wide margin. An astonishing 85% of conversions from validated leads were gained on first-time visits. If that first impression doesn’t win the visitor over, second time visits plummet to a conversion rate of 10% and then dwindle to almost negligible conversions on subsequent visits.
You Only Get One Chance at a First Impression
First impressions are made quickly, and are usually based on a few prominent features. Business managers and especially web marketers need to understand what those prominent features are and how to control them for maximum effect. If lead generation is the main purpose of a business website, it’s critical to make sure that every part of the website is playing its part.
Landing Page Elements Are Essential on Every Page
This covers a lot more than just landing page design and content. It actually touches on the architecture and operation of the entire website. For example, a pay per click (PPC) online promotion might bring a visitor to the site as a valid lead. That visitor will hit your landing page first, but then what? What if they want to look around a bit before signing up or buying in or otherwise taking up your offer?
- Make sure the landing page copy matches the promo copy
When the headline and text of an online ad persuades a prospect to click through to the website landing page, the page headline and text should say exactly the same thing as the ad. The design and color elements should be the same or similar enough to reassure the visitor that they are in the right place and the website business (at least so far) is trustworthy. If they then click through to another page on the site, the feeling of proper integration and trust should be enhanced, not thrown into doubt by random differences and lack of consistency.
- Integrate white space, color themes, and flow of attention
The care and attention that goes into these aspects of the landing page should be reflected in other pages on the site. Brand logos, color schemes, navigation tools, CTAs and other page elements should be consistent in appearance and function across the site. This is true for SEO elements of the page as well. Titles and headings should contain keywords and phrases that relate directly to the content of the page and to the solutions offered in the products or services the business offers.
- Call to action should be clear and concise on each page
Lead generation websites should offer visitors a clear and compelling reason to seek further contact, no matter where in the website they might be. This can be the same CTA repeated like a mantra on every page. It can also be a variety of CTAs made to reflect differences in the purpose of specific pages compared. In any case, the CTA should reflect the perspective of the customer and use simple, direct verb phrases.
- Include a click-to-call button as a CTA option
Wherever possible, avoid a binary yes-no choice in the CTA. Include a ‘maybe’ option in the form of free information or consultation that can add more persuasion to the conversion process. In addition to the standard click-through, for example, to a registration form, include a ‘Call Now’ button. This can have a dramatic effect on conversions if the lead comes in on a mobile device, as happens on average more than half the time.
Keep Landing Page SEO Front and Center
The landing page should present a winning solution to whatever problem or desire the traffic brings to the page. Use keywords and phrases that express the problem and the solution in the landing page URL, image captions, meta tags and other hidden HTML attributes. Some of the best traffic a landing page can get will still come straight from a search engine results page.
This quick overview of landing page integration offers some of the main things to watch for in optimizing conversions. For deeper insights into your own website and SEO performance, get in touch with Paul Teitelman and get it done right.
