Make Landing Pages Work for You

Making Landing Pages Work for You
I never forget the first time I mention a landing page to client. Their first response is "a what?". I ask where their current ads are pointing to, and I usually get the same response, the home page. In fact, nearly all of the SEM clients I've dealt with have started out with google ads pointed right at their homepage. While this might make perfect sense at the time, in most cases it's a poor choice. I'll explain why.

What is a Landing Page?
The first question you might have is simple to answer. A landing page is a page specially designed to send advertising traffic to. They are individual ads created just for the targeted customer. Rather than dump them directly to the homepage, you send them a targeted page that is meant to sell them a specific service or product.

Why do I need Landing Pages?
The reason you need landing pages is because you want to sell something. It's all about targeting, and the right landing page targets your service or product. If you sell 100 different products, does it make sense to send all your potential clients to the homepage, and expect them to find what they want? You want to create specific ads for a specific product or service, then target that landing page for it, so you cut out a lot of confusion and give the visitor what they're looking for.

What makes a good landing page?
Here are some things that make a good landing page. A combination of all of these will help your conversions in a major way.

1. Make it targeted. - Make sure your landing page is set to talk about a specific niche, product or service. Dont try to put all your eggs in one basket. Make a page for each thing you're trying to sell, and don't tie them together. Make sure the information on the page matches what you put in your ad.

2. Keep it simple - The more cluttered your page is, and the more text there is, the less likely someone will stay on the page. Don't make it so simple that it doesn't catch attention, but make it as simple as you can. The less there is to read, the better off you are.

3. Make it flashy - This is the one I have the hardest time talking people into. Make your colors vivid, and make the product photos stand out. You know those really cheesy pages you see sometimes with bright red fonts and huge headlines? They are prevalent for a reason.

4. Make the call to action clear - Make sure there is no way to miss the link you want them to click. If you want them to click through and read something, or buy something, you have to make it big, and clear. "Click here to purchase now" is a good one, or "click here to learn more". Make sure it's clear, large and noticeable.

5. Make the buttons bigger. - Studies have shown that action buttons are more effective when they are larger. While this might look a little tacky, the bigger the button, the better the clicks. Try not to make it too large, but don't hide it either.

6. Show off your product - When people see something in action, they're more likely to buy it. Studies have shown that if you show something to someone, they are more likely to buy, and the web is no different.

7. Have a clear message - This is a lot like #1 and 4, but make sure your message is clear. Your message should be: buy my product or service because you need it.

8. Talk about the customer, not your company. - Everyone loves to talk about themselves. Your customers are no different. Always replace phrases talking about "us" or "our company" with phrases that contain "you" and "your company". Make it feel like it's directed at them.

9. Keep branding in mind - While you want to keep it simple and targeted, don't forget branding. 90% or more of your visitors wont be buying anything, but make sure they see your company name and logo. If they see it enough, it will stick, and maybe they'll come looking for you later.

10. Test everything - Make sure and test your landing pages. Test views vs clicks, conversions and anything else you can within your means. Using google analytics is a good way to test conversion goals, and work towards that. Using this information, you should be able to create decent landing pages and toy with them. Remember, this is a process that requires a lot of testing and tuning, and it's by no means a one time thing. It's an ongoing process. Just by creating a few good landing pages, you could be getting a lot more bang for your advertising buck.

Jeremy Morgan is a Portland Web Design Expert and runs a SEO blog in his spare time.