A quality landing page is one that reinforces ‘conversion intent’. To do this, you need to consider the mindset of your visitor and provide just enough information to persuade them to convert. And no unnecessary distractions… ok?

So what are the 10 things you need to know about designing landing pages? Read on to find out…

Firstly, let’s remind ourselves of where Google is at. In emails sent to Adwords advertisers Google says:

“There is no one specific formula to determine the quality of a landing page or website. On a case-by-case basis, we will evaluate the content, structure, and navigation of a website. Keep in mind, 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 ad text.”

Curve ball alert. Google must be automating this process, regardless of that statement about ‘a case by case basis’. There are potentially millions of landing pages, so surely Google isn’t doing this manually? And if it is automated, then your landing pages must be text-based (which isn’t always the solution to increasing conversion rates, but hey ho…).

What else does Google say about landing pages…?

“The best way to figure out whether your keyword, ad, or landing page is relevant and useful is to put yourself in the shoes of a user. Do your ad and landing page include language that makes sense in the context of the keywords you have chosen? For example, if you have selected the keyword ‘hiking shoes,’ have you made sure that your ad mentions hiking shoes or related name brands? Does your landing page actually offer the name brands you mentioned, along with detailed information about this shoe type?”

“Targeting your keywords, ads, and landing pages in this way likely will lead to several positive results. First, it can help you gain the trust of your customers and therefore keep them coming back to your site. You will also minimize the money spent on clicks from users who might not be interested in what your website offers. And finally, you can increase your overall Quality Score and lower the minimum bid necessary for your ad to appear.”

Ok. That’s the official line from Google. It contains some useful pointers and sensible advice.

Now, here’s my 10-point checklist to help you create a quality landing page, aimed at improving conversion rates:

1. Brevity
Keep it short and to the point. Paragraphs should be no longer than three sentences, if they are used at all. One idea per paragraph is plenty.

2. Relevancy
In the case of PPC landing pages you need to match the offer to your text ad copy. Keywords should be highlighted or displayed prominently. Keep it relevant to that person’s search query, because that’s all they care about.

3. A direct approach
Bullet points work well online, to help communicate the benefits of a product or service. Keep in mind that people skim read on the web. Use bold text to reinforce key messages.

4. A clear call-to-action
That potentially means a big Buy Now button, above the fold… or Sign Up Now, or Download NOW.

5. Fact over fiction
Stick to the key facts and be transparent, especially when the landing page is related to an ad campaign. Do not hide the price. Avoid flowery prose.

6. Persuasion
Persuasion means removing any links that might distract, focusing the consumer’s mind on the end goal: the checkout. This means writing compelling copy. Persuade visitors not to drop out by limiting their options - remove link navigation, for example. Prominently display delivery options and costs. Sell the product or service.

7. Clear scent trails
How easy is it for a novice web user to get from A to B? You need to encourage visitors to walk / run down that conversion path. Conducting usability testing on your landing page templates may also provide you with some answers.

8. Grammatical accuracy
Its important, right? Because people don’t like spelling misteaks (lol) and stuff like that. First impressions count.

9. Reinforcing credibility
Testimonials, press, partners, visible customer support options. All these things convey trust and respectability. They ease the mind of the prospective buyer, who might not know your brand. Trust is very important.

10. Good use of images and color
Presentation (eg: colors, graphics, icons) can play a big role in reinforcing purchase intent. Avoid clutter. White space and big fonts. Smart layout.

source: econsultancy

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• Prospects
• Clients
• Business partners
• Competitors
• Members of the Press
• Job Seekers
• Employees
• Investors
• Buyers

The normal practice is to provide a captivating overview of your company/services and to give each of these visitor classes equal attention. The company is often portrayed along product lines or as a ” do everything for everyone” type company.

This method is even-handed and counterproductive. Your landing page(s) should be modified to best serve the mission critical visitor class. Everyone may want real estate on the home page, but they do not necessarily deserve it in equal measure.

Some visitors are more motivated to find relevant information on your site. Job seekers will discover the page with available open positions no matter how deeply it is buried in your site. Likewise, potential affiliates will join your program regardless of whether you label the link “affiliates.” “webmasters.” “partners.” or “referral program.” Finding the balance within your critical pages will help you convert and retain more customers.

“Important classes of visitors are the ones who interact with the mission critical parts of your website.”

With all this in mind, keep this on the front line… test multiple methods, multiple sales content and always include a call to action or opt-in method on each and every landing page. Stick to the mission critical and do not try and cram everything into one page… think wide and focus narrow.

Skip ahead 10 years and now everything is web based video and web based video sales tactics. With YouTube, and Google running the show and driving the video train, we can be assured the video revolution has only just begun.

Video opens up opportunities to reach your demographic, your customers and even your would be customers by captivating them with valuable information … and all they have to do is listen. To me, this is very interesting as I am a ADD type person that hates reading. If I am asked to read a book my first question back is …. does this come in an audio CD? Seriously … listening and watching is what we were built to do. Yes, reading stimulates our brains, but we can save that for the mushy love novels our grandmothers used to read. Give me audio on an iPod and I am gold.

The other aspect of how important video can be to your online presence and online marketing is; how you can use video to increase the quality of your landing page(s). The way Google ranks your page on relevancy is how your visitors will rank you as a company by what you have to offer them and how much you filled their “need to know” tanks. By including 20-30 seconds of video on a targeted landing page, you are increasing your potential customer conversions by 60%. This can be a sales pitch to promote your services, a review on a consumer product or simply a “Hi, this is JTdesigns.com and we value your time” type of video. All of these will go a long way with your visitors.

Video equipment is ultra cheap and easy to pick use. It’s a very small investment that will go a long way. If you need assistance or coaching on how to implement a targeted video campaign, email us at: jtdesigns.com

Also remember that people get accustomed to the same type of tactics when they are repeated over and over. Practice coming up with new ways to present a “call to action” so that it still packs a punch, but does not get ignored. Give it a different style, use different colors, use bold easy to read fonts and you will see what works and what does not. Every demographic has its core styles that seem to “just” work.

Landing page quality is the most overlooked element in web marketing today. Just because you can write a good PPC ad and apply the appropriate keywords does not mean that the conversion percentage is worthy of praise. It takes skill and research to understand your target audience and then the creativity to execute the creative brand to achieve the goal(s).

Your business attracts many different types of visitors to your site. These may include some or all of the following:

• Prospects
• Clients
• Business Partners
• Competitors
• Job Seekers
• Employers
• Employees
• Investors

You must appeal to all of these types and do it effectively and efficiently. There is a science to branding and creating the style and appeal of the site.  Design is the catalyst to conveying the message.

The general landing page practice is to provide a detailed overview of your company and to give each of these visitors a taste of what they are looking for. Your landing page should be modified to best serve the highest % of visitor type as well as serve up the Call to action. All visitors may be interested in the same product line, or service model but not all visitor types will be drawn to the same verbage or images. Being broad is the key to success.

Some visitor types are more likely to find the relevant information on your site by themselves, but not all types have the patience nor the desire to dig through site maps or clicking through different levels of navigation to ultimately find a buried link.

Cover all of your visitor types but put emphasis where is is deserved. Remember to be clear, concise and do all in a non confusing environment.  Go back to basics with the K.I.S.S. method (Keep It Simple Stupid).  It always works.

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