NC Internet Marketing Expert | 
03 17th, 2008| 
Getting visitors to your website is useless if you can’t effectively convert them into prospects. Most people that are just starting out with online advertising make the mistake of sending everyone to their website’s homepage. This is a horrible thing to do for a lot of reasons…
First, your homepage is generally very broad. It typically gives users an overview of all the different things available on your site. If the page the user lands on after clicking a link for “Size 4 Blue Widgets” doesn’t take them to a page that specifically discusses that item, chances are they will leave instead of waste time hunting around your site to try to find it.
Second, your homepage typically does not contain a specific call to action. Users are often presented with lots of navigation options and other bright shiny elements which only create confusion and indecision about what to do next.
Now I’m not saying your website home page shouldn’t be generalized and offer navigation and highlight the main areas of your website. What I’m saying is that’s not the page you want to send people to when you are paying for that visit.
When you’re paying for traffic to your website, your #1 goal is to get them to buy whatever you’re selling. But at the very least you want to capture that visitor’s information so you can build a relationship with them thru email as we’ll discuss in Secret Tactic #7.
These pages are commonly referred to as Landing Pages. Landing Pages typically have no navigation on them and often don’t even look like the main website. When the user lands on the page after clicking an ad they are presented with a specific offer or they can opt-in to the mailing list to receive more information.
So the key things you need to know about landing pages are:
1. It should almost never be your main website homepage.
2. Each ad group in your campaign should send the user to a page specifically about that product or service.
3. The page should have the following basic elements:
a. A strong, benefits rich headline
b. A good story about your product or service.
Avoid “corporate speak” and talking about how great you are. Tell your story as if you were sitting next to someone at a bar and discuss what’s in it for them.
c. Bulleted lists of the benefits (not features) someone will get by using your product or service. Use emotion and paint the picture of how their life will be different afterwards.
d. Testimonials and Proof that your product or service works. Video and audio testimonials work best if you can get them but text is just fine as well. Try to include a picture and their full name and location for additional credibility.
e. A compelling offer. By now you should’ve explained to them why your product or service is such an amazing value but spell it out for them once again in explicit detail. Then make them an offer they can’t refuse and back it up with a 100% guarantee.
f. An explicit call to action. You have to ask for the sale. Tell them exactly what you want them to do next and exactly where they need to click.
4. Don’t give the user any options on the page other than buying your product or service, calling you, or joining your mailing list.
5. Keep branding to a minimum and towards the bottom of the page if you absolutely insist on using it. Many studies have shown that pages with no branding whatsoever perform significantly better than pages that are branded. This isn’t about your ego. You’re not likely to become the next Nike. Focus on acquiring customers instead. The branding will occur naturally on its own if you consistently deliver what you promise.
If you want a great tool for creating landing pages that is simple to use and has all the features you’ll need to generate incredible conversions, check out: http://www.landingpagetool.com
