Effective Landing Pages - How to Create Them for Your AdWords Campaign

In many respects, your landing page is probably the single most important factor in optimizing your AdWords ad campaigns. Your landing page is the first page your customers see after clicking on your ads and it's their response to the page that really determines the success or failure of your ad campaign. What's more, Google now evaluates your landing page in determining the quality score for your ads. Having a good quality score will improve your ad ranking and your CPC, making your ad campaign more cost-effective.

Incorporate the tips below to transform more of your click-thrus into conversions.

Be Single-Minded

single-minded : having one driving purpose or resolve : DETERMINED, DEDICATED

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

This tip is a truism but, nevertheless, is worth stating. In order to be an effective landing page, it needs to be just that, a landing page. In other words, create purpose-built landing pages whose sole purpose is to convert click-thru customers into conversions. Don't just send your customers to your home page and hope they will click on the correct links and don't just send them to a basic product-listing page from your online store. Your landing page is one of your most important pieces of marketing material, so treat it as such.

Be Ad-Specific

At minimum, every ad group should have its own landing page and creating a landing page for each ad may be even better. By creating ad-specific landing pages you can tailor the content more specifically to the text of the ad that was clicked on.

For example, supposing you sell accessories for Jeep Wranglers and Jeep Cherokees and you have created ads for each make. If you send your potential customers to a landing page that contains information for BOTH product ranges, the information that the customer is specifically interested in may be harder to find and may well be confusing. The customer needs to know immediately on seeing the landing page that it is relevant (for example, a picture of a Jeep Wrangler with related text for Wrangler customers) and is sufficiently attractive to maintain their attention.

Remember, you have just a fraction of a second to attract their attention, so anything on your landing page that is not relevant is going to increase the chances that your visitors will move on elsewhere.

Reflect Ad Copy in Your Landing Page Headline(s)

This really is just another way to ensure your landing pages are ad-specific. One of the first things your visitors will look at on your landing page is the headline. The more closely related this headline is to the text of the ad they clicked on (particularly the ad's headline), the more chance it has to keep their attention on the rest of the content.

For example, if your ad is for "Radio-Controlled Widgets for Left-Handers," make sure your landing page headline refers not just to "radio-controlled widgets" (and certainly not just to "Widgets") but specifically refer to radio-controlled widgets for left-handers. The more specific your ad is, the more likely a highly specific landing page is to keep your customers' attention.

Think "Usability"

Your landing page needs to reflect closely the principles of web usability, such as "heat maps" and "skimmable text."

Studies evaluating where users actually focus on web pages indicate that there are certain areas that attract most attention and others that are virtually ignored. For example, Jakob Nielsen has reported an "F-shaped" reading pattern that is fairly consistent with Google's own "heat map." Therefore, in order to optimize your landing pages, you need to make sure that your most important content is placed where it is most likely to be read!

In particular, notice that the left-hand side of your page is more likely to be looked at than the right; and the top of the page is "hotter" than the bottom. Therefore, if you have a particularly attractive product picture or key piece of information, place it in the hottest spots to attract attention. Remember, once you have their attention they're then more likely to view the rest of your page.

As for your actual copy, write it in such a way that it is designed for "scanning" rather than word-for-word reading. Web users tend not to read all the text on a page; rather they simply scan for the key content. Your pages should be optimized with this fact in mind; again, following Jakob Nielsen's guidelines is a great place to start. When it comes to web pages, keep the copy short and clear-remember, less is more!

Use Casino Principles

If you've ever been in a casino in Las Vegas, Reno, or elsewhere, you will probably have noticed that, once inside, it's really hard to find an exit. [Which seems rather contrary to customer safety, but that's another issue!] There is obviously a reason for this-if customers cannot find a way out they are less likely to leave and, therefore, more likely to stay and gamble.

Similarly, if your landing page only contains links towards your goal, visitors cannot be distracted by links leading them elsewhere. Seems obvious, doesn't it?! Yet many landing pages contain the same navigation structure as the rest of the site, so it's hardly surprising customers go elsewhere other than scoring a goal for you.

Now, I'm aware that many web designers, or those they are designing for, have this mindset:

"We must provide links to the rest of our site because, even if they end up not wanting to [buy/sign up for/inquire about] the thing advertised in the ad they clicked on, there's always a chance they may want to [buy/sign up for/inquire about] another of our products/services, etc."

That mindset may be valid when it comes to real-life, concrete stores-we've all bought something else from a grocery store when we only went in to buy some milk-but web users aren't like that. Web users are very purpose-driven and impatient. If they have clicked on an ad for "green wikbots" it's because they want to buy "green wikbots." You may sell the most wonderful "yellow flisbos" on earth, but if John Doe has clicked on your "green wikbots" ad he is highly unlikely to end up buying one of your "yellow flisbos," no matter how wonderful they may be.

So, build a casino and remove all of your superfluous links . . . "Yes," even that link back to your home page!

Think Like a Customer

When determining what information to include on your landing page, make sure you are thinking like a potential customer. If you're unsure how a potential customer would think, click on an ad for something you might buy and ask yourself: "What information would I need to see in order to make an informed decision whether or not to buy this product?" Also, ask other people what information they would need in order to make such a decision.

Once you have this information to hand, present it in a clear and concise manner, bearing in mind the usability issues described above. Be sure that you have supplied all of the information that your prospects need to turn them into conversions-don't make them hunt for it but provide a clear path to the goal, otherwise the chances are they will just give up and move on to one of your competitors.

Remove those Weak Links

When it comes to landing pages, you need to make sure you have strong, powerful links that contain your calls to action. By their very nature, your landing page's hyperlinks will be some of the first elements that your visitors look at. Therefore, they need to be links that will firmly direct your visitors to your goals. A particularly effective way to do this is to hyperlink an entire sentence containing a call to action.

For example: Order our 28 page guide to making money with Google Adwords.

Also, dont' be afraid to supply more than one call to action in a hyperlink on your landing page-what doesn't work for one customer may work for another. Whatever you do, when you're deciding what to put in your hyperlinks, make sure they're not your weak link.

Don't Be Ask too much from your Visitors

As mentioned above, the copy in your landing page needs to give generously to your visitors all they need to make an informed decision. Similarly, you must not be greedy in what you ask from them. For example, as a general rule, people hate filling in forms. If your landing page requires your users to fill in a form, don't be greedy asking for more information than you really need. However, if you absolutely can't resist asking that one extra question that would make all the difference to your statistical analysis, or whatever, do not make it mandatory but make it optional.

Be warned! Your greed will probably be a barrier, stopping prospects from reaching your goals. So, don't be greedy and take only what you need, no more, no less.

Don't Sit on your Laurels

You've created your landing page, you've followed all of these tips, it looks great, it's a casino, it is your finest accomplishment as a web developer. Now it's time to sit back and watch the cash roll in! . . . WRONG!!

You cannot sit on your laurels-no-one wants squashed laurels and you shouldn't too. Instead of sitting on them, you should be testing, testing, testing! Using whatever methods you have to hand, compare the results of this landing page with another one! It may be just a small change, a slight tweak, whatever. However, you must never assume you've created the optimal landing page because there is always room for improvement. So run comparison tests for 2 pages over a reasonable period of time, scrap the lesser-performing one, repeat the process and keep those laurels fresh and verdant!

About the Author

Ian Feavearyear, J.D. has over 20 years' experience in I.T., having worked as an I.T. consultant both in California and the United Kingdom. He currently manages several AdWords advertising campaigns and is also the webmaster of AdWords-for-Profit.com, a site devoted to "making money from Google AdWords and AdSense." Ian is also the editor of the ezine newsletter, "The AdWords Prophet." As well as holding a B.A. from the U.K., Ian also graduated from Concord Law School, Los Angeles, in July 2005, where he was class valedictorian.

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Website Landing Pages That Capture And Convert

One of the biggest mistakes that website owners make is the creation of website landing pages that are not designed for a single purpose and confuse the visitor by distracting them with unrelated messages and links. An effective website is one that meets its goals and objectives through landing pages that are clear, relevant and lead the visitor to take action. That action might be lead generation or the purchase of a product. In addition, carefully crafted landing pages can assist with company promotion, branding, visitor education and/or entertainment. The website may be a single landing page designed for one purpose only or it may have multiple pages or sections that when combined, add strength and value to the website's overall mission and purpose. The best landing pages will include landing page optimization that incorporates keywords that are relevant and likely to be searched. This can draw in a stronger market, leading to much better landing page conversion. The following examples will make the landing page concept more clear.

Landing Pages for Lead Generation

If you are in a service-related business, your main objective may be to generate leads. Your visitors arrive on a landing page that presents a strong case for solving the visitor's problem, conveys trust and credibility, includes a low-risk offer and requests that the visitor complete an inquiry form. The visitor may be enticed to complete the form in exchange for a complimentary consultation or report. Whenever possible, the visitor's permission is obtained at that time to add them to your mailing list. You might include a check box (checked) that says "I would like to receive information by email from [Your Company Name]." The overall goal of this landing page is to receive leads from the inquiry form and to create a database of people who have opted-in to your list and have agreed to receive your information by email. Your response to inquiries and your list can play a major role in converting prospects into loyal repeat customers for years to come.

Landing Pages for Selling Products and Services

Perhaps your objective is to sell one or more products or services through eCommerce on your website. In that case, your landing page for each item is designed to sell with a shopping cart and automatic payment gateway. Your product page or landing page should be very clear - it should include a picture of the item (if appropriate), clear benefits for the buyer and answers to all of the visitor's questions and objections including return policies and shipping information. If multiple products are being sold, policy information can easily be made accessible through additional links from each product detail page. Depending upon your objective to sell one or more products, the visitor should be prompted to buy and check out, or add the item to his or her cart and continue shopping. Once the visitor completes the checkout process, it is important that he or she is automatically added to a database of customers. Be sure to comply with anti-spam policies and include this practice in your terms and conditions. Following up by email to your list of customers allows you to present a hot market with more and more opportunities to buy from you.

The squeeze Page for Best Landing Pages and Improved Landing Page Conversion

The squeeze page is a landing page whose purpose is to get the visitor to take action (join a mailing list or buy a product) before giving them access to the rest of the website. There are minimal or no links to additional navigation. Once the visitor subscribes or buys, they are redirected to a page where they have access to the entire website and all of its navigation.

The Importance of Focused Website Landing Pages to Search Marketing

The value of search engines to businesses cannot be overstated. The vast majority of people in all age groups are heavily relying on search marketing when looking for products and services. Searching for keywords in local and worldwide markets is easily accomplished through the Internet. The quality of the landing page produced with searching is directly proportional to landing page conversion. Let me explain in simple terms what this means. When you are selling multiple products from one website, it is critical that a visitor searching for a keyword related to one of your products, lands on the detail page with information about that product. If they are searching for cell phones for instance, they should land on a page with all of your cell phone products where they can easily get details about each cell phone and make a purchase. If your site sells a variety of electronics and your visitor lands on a general page where they have to search for cell phones, they may feel frustrated and leave the site. If they are looking for a specific model number and can land on a page where they find the exact product they are looking for, it is more likely that they will become a customer. Someone searching for a particular product is a serious buyer and not a casual shopper. When you include landing page optimization with keywords, you are more likely to find buyers and increase your landing page conversion. Also, the less distractions and choices you offer the visitor, the better your conversions will be. A distracted visitor is a confused visitor who is less likely to buy.

When Additional Website Landing Pages and Sections Add Value

There are times when additional information on your website can add to the visitor's experience and produce better results for you. Information about your company is likely to help the visitor gain trust and confidence before making purchasing decisions. This is your opportunity to provide some historical data, relay your unique selling position (USP) and in some cases, provide information about key company personnel. Adding content that provides credibility is particularly important in businesses where qualifications are important to the prospect. Some examples are financial, legal, health care and creative services. This may be accomplished through a press room section where newsworthy content about your company is showcased, by adding a page that lists your clients (when appropriate) and including testimonials that document client satisfaction. Where content helps to educate your market, articles rich in information and keywords about your industry may be the best landing pages that drive the visitor into other sections of your website. Whatever the page or section is about, it is important that it is a clear and concise landing page on that subject.

In conclusion, landing page conversion is always the goal of each landing page. Landing page optimization with keywords will produce some of the best landing pages that attract a stronger and more motivated market. Each website landing page should be focused on one specific purpose. It should have include a clear and concise message that defines your target market, emphasizes benefits, answers objections, provides credibility and includes a low-risk offer. Keep additional links to a minimum. Whenever possible, get the prospect's permission to add them to your mailing list. Applying these rules to your landing pages will increase your website's performance, value and landing page conversions.

Online design and marketing specialist, Ruth Kuttler, "the Web PuzzleMaster," is the creator of "Winning Marketing Secrets" E-zine. Get my FREE SPECIAL REPORT, "10 Simple Secrets for Making your Website into a Selling Machine!" at http://www.WebPuzzleMaster.com/newsletter.htm

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