Create Better Landing Pages
copyright, 2014, Debbi A. Ballard All rights reserved worldwide.
Most knowledgeable networkers and affiliates engaged in online marketing understand that those who create better landing pages can capture more targeted leads. Many use opt-in form landing pages to do this. Once the permission based email address is secured, then an autoresponder message can ask him/her to confirm (if a double opt-in is desired). If you don’t want to require a double opt-in, you can start emailing the lead and engage the person systematically taking them through a series of emails driving them into your sales funnel. There are, however, several important issues that need to be addressed in making for a better, more effective landing page opt-in form or any other type of landing page.
In this video, Todd Farmer, a great guy and astute marketer, introduces Tim Ash at his keynote address at Affiliate Summit West last year in Las Vegas. Tim is an internationally recognized expert at conversions and wrote the book, Landing Page Optimization. You can find more information about him and his services at SiteTuners.com. In this video, he highlights several critical considerations in creating higher conversions whenever you have a Call-to-Action (CTA). His tips can be applied to any landing page whether it is an opt-in form or not. A CTA can be getting visitors to sign up for a special report, a newsletter, an ebook, a white paper, or make a purchase, complete a survey, etc. I will summarize his thoughts and share with you some other landing page optimization tips.
Address Buyer Intent
1) The most important consideration is buyer intent. The landing page must be tailored to this. Hence, the psychology of knowing and addressing buyer intent must take precedence over the technology. Tim says that the technology must service the psychology. Those who have followed my blog and heard me speak know that this is something that I ardently support since too often I see technology itself touted as the holy grail.
Have a Small Number of Choices
2) Create a small number of choices. Whatever the product choices or the form fields are in signing up, making a purchase, etc., do not overload the visitor with too many options. Simple is better. People online often have an extremely limited attention span, so address that issue and you can experience higher conversions. As a student of neuroscience, Tim understands that the brain, when presented with too many choices, tires easily and the person is apt to leave without making a decision.
Visitors Respond to the Pricing Order
3) When you show pricing options, start with the highest priced item first and then show the other options in a decreasing price order. Visitors will focus on the prices and often you can make more sales if there are varying price points presented this way.
Speak to Each Tribe
4) Segment and tailor each landing page with a specific target audience in mind. If you have a product that appeals to a wealthy audience that loves high end anti-aging beauty products, then speak to them differently than you would when you market a product that has a more broad based appeal. Tim refers to this as addressing your “cultural tribes.” Speak to your customers and your prospects online and offline. Learn their language, their needs and wants, and then use that knowledge and understanding to create better landing pages that will entice them to seek your help in solving their specific problems. (Remember that focus groups and surveys are helpful as well.)
Use Powerful Visuals
5) Don’t just hire any graphic designer and expect that person to understand the nuances of using visuals online effectively in marketing your product/service. Tim states that most of your brain is dedicated to visual processing. Thus selecting the right visuals can have a dramatic impact on the conversions of your landing pages. He stressed the fact that using faces properly (with the right facial expression) can increase conversions. He recommends using real people in your landing pages instead of models used in stock photos. Using your real customers, for example, can be very powerful. (Make sure you get written approval to do so from them.)
You can also use a thumbnail video, a clickable icon that starts a video or other options but he recommends that you do not use autoplay in any of your videos. (People at work visiting your site or landing page may leave if the sound starts playing automatically.)
Other Recommendations
Another recommendation I suggest, is making sure there is consistency in your positioning. How you present yourself and your company on your website must be consistent with your landing page. If you are driving a visitor who has been to your site to a specific landing page, and that landing page somehow creates a disparity in the mind of the visitor, this can lead to the visitor quickly leaving the landing page.
Also make sure you look at the type of font, the size of the font, the color of the CTA button or icon. These can impact conversions. Split test your landing pages to see which one creates the highest conversion rate. Go online and read case studies about various landing pages that were tested marketing similar products/services with similar target audiences. (Understand, however, that results may not be entirely applicable to your offering.)
Note that a new landing page creator was recently introduced. You still have to keep Tim’s advice in mind along with the other recommendations, but this helps to make it easier for you to set one up that attracts a lot of attention and allows you to incorporate the psychological components that can lead to higher conversions. This landing page creator can save you time, effort and monies.
Now that you know how to create better landing pages, let me know if you are attending Affiliate Summit West 2015 in Las Vegas in January. I will be there so it would be great to meet you! You can probably say “Hello” to Todd Farmer and Tim Ash as well since they are usually always there too.
(INLC is an affiliate for the landing page creator mentioned in this article and for the Affiliate Summit. Should you make a purchase via any link, INLC could receive remuneration. A product/service is mentioned only if we feel it could be useful for you, the reader, regardless whether or not we might receive compensation.)
Debbi A. Ballard introduced the world’s first comprehensive marketing and management consulting services for start-ups and established multinational firms in the mlm network marketing industry. A consultant, speaker, author and expert witness, she is considered a trusted authority and visionary in that industry. She is also recognized for her innovation and leadership relating to the convergence issues that impact mlm and affiliate marketing.
About the Author: MLM Consultant, Expert Witness, Author, Blogger, Speaker and CEO of International Network Liaison Corporation...but more importantly, wife, mother, daughter, aunt, cousin and friend.
