ou bust your tail drumming up traffic for your website.
Building links, guest posting, participating in forums, podcasting and more.
It’s hard work too. Not for the faint of heart. But you finally start seeing results – the traffic starts dribbling in…slowly at first.
As it increases you start getting excited. You look at your Google Analytics account and start envisioning dollar signs.
“Shouldn’t be too long now” you think to yourself.
“I’m getting traffic, so subscribers and sales will logically follow. I just need to be patient”.
So you wait…and wait…and wait some more.
But nothing. No sales and very few newsletter sign-ups.
Now you’re just frustrated. The traffic is there, you can clearly see that in you Analytics account.
Hmmm…WTF?
Here’s the cold reality…
Traffic is worthless unless it converts on the intended action. Landing pages are a critical part of this process but so often overlooked. But you don’t need to run your business like, here’s 5 landing page tips to amplify a failing lander.
Read more: http://www.leanmeanmarketing.com/landing-page-tips#ixzz2U5Bv81KE
Follow us: @ajhiddleston on Twitter | ahiddleston.inc on Facebook
1. leanmeanmarket ing.com http://www.leanmeanmarketing.com/landing-page-tips
5 Tips to Increase Landing Page Conversions
by Andrew Hiddleston
You bust your tail drumming up traf f ic f or your website.
Building links, guest posting, participating in f orums,
podcasting and more.
It’s hard work too. Not f or the f aint of heart. But you f inally
start seeing results – the traf f ic starts dribbling in…slowly at
f irst.
As it increases you start getting excited. You look at your
Google Analytics account and start envisioning dollar signs.
“Shouldn’t be too long now” you think to yourself .
“I’m getting traf f ic, so subscribers and sales will logically
f ollow. I just need to be patient”.
So you wait…and wait…and wait some more.
But nothing. No sales and very f ew newsletter sign-ups.
Now you’re just f rustrated. The traf f ic is there, you can clearly see that in you Analytics account.
Hmmm…WTF?
Here’s the cold reality…
Traf f ic is worthless unless it converts on the intended action. Landing pages are a critical part of this process
but so of ten overlooked. But you don’t need to run your business like, here’s 5 landing page tips to amplif y a
f ailing lander.
Your Landing Page is Not a Landing Page
Let’s get this one out of the way f irst.
Wikipedia’s def inition of a landing page:
“single web page that appears in response to clicking on an online advertisement. The landing page
will usually display directed sales copy that is a logical extension of the advertisement, search result
or link.”
So, landing pages help f acilitate a single action. Each component of the page should move the visitor towards
that action.
If you use WordPress avoid generic post or page templates. For very little investment you can have a custom
page template created within your current theme. Then use the template each time a landing page is needed.
2. Here’s what I mean:
Standard blog post template (not suitable f or landing page):
http://www.leanmeanmarketing.com/lower-bounce-rate
Custom landing page template (made f or landing pages):
http://www.leanmeanmarketing.com/jay-abraham-poster
You can see that extra links, menus and distractions have been removed. Conversions will naturally increase
because you’ve limited the number of choices.
Your Headline Downright Sucks
Of course landing page design is important. I’d be lying if I said otherwise.
But a f lat or boring headline can be just as dangerous. Don’t believe me?
It’s a scary stat but approximately 80% of your traf f ic will bounce without reading f urther…if the headline
doesn’t captivate.
Deliver a powerful round house kick of benefits in your headline.
I’m not kidding either. The reader should feel the power of your headline.
And let’s f orget about cute or “smart” angles. Testing shows they rarely outperf orm solid and desirable
benef its.
So instead f ocus on simple f ormulas that have been working f or 90+ years. Guess what? They still work
today like gangbusters!
Here are 3 headline f ormulas you can take to the bank:
How to [Boring Task] That [Awesome Benef it]
Little Known Ways to [blank]
Get Rid of [problem] Once and For All
Need help coming up with a starting point?
Write 2 or 3 dif f erent versions of the headline. Make sure each has a dif f erent appeal.
Now send them to f riends or colleagues and ask which one they like best. And which one was most appealing
and why.
That will give you rough insight and a possible starting point f or your headline.
Your Call to Action is Plain Jane Generic
Finally something that’s really easy to f ix.
Your call to action is the last piece of copy bef ore the visitor commits to the intended action. The more
personal you make it the better.
3. Here’s what I mean…
A recent call to action split test produced some rather stunning results. The only dif f erence was page A said
“Start Your Free Trail” and page B said “Start My Free Trail”.
One small dif f erence on pages containing almost 3,000 words.
Guess what the results were?
90% higher conversion rate on page B – MY Free Trial. WOW!
So right of the bat, avoid generic CTA’s like:
Subscribe
Submit
Sign-up
I personally hate “Submit”. It’s cold sounding even on corporate websites.
Like saying “Look buddy, you’re lucky I’m even letting you sign-up to my list so be quiet and submit”
Seriously, what am I submitting to?
You get my point. Make your call to action all about them. Make it personal.
Your Pitch or Promise Sounds Like BS
First of f , there is a BIG dif f erence between sounds like BS and is BS.
Sounding too pitchy can easily be corrected. But if you’re all pitch then Houston we have a problem.
Look at this way, if your promise (in exchange f or money or a sign-up) sounds unbelievable then back it up with
social proof . Add testimonials f rom customers or subscribers who validate your promise.
Don’t have any customers yet?
Call on f riends or colleagues to try out your product or services.
Don’t have f riends or colleagues?
Yikes! Email me and we will talk
Collect f eedback f rom this initial group and create testimonials. It really is that simple. And your
testimonials will be genuine which is important, please don’t make them up. That’s a path you don’t want OR
need to take.
I recommend editing the testimonials – of course with the individual’s permission.
You can then really drive home the benef its of your promise. Even better use your testimonials as a platf orm
to address hidden objections.
Your Vague or Unclear About Time-frame
Bet you didn’t think about this one.
4. But it sure can make a dif f erence in conversions.
We humans are self ish creatures. How does it af f ect me?
Not only f rom a f inancial (cost) perspective but also commitment (how long).
If possible, clearly state how long it takes to achieve the desired outcome.
2 weeks? 30 days? 6 months?
Obviously shorter the better.
But if you’re selling some all-natural weight loss program that saf ely sheds hundreds of pounds of unwanted
body f at…maybe 6 months isn’t bad?
The point is, adding a time-f rame can help substantiate the validity of your promise.
Landing Page Optimization Tips
OK, let’s quickly review so you put these landing page tips into action.
Here’s what I would do:
Design: Is landing page designed with one goal in mind? Does everything move the visitor towards
desired action?
Headline: Does headline contain benef it? Is it believable? Can you use a double benef it in your
headline?
CTA: Is call to action generic? Have you used ME or MY?
Hype: Do you have testimonials? Are your claims outrageous? Can you back up your promise?
Time: How long will it take to achieve the result?
These 5 landing page tips are just a starting point.
Ultimately each market and niche is dif f erent. Each group may respond dif f erently to the same change.
However that’s what makes this job so much f un.