You’ve paid for the click and now you need to make the most of it. We asked three experts to share their secrets on how to design the best landing page so that every pay-per-click lead from a search engine turns into a buyer.
Daniel Yomtobian, CEO, Advertise.com
Make it match. When it comes to PPC in particular, it is super important to understand the nature of search and how fickle the user can be in their commitment to visiting your landing page. They can be gone as quickly as they came. Search engines are used for quick access to information, products and services, so it would be best to match the vibe of the process with a complementary landing page. Do whatever possible to be consistent with the message of the PPC ad. Do your best to have the landing page reiterate any sales, unique identifier or any specific information that may have brought the user to your site in the first place. Using the keyword on the landing page is great too. Since the one concrete thing you know of the user is the search term, you may want to include the keyword “affordable shoes” somewhere on the page. The user loves the consistency.
Mark Schwartz, managing partner, Steak Digital
Find your calling. Sometimes the simplest yet most effective step you can take to improve your landing page is to take a long hard look at your call to action. Even today, we see examples of Web sites where the calls to action are unclear, buried or completely missing. Your entire Web strategy should be focused on a core set of activities that you want your users to perform. Let the three “Cs” guide you: Is it clear? Is it concise? And does it communicate what visitors should do? More often than not, visitors to your site never bother to scroll down past the first part of the page. Placing your call to action above the fold, even in the header graphic, ensures that visitors see your message and understand the purpose behind the page.
Josh Fialky, senior client manager, Idearc Search Marketing
Let there be links. The last thing you want to do is trap a user on one landing page. The navigation should match the look and feel of the rest of your corporate site or larger e-commerce site. Keeping your navigation consistent also allows users to continue to browse or explore your site’s other products or services. If users bounce off the page immediately because there is nowhere else for them to go, you may pay for an additional click as they navigate back. You don’t want visitors to lose trust or lose momentum getting through the site. Also put ways for visitors to convert on the top and the bottom of the page. Many people are using search on smaller screens and benefit from multiple links from each portion of the screen.
