The Landing page of a PPC campaign is often undervalued or too easily overlooked. Building the right landing page will actually lower your costs by increasing your quality score and more importantly increase your conversions.
Research has shown that roughly 80% of PPC campaigns are sent to non-specific PPC landing pages such as:
– Homepage
– Product Page
– Sign up or Registration page
Sending your PPC traffic to specific landing pages can be the key to increasing your ROI and lowering your costs, although I am fully aware that in many instances there are internal resource or setup restrictions inhibiting unique landing page creation. So I’ve put together a quick check list for building your conversion optimised landing pages or optimising what you already to hand:
1. Highly relevant and related page to your ad copy.
The last thing you want is to pay for someone to visit your site and then bounce the minute they land, so you need to ensure that there is a strong connection from the ad copy through to the landing page, providing what you promised within the ad.
Not only does this increase the likelihood of conversions but it also increases your quality score and competitiveness.
– Clear headlines referencing keywords or promotions used within the ad copy.
– I know it sounds silly but obviously the related service or product. Don’t make the user search for it – land them on the appropriate page.
– Highly relevant and related is the key.
2. Support for your Call to Action
To enable someone to complete your desired action, you will need to support them with enough information that they feel comfortable and convinced that they are getting the best option available or exactly what they are looking for. You can achieve this by answering presumptive questions and providing enough information about the service, product or what they will be receiving; whilst balancing quality with the right quantity of text, ensuring that it is concise and to the point information as this is more effective.
3. Clear and straight forward funnel
The landing page should be optimised to reduce the need for additional clicks, as every additional click reduces the likelihood of a “conversion”.
Best Practices Guidelines:
– Include any initial data capture on the first page to increase engagement and continuation of the conversion funnel.
– Use multiple call to actions to increase response.
– include clickable images where relevant to increase continuation of the conversion funnel.
– Use quality graphics to create empathy with your target audience.
– Consider limiting menu options to reduce the likelihood of visitors venturing off goal.
4. Reinforce your credibility.
Trust is incredibly important and for a potential consumer who may not know your brand you need to convey why they should choose you.
Consider presenting yourself as credible and trustworthy by showing the following:
– Years established
– Customer testimonials
– Partners
– Awards
– Customer Support
– Guarantees
5. Reinforce your USP’s
Online the consumer is King, you need to tell them how they will benefit from choosing you instead of buying or going elsewhere.
– Free Delivery
– Easy Returns
– Helpful Installations
– Green Ethos
– Price Match
– Guarantee’s etc.
Visualise your customer profiles and include on the landing page what is important to them.
6. Mobile friendly – They year of the mobile is finally here!
The last few years have been talked about as the year of the mobile, but we are finally there and consumer habits have now changed. If you don’t change your strategy you will be leaving a big piece of the pie on the table for someone who has.
There is so much more to optimise outside of bid management and by optimising your landing page for improved quality score, lower cost per clicks and increased conversions you will increase your ROI.
