Pay-per-click is one of the most lucrative and cost-effective marketing strategies available to businesses of all shapes and sizes, but there is little point in spending money on adverts on Google or social media if your landing pages aren’t up to scratch.
Those pages – designed to entice people to take action on your website – can be a powerful marketing weapon when implemented effectively, but many businesses struggle to generate a return on their investment – just 22% say they’re satisfied with the PPC conversion rates.
Typical landing page conversion rates measure in at between 1% and 3%, but companies with properly optimised landing pages can see that figure jump to as a high as 10-20%.
Below, we’ve put together some of the best ways to increase conversions from your landing pages, become more agile and competitive, get more bang for your pay-per-click buck…
We get it: in today’s hyper-competitive times when customers can choose from hundreds of other businesses in your niche, you naturally want to create visually impressive landing pages that evoke a response – and whilst eye-catching colours and images might get people to give your website a second look, they won’t necessarily increase conversion rates on site.
We’re not saying that design isn’t important, but design is not as important as the clarity of your message and value proposition, so make sure you’re clear on who you are, what you’re offering, and how people can sign up. Consider testing clear, easy-to-understand landing pages with interactive, design-led pages to see which works best for you; we guarantee that the pages that are clear, concise, and don’t distract visitors’ attention will come out on top.
For example, research from Instapage shows that 84% of landing pages have navigation bars, but removing those navigation menus can increase conversions by 100%, as you’re removing distractions and unnecessary information from the page so as not to overwhelm a visitor. Having said that, long landing pages with lots of in-depth information and resources can increase conversions by up 220%, so it pays to A/B test to see what works in your niche.
There’s nothing more frustrating than clicking on an advert you found on Google, only for it to lead you to a website that’s unrelated to your search. For businesses, that can also be very expensive – if you’re paying £2-10 every time a lead clicks through to your website, and the majority bounce back to the search engine results page, then you’re not going to generate a strong return on your investment, so focus on the keywords that your customers are using.
When putting together your landing page copy, focus on the keyword and intent of searches to properly service your customers. There’s very little point in sending ‘best hotel in Dundee’ searchers to a landing page on buying a hotel – the chances are that those customers are looking to book a night’s stay in the city.
Be consistent with your messages, and hone in on the most searched-for keywords, sending them to relevant, targeted landing pages. Doing so will also improve your search engine optimisation over time, so it’s worth putting in the effort.
That also means getting specific and creating multiple landing pages for different keywords and phrases related to your products and services. According to HubSpot, businesses see a 55% increase in leads when they increase the number of landing pages from 10 to 15, and businesses with more than 40 landing pages generate 12 times as many leads than those with 1 to 5 landing pages, so in the case of optimising conversions, the more the merrier!
What are you doing differently to your competitors, and how can you demonstrate that on your landing page? PPC can be an expensive exercise, and so if your landing pages aren’t doing everything they can to sell the benefits of your products and services, then you’re likely going to throw money away.
The key to a successful landing page is giving your visitors the necessary information they need before signing up or buying something from you, so focus on your unique selling proposition to push visitors through your funnel. Generic, vague and non-descript landing pages simply won’t cut it – work out what you’re good at, and exploit it.
There’s a definite science to calls to action, with evidence suggesting that some button and form field designs perform better than others, but if you’re not giving users a reason to click that button, then there’s no point in a landing page at all.
Marketing Experiments’ research shows that 48% of landing pages contain multiple offers, but simplifying your landing pages will ensure that your message is loud and clear. By reducing the number of form fields from 11 to 4, you can increase conversion by up to 120%, so cut back and make sure you’ve got a single, clear call to action that delivers on users’ search intentions and generates new leads.
Avoid using language like ‘Submit’ or ‘Sign Up’ on buttons – make it clear what users will get when they click on your call to action, whether that’s a download or a callback, and make it as compelling as possible. All bells, all whistles, but with a clear intention and end-result.
Finally, use your landing page to build trust and show off case studies and testimonials from clients and previous customers. One increasingly popular strategy employed by businesses is social media mentions – tweets and Instagram posts serve as tangible evidence that your business is delivering results, increasing your reputation, credibility, and the likelihood of a new lead signing up with your business.
Again, we recommend A/B testing testimonials to see which work best for your niche – a fashion and beauty landing page, for example, may thrive with Instagram reviews, but a business development service may get more value out of video testimonials, where real customers can explain the benefits of working with you.
At Zudu, we offer a range of services designed to increase conversions from your landing pages, including web design, pay-per-click management, and conversion rate optimisation. Give us a call today on 01382 690 080 to arrange a free consultation and quotation.
