The biggest mistake we see when putting marketing dollars behind paid advertising is not optimizing your landing page for the campaign. While the cost is low to send traffic to your website, in most cases you are going to need a dedicated landing page focused on conversions for those campaigns and audiences.
Why do I Need to Create a Landing Page for Paid Campaigns?
It’s easy — think about the user’s journey. This user may not know your brand, what you offer, or why they should go with you versus a competitor. They click on an ad and they get sent to a homepage that doesn’t have a clear call-to-action, or they get sent to a contact page but it doesn’t explain what your company does. When creating a landing page specifically for your paid campaigns, you should do both. By giving the user high-level information, plus a clear call-to-action, you can get them to convert without bouncing through your website.
Not only does this help a user convert, but it also makes Google happy. By creating a customized page for the campaign, you can improve your Google Ads Quality Score, lower cost per click, and increase lead generation.
Want to know more about The Importance of Landing Pages to PPC? Read our blog to find out.
What Should I Include on a Paid Landing Page?
While this can vary depending on the industry, here are the top five elements to keep in mind:
1. Clear Headline and Sub-headline
When we put together a landing page testing plan we always start with a headline test and every time the short, concise headline is what hooks a user to convert. We don’t blame a brand when they want to use a headline that includes their tagline or years in service, but when you are straight to the point of what you are offering your users will convert.
According to Nielsen Norman Group, you have 10 seconds to capture your user’s attention to stay on the page longer, and this can be accomplished with a clear value proposition. For example, a client of Mad Fish Digitals’ offers handyman services and we tested “Providing Expert Handyman Services for Over 70 Years” compared to “Handyman Services” and saw a 3% increase in conversion with the short headline. The sub-headline should follow up with what your service or offering is, or what benefits the user will receive by converting.
2. Clear Call-to-Action
The space a user sees when they land on a webpage is called above-the-fold. When a user lands on your page, the call-to-action should always be within that space, regardless of the device type, including desktop, tablet, or mobile. When you are creating a paid landing page, it should always include either a form, button, or phone number. We suggest using a phone tracking number if this is the route you are going.
The form or button should stand out from the rest of the page by using a high-contrast button color or, if using a form, making it stand out from the rest of the page.
3. Concise Content
A paid landing page should always use concise, easy-to-scan content. Potential customers are looking for quick information on how this could benefit them, so keep that in mind when highlighting your service or product. We suggest the use of small paragraphs, bulleted lists, or callouts with images/icons to make it easy to skim and digest. This also means keeping the length of the page brief to encourage a user to fill out a form to get more information.
4. Remove All Hyperlinks
Do NOT give your user any options to click through to another page. With paid campaigns, the goal is conversions. When you give a user an option to learn more or click to another page they won’t convert. This means not hyperlinking your logo or adding a phone number (unless it’s tracked), any social media links, or “learn more” buttons.
5. Test!
Every paid landing page should be tested against variations to continue to increase conversions. We suggest testing every 30-90 days depending on the conversion difference and traffic to the page. By testing, you will find what works best for your users. As mentioned above, starting with a headline test, moving sections around, and trying new images or content sections are just a few things to start with.
While these are only five elements to keep in mind, there are many more ways to increase your conversion on your paid landing pages and Mad Fish is here to help. Learn more about our paid advertising services and design strategies.
