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6 Steps to SOLD

Susan Minniear from Google explains the importance of landing pages by writing…

“Are you planning a site re-design? Is your landing page not converting well enough? Hopefully you’ve got the basics covered, and your landing page has a search function, contact information and a strong marketing message. But what else can you do to improve your conversion rate?

Once a visitor lands on your website, the clock starts ticking and you have only a few seconds to convince them to stay there, let alone make a purchase. At first glance, a user should know that they are in the right place and that their transactions will be secure. Sound daunting? With only a few easy changes, you can convert more visitors. Consider these six points as you assess the strengths and weaknesses of your current site and plan your re-design.

#1. Custom Landing Pages - Add a Personal Touch

Does your landing page have a navigation bar or feature multiple product lines and promotions? If so, you are committing conversion suicide. You must convince the visitor that the landing page is just for them. Avoid using home pages or all-inclusive multipurpose landing pages. Create specific landing pages for every ad and paid search term. When you land a visitor on your home page, they may stay longer and check out more of your pages, but chances are they won’t make a purchase. Instead, consider taking your visitors to a custom landing page. They’ll stay on your site a shorter amount of time, but they’ll convert about three times more often. And whatever you do, do not include a navigation bar on your landing pages - it’s completely unrelated to your sale and can dramatically lower your conversion rate.

Custom landing pages are so important for pay-per-click advertising because you are creating consistency from keyword to ad to landing page. Many campaigns fall short of their goals due to an overly general landing page which does not meet the customer’s expectations of relevancy. Just make sure you include some branding elements that will help consumers understand who you are and what you offer.”

If you’re looking to improve your site conversions and improve online sales, this 6 Step article is a must read. Paying for AdWords, optimizing your content, edging your way up in the natural search results – is great. But, your work doesn’t end there. Read the rest of the article For Steps 2-6

*Note, we contacted Google because only 5 of the 6 steps are identified and the content seems to be a bit out of order. The ideas are all good, so we’re still referencing it on our blog.

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Tags: Conversions, Ecommerce, Google Analytics, Web Analytics