Landing pages: create a campaign, not a car crash

Reflecting on why my road trip was such a blast, I realised that the journey itself was a big part of the experience. Google maps ensured that I was taking the most logical and direct route, whilst witty podcasts and familiar sound tracks kept the entertainment factor high.

And then of course, the destination was super important. The destination not only had to match the thrill of the journey, but better it, by giving me plenty to see and do, maybe even memories to last a lifetime. Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay, Brisbane and Noosa didn’t disappoint – and neither should your landing pages.

In many ways your digital campaigns need to be like well-planned road trips. Clear and enjoyable paths leading to relevant and memorable destinations.

In today’s saturated online marketplace, it can be tricky to draw traffic to your website, and even harder to convert this traffic into leads. Indeed, return on your hard-earned investment funds can be bleak if you’re not nailing basic search engine marketing (SEM) principles in your online campaigns – especially when it comes to landing pages.

So, let’s save you some money and get into a few of them now:

1. Does the journey match the destination?

There needs to be cohesiveness between your digital ads/content and the destination where they’re directing customers. This includes the ‘look and feel’ (design and copy) along with the call to action (what you want people to do).

Perhaps most critically, your banner ads, social media posts and every other digital carrot you use to motivate customers should have a message that’s echoed on your landing page. If prospective customers don’t see what they’re expecting to see when they land on your website, they’ll hit the road pretty quickly. Key takeaway – keep your message consistent and use familiar graphic elements throughout your campaign.

2. What do you want people to do?

Never assume people will know what you want them to do when they land on your website. Instead, you need to spell it out.

Whether it’s making an enquiry, downloading a resource, going into a database or balancing a vase on their head, you should be clear and compelling in your request for action.

What’s more, if you’re employing a contact form so that users can submit an enquiry or make a booking, here’s how you can ensure it is seen:

• Place the contact form on the first fold of the page
• Use minimal fields (just collect essential information)
• We use dropdowns and checkboxes to make things simple
• Use an automated thank you message and provide next steps for your user

3. Be smart and beautiful

If you’re spending time and money attracting visitors to your landing page, make sure they like what they see when they arrive. A well-designed landing page, including smooth and logical functionality, cleverly written copy and strategically placed graphic elements will make people more inclined to give you their details. A smart and beautiful website is more trustworthy, more likely to convert leads to sales and help you achieve your goals.

4. No distractions

This is one of the most important things to get right, and perhaps the one where most campaigns falter. You should think of your landing page like a funnel – a guiding path with a single direction towards the end action you want users to take (e.g. make an enquiry).

If your campaign landing page is littered with superfluous information, or even worse, links to other pages and resources, you’re at risk of distracting your visitors. Ultimately, every word and image on your campaign landing page should be influencing users and guiding them to complete the desired action.

Need a driver for your next digital campaign?

If you’re looking for someone to take the wheel of your next online sales campaign, get in touch with our team and we’ll support you to find leads and get results.