16/01/2024 • Andrew Lowdon
LANDING PAGES: THE SECRET SAUCE FOR DIGITAL MARKETING SUCCESS
Insights Article
Supercharging Your Ad Performance With Landing Pages: The Secret Sauce for Digital Marketing Success
Advertisers spent over $280 billion on Google and Meta globally in 2022.
That’s a staggering figure that underscores the importance of online advertising in today's digital landscape.
Investment in digital marketing is growing. There’s a greater focus on ads that educate or entertain users. But all too often, one critical element remains an afterthought.
Where do we send the users who engage with our ads?
Websites are often cluttered with distractions, pop-ups, and numerous exit points. Landing pages give users a tightly focused point of engagement.
In this thought leadership piece, we'll delve into the pivotal role landing pages play in the success of online advertising campaigns. We’ll examine their potential to captivate and convert then we’ll show how to harness their power
If you’re a business looking to maximise your digital advertising ROI you can’t afford to stop reading.
Andrew Lowdon • Strategy Director
@AndrewlowdonI have both an agency and client-side background, which I utilise to be able to understand the unique challenges faced by both parties and maximise the potential opportunities available.
Throughout my career, I've worked across a wide variety of verticals, with brands from start-ups through to category leaders. I have a particular interest in helping SMEs to utilise the digital opportunities to challenge the market leaders.
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What is a landing page?
Understanding the fundamental role of landing pages is paramount for any marketer seeking to stay ahead of the curve. So, what exactly are landing pages, and what purpose do they serve in the context of marketing?
Landing pages are purpose-built, standalone web pages designed with one specific objective in mind: to convert visitors into leads or paying customers.
Landing pages are created with highly focused content and a clear call to action (CTA) that compels visitors to take a desired action, such as filling out a form, making a purchase, or signing up for a newsletter. Unlike typical cluttered web pages, landing pages are devoid of distractions like navigation menus, multiple links, and unrelated content.
The Purpose of a landing page
Landing pages are the link between your digital advertising efforts and conversion. An ad encourages the user to take action and find out more. A landing page takes visitors on a carefully crafted journey that fulfils the promises of your ad campaign. Whether it's a pay-per-click (PPC) ad, a social media post, or an email campaign it should be a seamless and compelling experience that completes the user’s journey.
The problems with sending traffic to your homepage
In the early days of digital marketing when competition was lower, sending traffic directly to a website's home page may have been ok. This approach doesn't work today, though, for several reasons:
- Distractions: Most websites are riddled with distractions. The homepage, for instance, typically contains links to various sections of the site, blog posts, and sometimes even ads. These distractions dilute the user's focus, making it easier for them to navigate away from the desired action.
- Lost context: When you send your paid traffic to a generic webpage, you risk losing the context and relevance established in your advertising campaign. Visitors may find themselves disoriented or unsure about what to do next, diminishing the chances of conversion.
- Information overload: Website pages often carry an abundance of information about different aspects of your business or offerings. While this can be valuable for in-depth research, it can overwhelm a visitor who arrived with a specific intention.
In the modern marketing landscape attention spans are shorter and competition is fiercer than ever. That’s where the true power of landing pages lies. They are focused, distraction-free and align seamlessly with the intent of the visitor. This enhances the likelihood of conversion and delivers a superior return on advertising investment.
This focus is especially paramount when advertising to younger audiences.
Data from Google shows 65% of Gen Z agree that content that is personally relevant to them is more important than the content lots of other people talk about.
Next up, we’ll explore the essential elements that make landing pages effective. We’ll also share best practices for creating high-converting, purpose-driven landing pages.
WHY YOU SHOULD USE LANDING PAGES IN PAID MEDIA CAMPAIGNS
Landing pages are not just another tool in the marketer's arsenal. They’re the secret sauce that can elevate the success of your paid media campaigns.
Let's explore the core benefits that stem from integrating landing pages into your digital advertising strategy.
01. IMPROVED USER EXPERIENCE
There’s nothing worse than being presented with distractions when you’re clear on what you’re trying to do. Landing pages strip away distractions and present visitors with a clear, singular focus and a seamless, highly relevant user experience.
When this is the case visitors are less likely to be overwhelmed. They’re more likely to engage with your content and take the desired action. This improved user experience is pivotal in capturing and retaining the attention of your audience. It can turn casual browsers into active participants in your campaign.
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02. MORE PAYING CUSTOMERS
One of the primary purposes of landing pages is to drive conversions. Whether your goal is to collect contact information, make a sale, or encourage a download, landing pages are designed with a specific call to action (CTA) in mind. This focused approach, combined with the elimination of distractions, has the potential to significantly boost your conversion rates. Visitors who arrive on a landing page are more likely to follow through on the intended action, as they are presented with a compelling case for doing so.
03. Alignment with campaign objectives
Landing pages are pivotal in ensuring that your campaign objectives are met. They are crafted with a singular purpose in mind, aligning seamlessly with the specific message and intent of your advertising campaign. Whether you're promoting a new product, a limited-time offer, or an educational resource, the landing page is tailored to reflect your campaign's goals. A standard website homepage, category page or product page is not.
This alignment between ad content and landing page content builds a sense of coherence, reinforcing the message and increasing the likelihood that visitors will complete the desired action.
Landing pages allow for A/B testing, which enables marketers to experiment with different elements and content variations to find the most effective combinations. This iterative approach, informed by data and insights, further solidifies the alignment with campaign objectives and enhances the overall campaign's performance.
Landing pages are the workhorses of successful paid media campaigns. They ensure a superior user experience, drive higher conversion rates, offer robust tracking and analytics, and harmoniously sync with campaign objectives.
When harnessed correctly, landing pages become the foundation of your digital advertising strategy, propelling your marketing efforts to new heights of success.
How to create effective landing pages
Crafting high-impact landing pages takes time, thought, and understanding of what your audience wants . Mastering this is essential for reaping the full benefits of your paid media campaigns. Here are some key strategies and considerations for building landing pages that convert, captivate, and engage your audience effectively.
DESIGN AND STRUCTURE PAGES FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT
KEEP IT SIMPLE
The cardinal rule of landing page design is simplicity. Clutter-free, visually appealing layouts with a clear hierarchy of content are essential. Don’t be afraid to use white space, alongside concise text and high-quality imagery to draw the visitor's attention to the focal point — CTA
01. HEADLINES THAT GRAB THE ATTENTION
Craft compelling headlines that concisely convey the value proposition of your offer and, most importantly, the benefits the customer will receive from using your product or service. A persuasive headline should speak directly to the visitor's needs and desires, generating immediate interest.
02. COMPELLING VISUALS
Use relevant, high-quality images or videos that reinforce your message. Visual content can convey your message faster and more effectively than text alone.
When this is the case visitors are less likely to be overwhelmed. They’re more likely to engage with your content and take the desired action. This improved user experience is pivotal in capturing and retaining the attention of your audience. It can turn casual browsers into active participants in your campaign.
03. SOCIAL PROOF AND TRUST SIGNALS
Incorporate elements like customer testimonials, trust badges, press coverage and industry awards to build trust and credibility. These reassure visitors that they are making the right choice by engaging with your brand.
USE CLEAR AND PERSUASIVE CTA'S
01. BE EXPLICIT
Your CTA should leave no room for ambiguity. Use concise and action-oriented language that tells visitors exactly what you want them to do. Phrases like "Get Started," "Download Now," or "Sign Up Today" are clear and persuasive. Vague CTAs like “Click Here” or “Shop” are not.
02. CONTRAST AND VISUAL HIERARCHY
Make the CTA button stand out through colour contrast or size. Visitors should instinctively and immediately recognise it as the next step in their journey.
03. URGENCY AND SCARCITY
Encourage immediate action by highlighting urgency (such as limited-time offers) or scarcity (limited quantities). These psychological triggers can motivate visitors to act promptly.
MOBILE OPTIMISATION IS VITAL
In today's mobile-first world, optimising landing pages for mobile devices is not an option but a necessity.
01. Responsive Designs
Ensure your landing page is responsive and adapts seamlessly to various screen sizes and orientations. Test your page on different mobile devices to guarantee a user-friendly experience.
02. Load Time
Mobile users are often on slower connections. Optimise images and minimise unnecessary elements to reduce load times. A fast-loading page keeps visitors engaged and less likely to bounce.
03. Thumb-Friendly Layout
Position the CTA where it's easily accessible by a user's thumb. Mobile users shouldn't have to pinch and zoom to interact with your landing page.
04. Use Simple Forms
If your landing page includes a form, keep it as concise as possible. Mobile users are less likely to complete lengthy forms on their devices. Request only the essential information you need to progress to the next stage of the sales process.
By adhering to these principles and carefully considering your target audience, you create landing pages that not only capture the visitor's attention but also guide them seamlessly towards your intended goal. The art of effective landing page design lies in striking a balance between aesthetics, functionality, and persuasive elements, all while prioritising mobile-friendliness in the mobile-dominated digital landscape.
If you want more information on what content to include on your landing page, check out the 7 things to include on a landing page.
Conversation Rate Optimisation (CRO) Software
Landing pages can be built from scratch on your website platform or you could use a platform like Unbounce or Instapage which is specifically designed for creating landing pages and includes built-in CRO tools. These platforms can also be used to build different versions of landing pages to conduct A/B tests. This lets you experiment with variations in design, content, and CTAs to determine which elements drive higher conversions.
Heat Maps
Landing pages have more content than a standard website page. This makes it imperative to understand how users interact with it. Tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg provide heatmaps that visually display where users are clicking, moving their mouse, and scrolling on your landing pages. This information helps you understand user engagement and identify areas of interest or concern.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Integration
If your landing page collects lead information, integrating it with a CRM system like Salesforce or HubSpot can help you manage leads effectively. You can track the customer journey from lead capture to conversion and better understand the quality of leads generated.
Advertising Pixels
A high proportion of traffic can be expected to move through from the landing page to the checkout. Incorporating your ad pixels on the landing pages enables your advertising platforms to maximise the accumulation of traffic data to inform campaign targeting better.
How to track and measure success
Once your landing pages are live and your paid media campaigns are underway the critical phase of tracking and measuring success begins. This step is crucial for refining your strategies and optimising your campaigns. Let’s delve into the tools and metrics that will help you evaluate the performance of your landing pages. We’ll also share some inspiring examples of paid media campaigns that harnessed landing pages effectively.
Addressing common concerns and myths
Despite the benefits of using landing pages in your digital marketing strategy, several concerns often deter marketers from fully embracing them. It's time to address these misconceptions and debunk the objections that surround landing pages.
Objection: Landing pages are expensive and time-consuming to create
While creating landing pages can require an initial investment of time and effort, it need not be expensive. Landing page builders and templates are available that make it easy to design and launch landing pages quickly, often without the need for extensive coding or design skills.
You really need to invest time in understanding your customers. You need to know how your product solves the problems they face and how to communicate this effectively.
When compared to the potential return on investment and the boost in conversion rates, the costs involved in creating landing pages are typically modest.
Objection: Landing pages are only for brands with high traffic
Landing pages are equally valuable for brands of all sizes. Smaller businesses can benefit even more from landing pages, as they provide a cost-effective means of boosting conversions and competing effectively in the digital space. Users don’t care how much traffic you’re getting, they’re only interested in whether you provide them a compelling reason to purchase. That’s the core purpose of a landing page.
Objection: My website's homepage is sufficient for conversions
While your website's homepage is important, it's not optimised for the specific objectives of your paid media campaigns or the intent of your users. Sending your traffic there leads to missed opportunities for focused engagement. Landing pages are designed to align precisely with your campaign's goals and eliminate distractions. This makes them a more efficient choice for conversions and capturing leads compared to a homepage.
Objection: Landing pages are only for E-Commerce
Landing pages do have a high upside for e-commerce brands, but they’re versatile and can be used effectively in many industries.
B2B companies use landing pages for lead generation, software companies employ them for free trial sign-ups, non-profits utilise them for donations, and educational institutions use them to generate enrolments.
The application of landing pages extends across different sectors and objectives.
Objection: Creating landing pages requires advanced technical skills
While technical skills are helpful, they are not a prerequisite for creating effective landing pages. Many user-friendly landing page builders are designed to be accessible to marketers without a deep technical background. They offer drag-and-drop features and templates, making the process straightforward for anyone with a basic understanding of web design principles.
Objection: Landing pages are irrelevant in a mobile-first world
Landing pages are even more relevant in a mobile-first world. With mobile optimisation, landing pages are designed to ensure a seamless user experience on smartphones and tablets. They are critical for capturing the attention and actions of users who access your content on mobile devices, and need to consume information quickly.
Objection: Landing pages are only for one-time campaigns
Landing pages are not exclusively for short-term, one-time campaigns. While they are excellent for campaign-specific objectives, they can also be employed for ongoing lead generation, newsletter sign-ups, and other continuous marketing efforts.
In fact, they can serve as a valuable addition to your long-term marketing strategy. You can use them to nurture leads and foster relationships over time. They can also help to circumvent technical limitations on websites that limit conversion potential.
Objection: Landing page performance starts well but gets worse over time
Landing pages require ongoing attention and optimisation to maintain their effectiveness. A "set-and-forget" mentality won't unlock their full potential. You need to regularly analyse performance data, conduct A/B tests, and make necessary adjustments to improve conversion rates. Landing pages should evolve as your audience and objectives do.
Objection: Landing Pages are only for paid media campaigns
While landing pages are frequently associated with paid media campaigns, they can also be utilised in other marketing efforts. They are effective for organic search traffic, email marketing, social media, and even offline campaigns. The flexibility of landing pages means they can be integrated into multiple aspects of your marketing strategy.
Landing pages are not a substitute for your website. They serve a specific purpose within a broader digital marketing strategy. While they are effective at guiding visitors to take specific action, your website remains the central hub for information about your business. Landing pages complement your website, ensuring that the journey from advertisement to conversion is seamless and compelling.
By dispelling these objections and addressing common concerns, marketers can harness the full potential of landing pages to drive success in their digital marketing endeavours.
How to implement landing pages in your paid media strategy
Since paid media frequently serves as the main traffic driver for a brand, it’s the obvious place to start building landing pages. But where do you begin and how? Let’s look at some key considerations for implementing landing pages effectively.
Analyse your traffic sources
Before you begin designing your landing pages, it's essential to take a close look at where you're sending your traffic from. This means understanding the specific channels and devices your audience is using, as well as the types of users you're targeting. Ads interrupt a user's browsing experience and users from each channel have different levels of intent.
Someone actively researching on Google is looking for something different than someone watching ASMR videos on TikTok. You need to look at what they need to see, and what their expectations are when they arrive on your landing page. Tailoring your content to meet these criteria will significantly enhance the user experience and, in turn, your conversion rates.
Know your audiences awareness
Consider the level of awareness your target audience has about your brand, and the problem your product or service solves. Users will be at various stages in their buyer's journey. Some will be entirely unaware while others will already be familiar with your brand.
Your landing pages should be designed to resonate with each of these segments, addressing their specific needs and concerns and explaining why your brand exists to solve their issues.
Alignment with your ad campaigns
For optimal results, ensure that your landing pages are congruent with your ad campaigns. This means that the messaging and design of your landing page should seamlessly align with the content and imagery used in your ads. This consistency reassures visitors that they're in the right place and encourages them to explore further. Your ad has convinced the user to take an action; make sure your landing page complements this experience and educates them further.
Conduct thorough customer research
To create landing pages that truly resonate with your target audience, invest time in in-depth customer research. Understand who your customers are, what problems they are trying to solve, and how your product or service can provide a solution. Ask yourself why your product exists and why it's the right fit for them. The more you understand your customers, the better you can tailor your landing page content to address their specific pain points and needs.
Compile persuasive content
Landing pages are all about persuasion. Collect and feature customer videos, reviews, and other forms of social proof to establish trust and credibility. Clearly and concisely highlight the benefits of your product or service using persuasive and clear copy. Explain how your offering solves your audience's problem or fulfils their need. Make sure your landing page copy communicates the value of your offer effectively, using compelling headlines and concise body text to keep visitors engaged and informed.
Conclusion
In a world where online advertising reigns supreme, the often-overlooked heroes of conversion are landing pages. These dedicated pages offer focused engagement and a seamless bridge from ad to action. They're your secret to unlocking the full potential of your digital marketing.
Landing pages eliminate distractions, align with your ad campaigns, and boost conversion rates. They provide an improved user experience and cater to diverse audiences. Plus, they're not just for big brands or one-time campaigns; landing pages are versatile and effective for all.
Start using landing pages in your paid media strategy today. Craft them with precision, optimise them for mobile, and measure their success. Then watch as your digital advertising efforts soar to new heights of success.
Landing pages are your ticket to achieving the ultimate ROI in the digital landscape.
Andrew Lowdon • Strategy Director
@AndrewlowdonI have both an agency and client-side background, which I utilise to be able to understand the unique challenges faced by both parties and maximise the potential opportunities available.
Throughout my career, I've worked across a wide variety of verticals, with brands from start-ups through to category leaders. I have a particular interest in helping SMEs to utilise the digital opportunities to challenge the market leaders.
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