Blogging. Viral marketing. Social networking. They can get you piles of traffic. But they can also get you big helpings of disappointment — if you didn’t have a way to turn landing page visitors into buyers.
What counts as a conversion? That will depend on the offer — a direct product sale vs. a white paper download vs. a Webinar sign-up, and so on. Don’t get discouraged by depressing statistics on the average conversion rates for your online marketing efforts. For example, some people see one in a hundred visitors taking action (one percent) while others brag about 50 percent rates. Here are ten ways to boost those conversions, whatever you’re selling.
Signals to the Viewer That You Can Be Trusted
Establish trust immediately. Humans have always been naturally skeptical of being sold stuff. Doubt today is even higher online, thanks to spam and scammers. Your page’s copy has to work fast and hard to alleviate doubts and fears.
Anything that signals to the viewer that you can be trusted should be positioned for visibility above the fold. Famous brands put their corporate logo and full name in the banner above the fold — where it’s easy for a viewer to see. Never assume that people recognize your corporate or product logo, unless you’re a nationally-known entity. Likewise, universities and other august institutions put their official seal at top left on every page.
Another key above-the-fold conversion tactic is putting at least one, and up to three, customer testimonials in place where they can be seen in the first screen. In addition to visible credentials, up front on the page, also include a short, well-worded statement of what you are or what you do for people right there above your headline or as part of the headline itself. For instance, your site might be the country’s leading income tax management tool.
Capture the email of visitors who don’t buy. You can capture their attention and email addresses (for future marketing) by offering a “free report” or an email course. A pop-up form appears when they arrive on your landing page. A pop-under form can appear when they try to leave without converting. Pop-up blockers may prevent both forms from appearing. Instead, make the offer via a floater, something that slides in from the top or the side of a page. Unlike pop-ups or pop-unders, floaters aren’t stopped by pop-up blockers since they’re part of a page’s HTML code, not a separate object.
It’s true, some people don’t take what you say about your product at face value. Use testimonials, case studies and white papers in abundance. And bring in a professional videographer to tape your customers giving video testimonials at a live event (and get them to sign a release, of course). Make sure that the videos play only when the visitor clicks on them.
Even when customers offer to let you “write it for them”, politely request that they write their testimonials using their own words. Not only are they more specific (you don’t know what their experiences were as well as they do) but they sound more natural, avoiding typical sales copy hype. Their words will read more authentically, and add credibility.
Features and Benefits
Hit readers with a powerful ‘shotgun’ blast of features and benefits using a bulleted list or two. Instead of burying the benefits inside the copy, lift them out where the eye can see them. Customers want to feel they’re getting their money’s worth. If you’re selling the product directly on the page, cover all of the major features.
If you’re giving away a short white paper to get their contact info, avoid long lists of features. Still, a bullet list of a few of the insights in your white paper can increase the download rate.
If you haven’t hooked the reader in the headline, you’ve lost them. In order to pull visitors into the copy, the headline should be something that arouses curiosity or make a strong promise. They’ll feel compelled to learn more if you succeed in doing one or both of these jobs. For example, the headline for a course that trains property locators states that you’ll earn $100,000 a year in a little-known real estate career.
Write in a personal, conversational tone. Most corporate sites read like informational documents that have been written by committee. Landing page copy, on the other hand, should be informal, conversational, and chatty. It should read as if you’re a human being talking to another human being. Even if you market technical products to engineers, they’re human. And boring copy can never sell.
It’s a mistake to assume that your readers are robots who act rationally and logically. You have a much better chance of reaching them and triggering a response by tapping into their emotions. Use emotional words in the headline and lead. Emotion works best when you’ve correctly read how the prospect is feeling right now.
Another hook for lead generation is to feature the free offer itself in the headline and lead. Kaydon does it well by showing its catalog in the photo, and in the heading promoting a free Ceramic Bearings Product Selection Guide.
Once you’ve hooked them, tell readers how your product or your free information solves their problem. Answer the prospect’s unspoken question, “What’s in it for me?” Table Shox, billed as the world’s smallest shock absorber, is on the front lines fixing wobbly restaurant tables that annoy diners.
A Fortress Without Exits
Nobody comes to your site without needing a solution to a problem. Convince them on the landing page that taking the next step in the process will solve it, then don’t let them wander off onto other parts of your site. The page where your product is sold, or your lead captured, should be a fortress without exits. Once they arrive on the landing page, all they should be able to do is click the Buy button, click a field to get your free report, or close the page altogether. If possible, remove the site navigation entirely on landing pages.
The more topical the message, the better. Tie your product or your information to something that’s in the current news. Your landing page copy tied to current events gets a higher response rate — vital if you sell financial or investment information or regulatory compliance products. Update the landing pages regularly to show that you’re in sync with the times. Let your prospects see that you have your finger on the pulse of your industry.
If you’re selling a product online, you have to state a money-back guarantee clearly on your order page. Your competitors have a money-back guarantee, so you must, too. If your product is good, your sales copy tells the truth, and your offer truly fills the need, you can expect the number of refund requests to be one percent or even less.
If you’re giving away free information, assure the reader that there’s no obligation to buy anything and no salesperson will call. That will help dispel their fear of being put through a high-pressure sales pitch by your company.
About Delancey Street
Delancey Street is a premier, and award winning, business debt settlement company that helps business owners nationwide. Our goal is simple: help you escape debt in a safe and legal manner. Based out of New York, we can help in 49 of 50 states. We tell you how it is; because your business and future is on the line.
