To explain my point I need to first confuse the issue a bit (you'll see why): While a landing page is not an order page, it can, and in many cases should, contain the order form.
So what is the difference? Is this just a question of semantics? Actually, there is a big difference and it can have a big effect on your conversion rate. Generally, the order page is another page on your website. As such, it will have links to other parts of your site. Since someone who comes to the order or signup page often comes from other parts of your site, and has looked at descriptions of your products and service, you can assume they are ready to buy or sign up. When that is the case, there is little need to go into much sell, if any, before getting to the form prospects need to fill out.
Prospects who come to your site after seeing your marketing communications, online or offline, are in a different mindset. Generally, they are not prepared to buy or sign up yet. They need a landing page that includes some sell before seeing the order form. Confronting this prospect with the order form or signup form too early, before they feel prepared, can seem presumptuous and you can easily lose this prospect.
How much sell is needed depends on the communications prospects came from. A short ad or text link dictates longer sell than a lengthy article or direct mail letter. Another factor in how much sell/information copy is needed before asking for the order is the complexity of your product or the offer.
Say the prospect came from a longer marketing communications piece, either an article or a direct mail letter. While this prospect has more information than the one who comes from a short ad, there still needs to be some sell, even if it is to just quickly reiterate the benefits and make the prospect feel smart for coming to the landing page and taking advantage of your offer.
And in all cases, the landing page must be consistent with the marketing piece. If the prospect is suddenly confronted with a landing page that seems different or just doesn't seem to connect with the piece they came from, a number of unfortunate things happen. There is a credibility gap. The prospect senses this is different and becomes on guard. And you lose the momentum of the sell, where one benefit leads to another until the close.
Let's say you've determined the length of the sell copy on the landing page. At this point, there is a crucial decision to be made. After the sell, do you put the order form or signup form on the same page or have prospects click to go to another page to fill out the form?
There are two opposing prospect tendencies to deal with. The more clicks a prospect needs to go through to get to the order or signup, the more likely the prospect will not continue. On the other hand, make prospects do too much scrolling and you'll lose a certain percentage of them. In addition, if there is too much copy and graphics on a page, there is the danger that the page looks too cluttered and intimidating.
There is no cookie-cutter solution. Generally, it is preferable to have the order form on the same page as the preceding sell copy; that is, on the landing page. Having said that, there are numerous cases when having prospects click to go to a separate order page is better.
So you see, a landing page is an important, yet flexible, stage in the selling process. Always keep in mind the marketing piece the prospect came from and develop your landing page accordingly.
With 25 years of experience, Leon Altman focuses on helping marketers get more out of their investment in marketing. To inquire about his services, write leon@altmancommunications.com. To sign up for his Free Marketers FYI newsletter, visit his site at leon@altmancommunications.com
one time home cleaning Highland Park ..So your web site's online and you've got high rankings... Read More
You have an idea for a website and you are... Read More
A search for "web design" on Google returns more than... Read More
Creating your web site can be a tricky process. Choosing... Read More
Squeeze pages are a very hot topic in the internet... Read More
Here are a few programs I can't do without. They're... Read More
I often wonder how serious people are when it comes... Read More
Are you thinking that it is about time your small... Read More
The Basics You have a flourishing business ? everything is... Read More
The time it takes to load your site can make... Read More
You have good traffic, but low client sign ups and... Read More
Many people today are tired of the Microsoft software that... Read More
The first step to starting any Internet business is conducting... Read More
You know... Before purchasing your product a person comes to... Read More
Where does a person start when setting up a website?... Read More
If you've a website but not making a lot of... Read More
CSS or Cascading Style Sheets has opened up tremendous possibilities... Read More
If you are going to have a web presence for... Read More
Novice and professional designers alike ? you may probably be... Read More
Colors are powerful, and create strong feelings. They can also... Read More
Making a successful online business can be a long and... Read More
We've all read the countless publications about effective web site... Read More
Ecommerce is just exploding right now on the Net. More... Read More
With so many different configurations internet users have their computers... Read More
You're all ready to get started creating your web presence... Read More
licensed cleaning services Park Ridge ..A successful website is something that everyone venturing into the... Read More
Designing a website is hard job, and requires you to... Read More
Even after you've managed to bring traffic to your site... Read More
Developing a software application is not easy at all; apart... Read More
In this article we will be looking at why you... Read More
Are you looking to create the perfect website? A complete... Read More
There is nothing wrong with making your own website if... Read More
Want to see an excellently constructed website? As a writer... Read More
To create professional websites is not an easy task by... Read More
You're all ready to get started creating your web presence... Read More
Remember the day that you got your new computer (or... Read More
While few companies can boast as we do that our... Read More
When your web site sells more than a dozen items,... Read More
(1) Create a Direct Response Website, with the minimum number... Read More
Are you in a dilemma whether to create a mini... Read More
If you have a web site to which people pay... Read More
You spend time and money promoting your website; but what... Read More
Reading on the web is different than reading in all... Read More
CNN.com's designers have gone out of their way to make... Read More
Web Site Awards are given from other sites to reward... Read More
Have you put a lot of effort, time, and money... Read More
1. Assemble a web site development plan that is integrated... Read More
Does your website need a re-design? Here are some questions... Read More
Content is king. Without content your website is an empty... Read More
Some wise human once said "Learn from the mistakes of... Read More
Web Design |