The last two posts explained how to use keywords and paid search advertisements to attract prospects to your website. Now that your ad has done its job of drawing qualified leads to your website, the next challenge is to keep them there.
The landing page or homepage is the first page that the prospect is exposed to, and if they don’t see what they’re looking for, they will leave. Research shows that you have just two seconds to grab a prospect’s attention before they click away. This is why the landing page needs to quickly give the user what they want and what they need to proceed. This is achieved by making sure the content on the landing page is relevant to the keyword that the user searches. In our last post we used the example of searching for a Phillies jersey. Let’s take that one step further. In order to convert the prospect into a buyer, when they click on your advertisement, they should be taken directly to the page containing the jerseys so that they can easily add that to a cart and checkout. If they are directed to a home page where they have to search even further, conversion rates will significantly drop off. The concept does not just apply to those looking to make a purchase. It also applies to users seeking information such as for a specific service.
To go along with that idea, it is crucial that your main message and the most substantial information on the website, is “above the fold”. In other words, you want to make sure that the prospect has enough information to make a decision on whether or not to explore your site without having to scroll down the page. 80% of prospects’ time spent on websites is on reading the content above the fold. While you want to make sure that you are grabbing attention with the copy on your page, it is important to be cautious of its length. Keep sentences and paragraphs short. If you overwhelm the reader with a significant amount of content, they will quickly lose interest. Keeping your message clear, simple and easy to find will help stop reader fatigue and will increase conversions.
Does your landing page help prospects complete their goals quickly and easily?