The Makings of a PPC Landing Page that Converts

Your landing page is the metaphorical sales representative of your online experience and it can seal the deal if you provide a winning experience to your leads.

If you are using a pay-per-click advertising platform Google Adwords to achieve a conversion goal, your ad rank will be more successful if you are offering a well-optimized landing page both for search algorithms and for users. We’ve summed up the 5 ways to make a PPC landing page that converts!

First let’s meet our customer, John!

John is a marketing manager looking for new promotional giveaways for his business at an upcoming conference.

The first thing John does is turn to Google to find what he is looking for and he is immediately drawn to the second ad on the page thanks to its concise headline. He clicks on the link and the landing page is now left to be the deciding factor of whether John orders from this company…

1. Landing Page Offer and Content

John is looking for his options, and the landing page delivers. When John gets to the page he sees various products relating to his initial search for promotional products. The products match his search intent, and there is also a compelling offer for 50% off his first purchase prominently displayed on the landing page.

Tips for Quality Content and Offers:

- Include product examples. Showcase your capabilities and products with high-quality and captivating images/videos that bring life to your landing page. If you are selling a product, then it is important to make sure that you bring that to the forefront of your landing page.
- Be Specific. For example, if a consumer vaguely searches for “promotional products” then show them your best selling items, if they search for a specific item like, “custom hats” then this consumer is looking for a specific product offer and in response, your page should showcase just those items
- Be relevant. After that initial click, the objective is for your landing page content to directly and clearly correlate with what the consumer searched for.
- Offer Value. What’s the unique value your landing page offers? To stay competitive, ensure that your landing page always offers some form of value proposition— a discount, a limited time trial, an exclusive experience with purchase, or an entry into

2. Landing Page CTAs

Now that John has clicked on your landing page, he is enticed by the sharp images that show off a variety of your best selling products.

John is engaged with what you have to offer and so it is time to evoke a call-to-action (CTA). Ask yourself, what kind of conversion would you like to achieve if John doesn’t decide to purchase right now? Also, what more information might John need to make a decision?

If you are looking for a next level commitment then utilize a button or pop-up that can further a consumers interest.

An example of verbiage you can use is, “Instant Quote” or “Product Sample”. Both give you the opportunity to share more information about your product on a deeper level, and see how interested and engaged that prospect is.

Tips for CTAs:

It’s not always “buy now.” Think of other ways you can engage your audience to nurture leads no matter where they are at in their decision process. In this example of offering an instant quote, now John can place his logo on the products he wants, gain access to a quote, and have the ability to make a decision. Your sales team now knows more about John from his selections. It’s a win-win.
CTA buttons should stand out. Your buttons should be prominent, bold and colorful so that they are not looked over. Its often recommended to use an off-brand color.

3. Landing Page Design Elements

We are told to not judge a book by its cover but in terms of your landing page, that couldn’t be further then the truth! Your design should be easy to navigate and well organized with a theme/color scheme that fits your brand. It is very important to make sure that your landing page is responsive across multiple devices and has a fast loading speed.

You do not want customers to question the legitimacy of your business just because of a lackluster page.

Tips for Design:

Use high-quality images, and illustrations to support the words on your page. Ensure that there aren’t long walls of text and break up your benefit statements with visuals or examples.
Follow visual design best practices for landing pages; don’t use too many words, use white space, ensure continuity with your brand.

4. Relevance Between Ad Copy and Landing Page Copy

When creating Ad Copy, you create a list of keywords that are relevant to what your business can offer your target audience. Those keywords then go into an eye-catching headline meant to attract someone who is ready to make a purchase for a product or service that you offer. Going back to John, an example of an ad copy that may be relevant and attractive is:

Custom Promotional Giveaways – 50% Sale Sitewide

Tradeshow and Customer Giveaways. Promotional Electronics, Apparel, Office Products, Branded Accessories. Marketing and Advertising for all Industries.

Shop Best Sellers 2019 Now

John clicked on this ad because the keywords presented to him answered a need that he had. Which means when opening to the landing page he wants to see more information about what he saw.

Tips for Relevance:

Deliver on your promises. If you are offering a specific discount, or rate in your ad ensure that it is consistent. Also, make sure that any functionality you promised (in this case customization) is also mentioned or available.
Use consistent keywords. Make sure that the keywords used in your ad are semantically relevant to your landing page, and expanded upon on your landing page.

5. Form Length/Difficulty:

If you include a pop-up form or form on the landing page for lead acquisition, then make it short and to the point.

Include an offer in exchange for their commitment. You are looking for a lead but you don’t want to scare them off with difficult or invasive questions at an early stage in their buying process. Be conscious of your customers time and keep it easy to read and easy to answer.

Tips for Relevance:

Don’t ask for more than you need. Asking for more information than you need may deter your audience from completing form fills. Start simple, for example, with a name and email.
Progressively profile your audience. Once you have someone’s name and email in your CRM, it becomes easier to target them with different questions in ongoing visits back, don’t try to collect everything all at once.