Driving Sales With Landing Pages

Landing pages have long been the primary tool of the web-savvy marketer. Whether the visitor has arrived there through an advertisement, offer or search-engine link, your landing page is your first and best chance at making that conversion.

The following article is by no means a comprehensive guide to success, however it does provide some tried-and-tested techniques. Feel free to use them either as a starting point or, if your current landing pages aren't performing to expectation, as part of a strategy review.

Make Your Headline Clear and Concise
The headline is (or should be) the first thing a visitor sees on arrival. It's your chance to make an impression and will, more often than not, give them a reason to stay or leave. Think about what you're trying to achieve – does the headline summarise this intent? The headline should provide the bridge between the link the user has clicked and their desired goal.

Make it Snappy
We've all seen them, endless web pages usually linked to some miracle earnings scheme or weight loss method. This is the worst kind of marketing – in your face, crass and highly repetitive. Much as your headline should draw the reader in, your value proposition should be summarised in short, concise bullet points. In other words, make it easy for the reader to understand the benefits of what you're selling.

Pre-Call to Action
You've no doubt heard of the much heralded 'call to action', however remember that everything you have written to this point is aimed at persuading the visitor to either sign-up or buy. Before your sign off, end the main body of copy with a persuasive message that leads into the call to action – effectively bridging the gap and preparing the reader for the close.

You Guessed It – Call to action
When crafting your call to action, consider what stage your visitors may be at in the purchasing cycle; problem recognition – information search – evaluation – decision – purchase. If your message is meant to be formative only, an aggressive or dynamic call to action may not be appropriate.

Many marketers still make the common mistake of being too aggressive with the close. Using terms such as 'Buy Now' or 'Sign Up Now' signify a commitment that could turn some visitors off and impact your conversion rate. When appropriate, try a softer, more encouraging tone using words such as 'Try' to coax the reader into that all important click.

A well prepared landing page is a highly effective internet marketing tactic that will let your site visitors hone in on the information they need, increasing the time visitors spend on your website and spiking your conversion rates. If you would like help to improve your Internet marketing effectiveness, please call 01454 261111.

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Effective Facebook Marketing for Business

With over 600 million users, Facebook represents the single most connected platform on the internet. For internet marketers, this means it is also the most potentially valuable resource available for connecting with consumers. The first step is to create a business page on the site itself – think of this as a 'blog' like summary of your main website.

As with any platform however, the rules of internet marketing still apply, the most important of which is to formulate a basic strategy with which to move forward. Jumping in with both feet may result in short term gains initially, however long term success can only be attributed to some form of battle plan. With this in mind, let's take a look at some tips on getting it right, first time.

1. If the Mountain Won't Come to Muhammad...
Bringing the power of Facebook to your website can increase your exposure literally overnight. This can be achieved by something as simple as adding a 'Like' button to your website while displaying a feed from your company Facebook Page, thus cross promoting your web presence at the same time as bridging any gaps.

2. Facebook Advertising
A wonderfully inexpensive way to leverage targeted advertising, Facebook's advertising represents fantastic value for money. There are virtually limitless options to target different groups, too. A far more targeted alternative to most other online advertising channels.

3. Make it Fun
Social media presents an opportunity to show your fun side. Try and think up fun and interesting posts that encourage users to engage with you. Pose an intriguing question, make an announcement or even ask advice – easily shared content will help acquire 'fans' whilst reinforcing your brand.

4. Video Content
Strategic use of video has long been a favourite of savvy internet marketers. It appears as though Facebook's feed algorithm favours it too. Each time a non-fan watches one of your videos, a button is shown suggesting a 'Like' for your page. To achieve this however, the video needs to be uploaded to Facebook as opposed to a simple link.

5. Generate Leads
Static FBML (Facebook Markup Language) allows you to add custom content to your Facebook page. This is a great facility for generating leads as it enables you to create opt-ins such as free newsletters, podcasts and offers. View this example of how we've done this very effectively and look out for our next blog which focuses on the changes Facebook made for business just last week!

If you're only just getting started with Facebook worry not – it's still early days and the world is only just waking up to a new dawn of connectivity and online social interactivity. Of course this said, the earlier you build your strategy, the sooner you can start reaping the rewards! Call 01454 261111 if you would like help implementing your social media marketing plan.

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Achieving Video Marketing Va-Va Voom

Thanks mainly to the meteoric rise of Youtube, online video is now the single most powerful medium for just about anyone looking to make an impact on the web – whether you're hoping to be discovered as the 'next big thing' or are looking to make a splash with the next viral sensation. To understand the unprecedented impact of Youtube, consider the following statistics:

• Youtube exceeds 2 billion views per day, which is nearly double the prime-time audience of all 3 major U.S. networks
• 24hrs of video are uploaded each minute
• The average person spends 15 minutes a day on Youtube
• 70% of traffic comes from outside of the U.S. (Source: website-monitoring.com)

1. Start With Your Own Website
Embedding video on your own website is a great way to launch your online video strategy. Youtube is the obvious choice, providing ready-made code which can be embedded easily on your website or blog. Make it easy to share by adding social media 'share' buttons for added replay value.

2. A Picture Paints a Thousand Words
Using a video on your landing page is a great way to introduce or demo your product or service in a dynamic, attention-grabbing manner. A short demonstration of key features and benefits is likely to sway the undecided visitor far more than any amount of persuasive copy. Interactivity is the key here – giving visitors a more engaging experience using video will provide a greater incentive for visitors to stay rather than go.

3. Online Advertising
The same principal applies to online advertising. Video ads are known to be amongst the highest-converting in the internet marketing world. During 2010 search engine giant Google captured 43% of the online video market share, offering nearly 13 billion downloads each month. Facebook has over 600 million members, each capable of sharing online videos to their network of friends. There's no getting away from it, the consumer has spoken.

4. Mobile Platforms
Apple's iPhone has forever changed the way we view media, and the age of the smartphone means that more of us than ever before are regularly viewing video via a mobile device. With this in mind, make sure your video player will provide compatibility across multiple platforms.

Video is here to stay – but it doesn't have to come with prohibitive production costs, creativity will win the day. If you would like help in developing a video marketing strategy for your business, call 01454 261111.

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