In November 2004 I had my first actual encounter with advertising. It was a horrible expertise.
On the time I got here from the person expertise (UX) crowd, indulging in usability, interplay design, info structure and different such altruistic endeavours rooted in a need to make the online work higher for “the shopper”. The advertising of us had a completely totally different agenda with no actual concern for something however the backside line. (Not improper, simply totally different from what I used to be used to).
Touchdown pages ought to be designed with a ruthless consideration to a single enterprise aim. When approached accurately, they will nonetheless contain a wholesome dose of person centered design – alongside a conversion centered methodology.
We have been discussing concepts for a brand new marketing campaign and how one can combine it into the company web site. They needed to make use of a separate standalone “landing page“. I’d by no means heard the time period earlier than and began to gag once I heard the checklist of necessities.
What I hated concerning the “touchdown web page”
The touchdown web page was going to interrupt guidelines I often labored onerous to uphold. From a person centered design (UCD) perspective, I used to be anxious about three principal issues:
- No navigation: It struck me as being a tunnel-vision design tactic to try to lure the person on the web page, not permitting them to find out their very own expertise.
- No hyperlink on the brand: It is a related level and breaks a basic rule of facilitating easy transport to the homepage. Why make them sort within the URL, or delete half of what’s within the deal with bar?
- Inaccessible: The design was virtually fully picture based mostly, chopped into a number of giant graphics and dumped on the web page – fairly than being a properly constructed HTML web page with accessible content material (to readers and syndication) and good search engine marketing worth.
My pondering: This may simply result in irritated guests and many consideration being paid to the again button.
Collect Spherical as I Admit to Being Flawed
I don’t say “I’m improper” all that always. Not as a result of I’m a rancidly cussed egomaniac. Fairly as a result of I simply occur to be naturally good at stuff (#notmyfault). However on this occasion I used to be fully improper. Not with regard to my issues, however with their relative significance. You have to use a unique mindset when approaching design for conversion. Touchdown pages, because it seems, are literally a reasonably good concept.
Touchdown pages aren’t so dangerous
Positioned proper in the midst of the gross sales funnel, touchdown pages play a important binding position within the conversion expertise of your guests. They need to be academic – to develop upon the advert message that introduced them your approach. They need to supply worth – in the event you’re giving one thing away, make it good. Trickery has no half to play in an actual advertising marketing campaign and you need to goal to make your buyer’s day just a little higher by offering a services or products with actual and tangible advantages.
What I now like about touchdown pages
Over time I’ve come to know the position touchdown pages (and advertising individuals) play in making a enterprise profitable, and I can actually say that I like them each greater than I used to. I gained’t say “love”, as a result of I’m reserving that for issues like bonus cheques, ladies, and wine from Argentina. What I will do is share a number of key lesson I’ve realized.
Wanting again at 2004 and my earlier points, I got here up with this new checklist:
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- One factor at a time: Whereas scripting this submit I bought up from my laptop computer not less than 30 occasions. Why? As a result of I’ve ADD and I’m simply bored. Guess what? So do/are your potential prospects. It’s onerous to dedicate your consideration to one thing when there are such a lot of distractions round you. Touchdown pages – when completed proper – have a single targeted goal and so they don’t allow you to wander away (as a result of they take away the navigation and you’ll’t click on on the brand).
- Designed for a selected goal: Web sites are designed to cope with a number of targets, possibly a number of personas, and they should accommodate technical guests comparable to serps. Touchdown pages may be about nothing greater than a single concept. A marketing campaign ought to have a single measurable aim, and your touchdown web page ought to be a egocentric reflection of that.
- Inventive freedom: Not being tethered to your organization’s web site tips offers you considerably wider artistic latitude. Attempt a full-page background picture with a button layered excessive. Swap to a black background to create a extra intense temper than your company website. Push the boundaries within the identify of conversion (however not on the expense of name values). Check new or loopy concepts with out having to design by committee. If you find yourself arguing course within the boardroom, do an A/B check with every concept and show which is finest. Take away conjecture.
- Communication oriented: Sure it could be picture heavy, however generally it’s higher to have a compelling typographic therapy that communicates successfully, than having a web page of lifeless 12pt Verdana textual content. Notice: If you’re doing paid search by way of Google AdWords or related, then you could pay nearer consideration to the precise HTML textual content content material in an effort to preserve a great high quality rating. It’s not the be all and finish all, however is one thing you need to take into consideration. You might achieve higher placement and a decrease value per click on (CPC) when you have bot-readable textual content that matches your advert.
- search engine marketing just isn’t at all times an element*: Usually, a marketing campaign particular touchdown web page is designed to be withheld from the major search engines to cease it interfering together with your conversion stats (when working a PPC marketing campaign for instance). This lets you give attention to the purity of your message, versus making an attempt to insert keyword-rich phrases in your copy. *The exception is the kind of single web page web site that makes use of a gross sales letter model template (with a ton of content material), and is created to draw natural site visitors.
On the finish of the day, if you’re connecting prospects with precious services, then conversion centered design is fixing a person centered downside. And everyone wins.
What do you concentrate on touchdown pages?
Share your opinions on touchdown pages as an idea, and why you like or hate them.
