eMail Marketing - Landing Pads

A Landing Pad is intended to maximise conversion rates, it is the element of the campaign where the recipient responds to the call to action, whether that’s a white paper/case study/brochure download, registration for an event or simply data capture/cleanse where a visitor fills in an online form. Landing Pads are sometimes known as a microsite, which is specifically set up for a campaign, typically with its own campaign URL.

Define Landing Pad objectives, for example:

• Achieve registration typically to generate a lead which leads ultimately to sale.
• Profile and qualify the visitor in order to deliver more relevant follow-up marketing communications.
• Explain the value proposition offered by the company to differentiate from other vendors the visitor may visit during the buying process i.e. ‘answer the visitor’s questions’.
• Communicate the brand values of the organisation running the campaign.
• If the visitor doesn't want to disclose their details at this time, provide contact details for traditional sales channels such as a phone number, or give the visitor reasons to visit the company website or engage them through other relevant content or offers.

Tips to Improve Your Landing Pad effectiveness

Define Your Conversion

Before you start to design your Landing Pad, define the conversion activity. For a newsletter Landing Pad, the conversion activity is entering an email address into a form and clicking “Accept.”

Repetition of email promotion

45% of Landing Pads don’t repeat the email's call to action. Repeating the email's message on a dedicated Landing Pad will help reinforce the conversion.

Match the creative

This is another way of reinforcing the conversion goal - matching the look and feel of the email will reassure the customer that they have arrived at the right place.

Use of forms

If you have to ask for customer data on the Landing Pad, make it clear why you need this information. Distractions kill conversions. Strip any unneeded elements from the page. Autofill fields where possible.

Research

Build a profile of your ideal visitor. Keep this person in mind when creating your Landing Pad and keep everything “on target.” Your email campaign funnels traffic to your Landing Pad, so visitors are expecting a very targeted message.

Stay Focussed

Avoid the urge to promote or link to other areas of your site. The point of the Landing Pad is to prevent your visitor from wandering. You want them converting, not clicking around to other parts of your site.

Important Elements Above the “Fold”

Pay attention to the virtual fold (the bottom of the screen before scrolling). Place enough content above the fold to allow your visitor to make a decision about your offer.

Lead the Eye

Use typography, colour and images to your advantage. You can be more creative on a Landing Pad than in an email. Place the important stuff (whether it’s your copy or your image) close to the middle, and never distract your user from that focal point.

Test, Test, Test

After you have finished the Landing Pad, test it with a small user group. Go over a checklist:o Is the Landing Pad focussed? o Does the message match the initial email? o Have you reduced all distractions? o Is critical information above the fold?