This document discusses how targeted landing pages can improve online marketing conversion rates by upwards of 50%. It outlines three steps to create effective landing pages: 1) Define the desired outcome or call to action, 2) Develop targeted content and design tailored to the intended audience, 3) Monitor analytics to test elements and track effectiveness. Testing variations and monitoring metrics allows optimizing the landing page over time to improve conversions. Landing pages can boost various marketing channels when integrated as part of a full campaign.

1. LANDING
PAGES THAT
HELP YOUR
ONLINE
MARKETING
TAKE OFF
Converting Visitors to
Prospects in Three Steps
MID ATLANTIC
14073 Crown Court | Woodbridge, VA 22193
T. 703.494.7888 | F. 703.494.7955 | 888.205.8899
NEW ENGLAND
PO Box 305 | Barrington, RI 02806
T. 401.289.2500 | F. 401.289.2503 | 888.205.8899

2. CREATING RESULTS, LLC – WHITE PAPER SERIES
Landing Pages That Help Your Testing
One of the most significant benefits of online
Online Marketing Take Off marketing is the ability to monitor and adjust in real
time. The most simplistic way to evaluate alternatives
Converting Visitors to Prospects in Three Steps is to use an A/B test. Just as the name describes,
serve half of the visitors concept A, serve the other
Studies have shown that building targeted online landing pages can
half concept B. Using the metrics gathered from
improve a campaign’s conversion rate by upwards of 50 percent.
the analytics, an advertiser can see which version is
more successful. Elements easily tested in the A/B
Yet, most companies targeting the 50+ market do not achieve maximum
format include overall design, offers, the positioning of
return because their online strategy stops at the ads. This is the pitfall of
elements on a page, and even desired outcomes.
many otherwise well-planned online marketing programs.
Keep in mind that the fewer variations between your
As markets continue to fragment and consumers find increasingly cunning
A and B concepts, the more actionable your findings
ways to avoid advertising, consumers are beginning to ignore all but the most
will be. Too many changes/differences will leave you
personal and relevant marketing. By customizing landing pages specific to
wondering what was responsible for the differing
each target audience, companies can improve this level of relevance and keep
response levels.
prospects moving down the path towards a sale, while collecting valuable
information about the effectiveness of their organization’s marketing efforts.
The level of marketing investment will dictate how
much testing and how often monitoring should occur,
This white paper outlines how you can create landing pages that will
but the findings can pay great dividends.
move online visitors to prospects in three steps.
There are dozens of additional opportunities to
improve the effectiveness of digital marketing
through the use of landing pages. Alternative testing
options, personal URLs, social elements, dynamic
content and real-time communication - all are
achievable with today’s technologies.
To find out more about these options and how Creating
Results can help improve your digital marketing efforts,
visit www.CreatingResults.com/smoothlandings.
Creating Results provides clients with a strategic approach for marketing to adult consumers seeking
a higher quality of life.We have earned praise, referrals and awards for our successful marketing and
unique understanding of adults. From the initial research through the strategy and creative development,
and on into the complete implementation and ongoing performance analysis, we strive to make our
clients stand out in a crowded marketplace.
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3. CREATING RESULTS, LLC – WHITE PAPER SERIES
This decision needs to take into account the characteristics of the end user
and the true value of the offer or product being promoted. Likely desired
outcomes include downloading information, online registration or simply
following a link to another page within the site.
If your target is a mature consumer, remember that the 50+ market is more
apt to call a sales center from a website and are more protective of their
personal information than their younger counterparts. Whatever the desired Don’t make this mistake: Allstate
outcome, it will only be effective if the prospect believes the opportunity is didn’t create a landing page. As a
result, there is no reference to the offer
worth the effort.
that brought prospects here and far
too many ways to leave the site, fast.
STEP TWO: DEVELOPMENT
Creating Results gives this
landing page a “good” rating - it is Content
very focused and draws on demographic If they’ve made it to the landing page, prospects want to learn more. Take
data from the referring site.
this opportunity to provide only relevant, straight forward information that is
valuable and dripping with credibility.
According to Marketing Experiments
Journal, clarity of the value proposition Design
is the most important factor in When designing the appearance of a landing page, do not spend
determining whether a customer buys even a pixel promoting anything beyond the brand, offer and specific
or not. The mature audience responds desired outcome.
best to straight talk, so avoid the fluff.
If the goal is to have someone call While the 50+ market is quite comfortable online, they are more likely
a sales associate, ask for the action to make navigation errors. Therefore the look, feel and language needs to
outright, but clearly explain what is in it match that of the advertising. This includes colors, fonts, imagery, use of
for them. white space and graphic treatments. Precious seconds are saved by quickly
assuring visitors they have navigated to the right place.
Make it as personal as possible.
Reference the page from which they Content should be arranged in a clear hierarchy, keeping text to a
were referred, recap the offer in the minimum. A single, engaging photo is superior to multiple, smaller images.
advertisement they clicked, tap the If there is a registration form, keep the number of fields to seven or fewer.
behavioral and demographic data from
the sites, search engines or internal Even the navigation bar should be eliminated. On a standard webpage, this
databases. Use whatever is available to navigation helps visitors find where they want to go on the site. With a
show visitors that time has been invested to learn about them. This will help landing page, it should be assumed that they have already arrived. Finally, if
develop the client / seller relationship that is sought by this mature audience. the preliminary design requires any amount of scrolling, start over.
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4. CREATING RESULTS, LLC – WHITE PAPER SERIES
STEP THREE: EXECUTION Steps to Ensure a Successful Landing
Monitoring
STEP ONE: PLANNING
Prior to launching a series of landing pages, make sure that a
monitoring tool is in place. Many analytics tools are freely available Understand Online Behavior
and are quite user-friendly. Minimally, ensure that unique visitors, click- When planning a landing page, it is vital to understand the specific online
throughs and conversions are tracked. Time-of-visit, session duration, behaviors of your specific target markets. Start with the segmenting used to
repeat visitors, geographic locations and click-tracking can also place digital advertising and then research each profile’s internet habits.
Focus on one clear desired outcome.
provide invaluable information.
This page design was ranked “best” by Creating
Results’ team for the engaging photo and the As experts in marketing to Baby Boomers and Beyond, Creating
clear call to action. Results recognizes and stresses that each segment will be different.
However, a unifying characteristic of the online population is
impatience. Regardless of an online user’s age, the average digital ad is
SMOOTHER LANDINGS CAN HELP lucky to get two seconds of attention.
YOUR MARKETING TAKE OFF Time-of-attention only increases to
eight seconds for landing pages.
While this white paper focuses For Westminster at Lake Ridge, As with online advertising, emails
on online advertising, the value of a Continuing Care Retirement can get prospects to a landing page
Do not expect visitors to scroll,
landing pages is much greater. As Community outside of Washington, with just one click. The National
peruse a laundry list of navigation
part of an integrated marketing DC, a landing page became the Museum of Americans at War
options or even read the copy.
program, well-executed landing vehicle to invite prospects for sent an email soliciting feedback
Animation, flashing elements and
pages can boost the effectiveness a “test drive.” Westminster is from a target group, driving traffic
background music do nothing but
of the whole campaign. targeting people in their 70’s, to a landing page with survey
distract the mature audience and
an age group still motivated by questions.
rob your site of precious seconds of
Creating Results has directed newspapers. A special insert
attention. You can only expect that
prospects to special landing pages offered an overnight stay to get a
mature (40+) visitors will evaluate a
from a variety of off- and on-line feel for the community. It drove
site’s merit on their initial impression
mediums, including newsletters, those interested in “packing their
of the overall design and maybe
direct mail, email, signage and pajamas” to a special landing page –
skimming of the headlines.
traditional advertising. www.westminsterpajamas.com.
Landing pages need to match visitors’ expectations, preferences and
tastes before the content will be reviewed. Otherwise, “bouncing”
occurs, or visitors quickly leave the site without any interaction. No
clicks, no registration, no activity of any kind, and thus, no opportunity
for future sales.
Setting Objectives
As time is of the essence, a landing page only has the ability to focus
on a single business objective. The advertiser must identify the “desired
outcome” of a landing page visit. This is the prospect’s single on-site activity
that will provide the greatest benefit.
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