People often talk about Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising as if the click is the goal. But your work is far from over. Once people click, you have to make sure each user’s post-click experience is on-point. But what goes into making people convert?
Making Your Audience Convert
I’m going to break down key elements of that experience so you don’t miss a thing when it comes to keeping people engaged, and converting them into happy customers.
Keep Your Promises
The reason they people click your ad is that they want to see more, learn more, do more on your website. Your landing pages must fulfill (and exceed) the expectations set by your ads. Keep your message consistent— and make it obvious what your site visitors should do after they land there.
Make sure your headlines, images, colors, and key content matches what your ad has to offer— and that visitors don’t have to go looking for it.
Make the Bullseye Bigger
Imagine if you clicked on an ad and then landed on a page that asked you to “read more’ and “click here” and “call us” and “download this ebook”. You’d be out of there— and your site visitors are no different. Whatever your ad, make sure the call to action is as limited, as specific, and as clear as possible. Make sure whatever else you must have on the page (the fine print, so to speak) doesn’t distract from the CTA. With the CTA clearly visible, people will be able to convert without distraction from unrelated content.
Design for Intuition
While not exhaustive, here’s a small checklist to help you identify your areas of opportunity for more intuitive web design.
Intuitive Design Checklist
YES | NO | |
Did I place my most important content above the fold? (Can users see it before they scroll?) | ||
Am I using bold fonts to emphasize the most important elements? | ||
Is there good color contrast that makes key areas eye-catching? | ||
Is copy clear and easy to read? | ||
Am I breaking up content with bullet points and subheadings so skimming is easier? | ||
Am I using negative/white space to make things “pop”? | ||
Are my calls-to-action (CTAs) obvious? | ||
Does my page load quickly? |
[CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR SITE PERFORMANCE? REQUEST A FREE ANALYSIS]
Now you have some great ideas for how to make your online experience more user-friendly.
Don’t forget to have a means of thanking everyone who clicks on your ad, everyone who opts-in to your list, and everyone that downloads a resource or makes a purchase. People value companies who value them.
It’s exciting to see a good click-through rate (CTR) on your ads. And it’s even better to know exactly what to do to keep prospective customers engaged on your website and encourage them to convert.