SMX Advanced: Landing Page Myths
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Transcript of SMX Advanced: Landing Page Myths
Mythbusting PPC Urban Legends: Landing Pages
SMX Advanced 2009
Scott BrinkerPresident & CTOion interactive, inc.
[email protected]: @chiefmartec
What is the typical
conversion rate of a PPC ad
Sorry, trick question.
The conversion happens after the click.
In converting respondents, PPC ads and landing pages
are symbiotically linked.
Myth #1:A
landing page is a single
page.
(Only the green M&M’s make you horny.)
Think of a landing page as a bridge between ad and
conversion.
ad
conversion
(continuity gap)
Sometimes the conceptual distance isn’t that far, and a single leap is enough to get
people across.
Other times, you have a little farther to go.
Just don’t use a short bridge for a
long distance.
(Unless your respondents are willing to do a lot
of work.)
Sometimes a single landing
page is just right.
8.12% conversion 11.4% conversion9.23% conversion
Other times a 2 or 3 page “path” is better.
segment
simple
When is a path better
than a page?
3 scenarios.
#1.When you want
to segment respondents.
#2. When you want to ease someone into a process.
#3.When multiple steps
actually builds engagement.
Don’t think of a landing
page.
Think of a post-click marketing
experience.
Myth #2:Flash on
landing pages is evil.
(Vampires exist—even without a law
degree.)
That is a bad example of Flash on a
landing page.
• Loading delay
• Lengthy animation
• Design over clarity
• Expensive
* Unless you’re a firm that produces expensive, highly animated, design-
heavy Flash web sites.
*
The problem is not that people don’t have Flash.
99.1%
This is a Flash object.
• 43K in size (loads < 1 sec)
• Writing is text, not image
• Google can index text
• Images load asynchronously
• Sharp text rendering
• All text/images configurable
http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2008/06/improved-flash-indexing.html
This is a Flash object.
• 5K in size (loads < 1 sec)
• Most of page is HTML text
• Interactive image browser
• Images load asynchronously
• Engagement without refresh
• All images configurable
Why climb the Flash mountain?
• Higher conversion rate
• Better branding
• Easier engagement
• Creative differentiation
Economy of Flash is achieved through variable parameters.
Designer creates once. Marketer uses many times.
Myth #3:Multivariate Testing (MVT) is better than A/B testing.
(Oooh, sacred cow.)
MVT isn’t better than A/B testing. Each has pros and cons.
But MVT hashad better PR. Time to balance the scales.
A/B Testing Multivariate Testing
• Requires more traffic
• Can test more combinations
• Variations of fixed elements
• Need independent elements
• Harder to visualize tests
• Risks of bad combinations
• Usually limited to a page
• Often harder to set up
• Requires less traffic
• Tests fewer variations
• Apples-and-oranges tests
• Dependent elements okay
• Easy to visualize tests
• No risk of bad combinations
• Can test multi-page paths
• Often easier to set up
8.12% conversion 11.4% conversion9.23% conversion
This kind of test can’t be done with MVT.
Think big.
Test small (and safe).
6 headlines + 5 subheads +4 images +3 copy blocks +2 calls to action =
720 combos
Russian roulette caveat: how many disastrous
combinations lurk in the shadows?
Uh, oops. Combination #593 is “bad”.
The point of busting the MVT myth:
marketing > math
Choose the right tool for the right job.
Thank You
Interested in more about post-click marketing and strategic landing pages?
BOOKHonest Seduction: Using Post-Click Marketing to Turn Landing Pages into Game ChangersAvailable on Amazon.com
BLOGhttp://www.postclickmarketing.com