Authentic Engagement – The Buildup

the buildup or overload

Authentic Engagement – The Buildup

If you are going “long” on your landing page, you are no doubt working on the buildup with compelling images, product information, benefits list and a reminder of why your reader should trust you and CTAs (Call To Action). When we stay focused on these key points we reap conversion rewards. Otherwise the experience can lead to overload.

Mighty CTA – Almighty Conversion – Show the Love
The objective of a longform landing page isn’t to keep putting something on the page with the hopes that something will appeal to your reader. The objective is to serve powerful content, build your story and serve winning CTAs. The authentic engagement you develop builds your conversions.

Avoid Overload
What compels your customers and prospects to convert, or click, can and often does vary depending upon the product or service, their past experience (with you or your competitors) and how you are building a compelling landing page with content. Does it make sense? Does your value proposition include benefits that will improve their business success, quality of life or filling a need you know they have? If you are a marketing junkie like me, you take your projects and jot down these factors on a regular basis as a creative exercise to keep your marketing focused on central product elements.

Test and Iterate
Conversions are always your goal and eliciting the almighty click-through is always the goal. Landing pages are a lot like the directions on a shampoo bottle, lather, rinse, repeat. If the first gen landing page isn’t working, change it.

Kissmetrics has a blog, “How to Structure a Longform Landing Page for Maximum Conversions,” on their website that is loaded with inspiring and tested ideas on what works well with longform landing pages, check it out here.

CTAs – ABOVE OR BELOW THE FOLD?

scrolling_CallToAction CTA

CTAs – Above or Below the Fold?

I read a lot of marketing research and can give you references to studies on CTA (Call To Action) click-throughs placed above or below the “fold” on your web landing page.

My experience is I hedge the response by placing CTAs above AND below the fold as often as possible. I get a slightly higher CTR on the button above the fold and when I use a button up top and lower on the scroll-down, I get an overall higher rate.

What has been your experience?

I find that CTA placement isn’t always tied to location; it’s more related to what is near it or what has been presented before it. If you are placing a CTA lower on a scrolled page, elements such as a compelling copy and the quality of appropriate graphics leading up to the main CTA factor into your results.

Conversion rate up-tick factors:
More white space around central messaging – Apple is the champion of this technique
Video
A list of benefits
Storytelling
Testimonials
High-quality images
Lengthening your landing page to incorporate your content without a busy or copy that is too small or hard to read

Testing matters. If you aren’t getting the conversions you expect, change your content … and/or CTA placement. Then, compare results.

Marc Schenker’s article on Readz has put together a succinct article that explores both sides of the CTA above/below debate. Read his article titled, “Why The Fold Is A Lie & How To Get Awesome Conversions Anywhere,” check it out here.