My last few posts have been about landing page content, but since content strategy is a part of this blog, I’m going to discuss what strategic changes you could make to start improving conversions on your landing page.
First of all by content strategy, I’m referring to decisions regarding what kind of content, where it goes and how to say it. If you think you’ve covered everything you need to say in your landing pages, but are not getting the results you expect, consider the following:
Do the subheads tell you the story?
Face it. Your users scan, so make the content flow of the page as clear as possible.
Just by looking at your page can they “see” your product/offering?
Screenshots, pack shots, special offer… what is it? They want to see it, not ready about. And if there’s a nice, large call-to-action button right next to it, the more enticingly irresistible is your action. Warning: Don’t overdo it. A page with screenshot after screenshot of the results of your software product isn’t going to work. Use images which communicate or show the product in a visually-appealing way.
Does every page fold have a call to action?
If not try to rearrange your content or page elements so that a call to action is always visible (it can be the same “Sign up now!” button, or multiple methods of inducing the same action, or even different desired actions).
Are you using your space wisely?
Users obviously go from top to bottom, (and largely focus on the right hand side content) but that doesn’t mean they don’t come back up. So is that blank space under the left navigation necessary or could you be capturing emails addresses?
Can you communicate with more than words?
Ever read through a long list of benefits? Ha ha ha…. yeah right! So try spicing up your content by adding icons that can visually communicate your benefits, and attract eyeballs to that (most crucial) part of the page.
I’ve recently had some success with pages where the content was great, but the page itself simply needed some design improvements. The points above have helped me ensure each element on the page is working towards moving that conversion needle up.
Hope it does the same for you!
Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Chasing down the bogus leads
Spiderman 3, American Idol winner, Britney Spears.
These are the keywords that brought you here. This is something any online communication manager or web strategist learns first. But what’s often overlooked is the importance of knowing which keywords to avoid to keep unwanted traffic away.
For those who landed here by accident, this is a blog about online content writing and marketing communication. You were brought here because of the combination of words at the start of this article (generated by Google trends/zeitgeist, as current top searches). My apologies for wasting your time.
The subject of my post for today is keywords search relevancy. Most online communicators understand search relevancy as how a search engine determines whether a Web page or site is important for a particular search query. But I’m looking at it from an online business perspective.
These days, with the numerous online tools available, most business websites can quickly figure out the basic set of keywords that will drive traffic towards them. Once regular traffic has been established, the next step is in ensuring that a higher percentage of traffic results in sales. This means focusing on the quality of your traffic, rather than quantity.
As always, the first step is measurement. Which of your keywords are resulting in sales and which are not? Most good web analytical tools will tell you this, once you’ve set your conversion goals. But they won’t tell you what percentage of each keyword is bringing in people who have no interest in your product or offering.
For example, if you’re selling the Volkswagen Beetle, you may be driving a large number of naturalists to your site, who may be more than happy to fill a form for a free-test drive. But as a target they are unlikely, if ever to make a purchase. And if you’re paying for every naturalist who clicks on your Beetle ad, that’s just money down the drain. This gets further compounded when multiple teams are involved in following each lead up.
You will therefore need to track backwards (from your sales team, registration page or whatever your conversion goal), every bogus lead based on the keyword search. And then identify which keywords are resulting in the highest misses.
This is basically the opposite of lead conversion. By tracing bogus conversions and knowing which keywords are resulting in high misses, you can then take action.
Unfortunately, once you find the problem there’s really no single way to solve it. For me, it’s a combination of trial, error, fine-tuning and getting specific with negative keywords.
If you know of another way, do let me know.
These are the keywords that brought you here. This is something any online communication manager or web strategist learns first. But what’s often overlooked is the importance of knowing which keywords to avoid to keep unwanted traffic away.
For those who landed here by accident, this is a blog about online content writing and marketing communication. You were brought here because of the combination of words at the start of this article (generated by Google trends/zeitgeist, as current top searches). My apologies for wasting your time.
The subject of my post for today is keywords search relevancy. Most online communicators understand search relevancy as how a search engine determines whether a Web page or site is important for a particular search query. But I’m looking at it from an online business perspective.
These days, with the numerous online tools available, most business websites can quickly figure out the basic set of keywords that will drive traffic towards them. Once regular traffic has been established, the next step is in ensuring that a higher percentage of traffic results in sales. This means focusing on the quality of your traffic, rather than quantity.
As always, the first step is measurement. Which of your keywords are resulting in sales and which are not? Most good web analytical tools will tell you this, once you’ve set your conversion goals. But they won’t tell you what percentage of each keyword is bringing in people who have no interest in your product or offering.
For example, if you’re selling the Volkswagen Beetle, you may be driving a large number of naturalists to your site, who may be more than happy to fill a form for a free-test drive. But as a target they are unlikely, if ever to make a purchase. And if you’re paying for every naturalist who clicks on your Beetle ad, that’s just money down the drain. This gets further compounded when multiple teams are involved in following each lead up.
You will therefore need to track backwards (from your sales team, registration page or whatever your conversion goal), every bogus lead based on the keyword search. And then identify which keywords are resulting in the highest misses.
This is basically the opposite of lead conversion. By tracing bogus conversions and knowing which keywords are resulting in high misses, you can then take action.
Unfortunately, once you find the problem there’s really no single way to solve it. For me, it’s a combination of trial, error, fine-tuning and getting specific with negative keywords.
If you know of another way, do let me know.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
You’ve heard it a million times. The three Rs of environmental conservationists across the globe. I was listening to a song by Jack Johnson when it struck me that the three Rs can be applied to content writers as well.
Every piece of writing you churn out comes from a process. Some of us follow established processes and while some of us just create our own over time. But it still boils down to this: Write. Rewrite. Rewrite. Rewrite.
But if you hate rewrites as much as I do, here’s how the three Rs can see you through.
Reduce: Online content is best when short. When you’re done with the first draft, go through it and cut out whatever is unnecessary. Remember your précis writing exercises? This is it. Ignore the ‘longer is better’ mantra of Indian schools, and keep only what is central to your message. In other words, reduce.
Reuse: Take a look at the communication. How many times have you re-emphasized your message? This is online communication, so remember no one reads. If you need to repeat “Download now” at three different places on the page, do it. If it works to have the benefits in bullets in a text box along with the content, go ahead. Maximize your communication through reuse of content. But be careful about how and where you do this. You don’t want to be perceived as a cut-paste artist.
Recycle: Great idea, but not for this piece? Witty line, but doesn’t fit? Store these little sparks of your writing capabilities. Over time you’d be surprised how long that list can grow. Don’t force fit something that sounds great. Its time will come. Recycle.
Every piece of writing you churn out comes from a process. Some of us follow established processes and while some of us just create our own over time. But it still boils down to this: Write. Rewrite. Rewrite. Rewrite.
But if you hate rewrites as much as I do, here’s how the three Rs can see you through.
Reduce: Online content is best when short. When you’re done with the first draft, go through it and cut out whatever is unnecessary. Remember your précis writing exercises? This is it. Ignore the ‘longer is better’ mantra of Indian schools, and keep only what is central to your message. In other words, reduce.
Reuse: Take a look at the communication. How many times have you re-emphasized your message? This is online communication, so remember no one reads. If you need to repeat “Download now” at three different places on the page, do it. If it works to have the benefits in bullets in a text box along with the content, go ahead. Maximize your communication through reuse of content. But be careful about how and where you do this. You don’t want to be perceived as a cut-paste artist.
Recycle: Great idea, but not for this piece? Witty line, but doesn’t fit? Store these little sparks of your writing capabilities. Over time you’d be surprised how long that list can grow. Don’t force fit something that sounds great. Its time will come. Recycle.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Overcome your tech content troubles
Dedicated to web writers who shudder every time their agency lands another tech company project:
Yes, I know, the bigger they are, the harder your job is. Because like any large enterprise with hundreds of applications bandaged one over the other, a large tech company usually has swarms of free-floating content that have been written and then rewritten a gazillion times by the myriad of hands it’s traveled through before reaching your inbox.
Of course with Content Management Systems doing the rounds, hopefully your client can find the relevant, updated version of information that you need. But if not, you’re in for some serious hair tearing.
In India, it’s hard to be an agency and not have a good percentage of software companies amongst your clientele. So if you find yourself staring blankly at a long list of software service solutions here’s why there is hope:
Everyone is looking for an easier way to understand technology. Most of these companies’ business readers are in the top management bracket. CXOs. Yes, they understand technology, but what’s more pertinent is they know technocrap* when they see it.
In case you don’t, here is an example of technocrap*:
From the depth of our domain expertise and our proprietary intellectual property to our onsite/offshore delivery model, our work is not finished until there's a solution that meets the challenge.
Technology simplification is the name of the game and that goes for content writing too.
Infosys Consulting is a great example of a tech company that bucked the trend. Though their main site sticks to the content quagmire norm, their consulting site content (and design, I might add) is head and shoulders above the rest.
Check out this page: http://www.infosysconsulting.com/about_us.htm
Examine the phrasing:
“Half the battle in consulting is winning the war for talent.”
“If it won't make you more competitive, we won't do it.”
“Using global resources, we deliver high quality technology while still managing to save clients money.”
Who said tech companies can’t be interesting? Or their content hard-hitting?
With every complex phrase and technically correct sentence, there comes challenge to the communicator in you. What does my target want to know? How do I translate this info in a way that quickly digestible and serves the purpose?
The next time you’re facing technology content, get back to the basics. Think briefly on the who, what, why and how of the page. Do a few quick sentences of what you think would be an interesting way of communicating the same point. Then see what other people are saying on the same subject. Understand their communication failings, not just their information gaps. Now enhance your content to cover those failings.
You’ll find your clients will either be impressed, surprised or just plain relieved with the outcome.
* Not to be confused with technobabble.
Yes, I know, the bigger they are, the harder your job is. Because like any large enterprise with hundreds of applications bandaged one over the other, a large tech company usually has swarms of free-floating content that have been written and then rewritten a gazillion times by the myriad of hands it’s traveled through before reaching your inbox.
Of course with Content Management Systems doing the rounds, hopefully your client can find the relevant, updated version of information that you need. But if not, you’re in for some serious hair tearing.
In India, it’s hard to be an agency and not have a good percentage of software companies amongst your clientele. So if you find yourself staring blankly at a long list of software service solutions here’s why there is hope:
Everyone is looking for an easier way to understand technology. Most of these companies’ business readers are in the top management bracket. CXOs. Yes, they understand technology, but what’s more pertinent is they know technocrap* when they see it.
In case you don’t, here is an example of technocrap*:
From the depth of our domain expertise and our proprietary intellectual property to our onsite/offshore delivery model, our work is not finished until there's a solution that meets the challenge.
Technology simplification is the name of the game and that goes for content writing too.
Infosys Consulting is a great example of a tech company that bucked the trend. Though their main site sticks to the content quagmire norm, their consulting site content (and design, I might add) is head and shoulders above the rest.
Check out this page: http://www.infosysconsulting.com/about_us.htm
Examine the phrasing:
“Half the battle in consulting is winning the war for talent.”
“If it won't make you more competitive, we won't do it.”
“Using global resources, we deliver high quality technology while still managing to save clients money.”
Who said tech companies can’t be interesting? Or their content hard-hitting?
With every complex phrase and technically correct sentence, there comes challenge to the communicator in you. What does my target want to know? How do I translate this info in a way that quickly digestible and serves the purpose?
The next time you’re facing technology content, get back to the basics. Think briefly on the who, what, why and how of the page. Do a few quick sentences of what you think would be an interesting way of communicating the same point. Then see what other people are saying on the same subject. Understand their communication failings, not just their information gaps. Now enhance your content to cover those failings.
You’ll find your clients will either be impressed, surprised or just plain relieved with the outcome.
* Not to be confused with technobabble.
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