A Landing Page is Not an Order Page (and why it matters)

To explain my point I need to first confuse the issue a bit (you'll see why): While a landing page is not an order page, it can, and in many cases should, contain the order form.

So what is the difference? Is this just a question of semantics? Actually, there is a big difference and it can have a big effect on your conversion rate. Generally, the order page is another page on your website. As such, it will have links to other parts of your site. Since someone who comes to the order or signup page often comes from other parts of your site, and has looked at descriptions of your products and service, you can assume they are ready to buy or sign up. When that is the case, there is little need to go into much sell, if any, before getting to the form prospects need to fill out.

Prospects who come to your site after seeing your marketing communications, online or offline, are in a different mindset. Generally, they are not prepared to buy or sign up yet. They need a landing page that includes some sell before seeing the order form. Confronting this prospect with the order form or signup form too early, before they feel prepared, can seem presumptuous and you can easily lose this prospect.

How much sell is needed depends on the communications prospects came from. A short ad or text link dictates longer sell than a lengthy article or direct mail letter. Another factor in how much sell/information copy is needed before asking for the order is the complexity of your product or the offer.

Say the prospect came from a longer marketing communications piece, either an article or a direct mail letter. While this prospect has more information than the one who comes from a short ad, there still needs to be some sell, even if it is to just quickly reiterate the benefits and make the prospect feel smart for coming to the landing page and taking advantage of your offer.

And in all cases, the landing page must be consistent with the marketing piece. If the prospect is suddenly confronted with a landing page that seems different or just doesn't seem to connect with the piece they came from, a number of unfortunate things happen. There is a credibility gap. The prospect senses this is different and becomes on guard. And you lose the momentum of the sell, where one benefit leads to another until the close.

Let's say you've determined the length of the sell copy on the landing page. At this point, there is a crucial decision to be made. After the sell, do you put the order form or signup form on the same page or have prospects click to go to another page to fill out the form?

There are two opposing prospect tendencies to deal with. The more clicks a prospect needs to go through to get to the order or signup, the more likely the prospect will not continue. On the other hand, make prospects do too much scrolling and you'll lose a certain percentage of them. In addition, if there is too much copy and graphics on a page, there is the danger that the page looks too cluttered and intimidating.

There is no cookie-cutter solution. Generally, it is preferable to have the order form on the same page as the preceding sell copy; that is, on the landing page. Having said that, there are numerous cases when having prospects click to go to a separate order page is better.

So you see, a landing page is an important, yet flexible, stage in the selling process. Always keep in mind the marketing piece the prospect came from and develop your landing page accordingly.

With 25 years of experience, Leon Altman focuses on helping marketers get more out of their investment in marketing. To inquire about his services, write leon@altmancommunications.com. To sign up for his Free Marketers FYI newsletter, visit his site at http://www.InvestingIN.com/marketing

---

KIS - Keep It Simple

There are many ways to add fancy bells and whistles... Read More

Do-It-Yourself Web Design for Home-Based Businesses

Home-based businesses need a strong web presence to combat the... Read More

Turn Benefits Into Sales with Streaming Media

The "Wow" factor that accompanied the introduction of streaming media... Read More

When Good Computers Go Bad

Remember the day that you got your new computer (or... Read More

6 Reasons Why Using Flash is a BIG Mistake

Most web designers and web design companies will try to... Read More

Drupal Modules

There are plenty of Drupal Modules that you can install... Read More

How to Make the Online Sales Copy for Your Website More Conversational

It has been said that the best online sales copy... Read More

Be Friendly to Search Engines

The object of search engines is to give their visitors... Read More

Click Here

See, works every time. Seriously now, for some reason people... Read More

How To Write An Effective FAQ Page

Websites that have multiple pages usually have a Frequently Asked... Read More

How to Chose Stock Photography for your Web Site

So you've decided to take the plunge. You know that... Read More

How Do We Know When Its Time To Redesign Our Web Site?

A question we frequently get asked is, "how do we... Read More

Web Coach Tip: The Single Most Important and CRUCIAL Element of Your Web Site

Here's the single most important part of your website: YOUR... Read More

Design Matters in our Visual Culture

FIRST IMPRESSIONS. First impressions often leave lasting impressions. Impressions... Read More

How To Rescue Your Graphic Design Project When All Else Fails

Whether you're giving a critical sales presentation to a client,... Read More

Quality Web Copy is the Key to Success

Many websites make the mistake of being all flash and... Read More

11 Steps to Sticky Web Site!

An attractive and user-friendly Web site is crucial to attracting... Read More

Colorblind People, Can They Really Read Your Web Site?

I once created a notepad-like editor. It is possible with... Read More

Why Web Pages Appear in the Wrong Location after Uploading to my Website?

If your are a new web designer, you may face... Read More

Secrets to Using Color on Your Website and Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Colors have long been known to have psychological affects on... Read More

Effective Website Design For Massive Traffic

STEP 1:Do your homeworkPlan and think about your content. Think... Read More

Integrating Advertising into Your Web Design

If you are going to be placing ads on your... Read More

.htaccess to Mask Errors on Your Website

The .htaccess file is a control file located in your... Read More

Developing An Effective Physical Therapy Web Site

Physical therapists have unique web presence needs. An effective site... Read More

Do You Want To Save Time With Your Web Design?

It starts off simply; a few HTML pages, a few... Read More

Is Your Site Too Slow? Why Image Optimization Is Critical

Graphics are fun, but if you put in too many... Read More

Website Re-Design?

My site is working fine. The links work. Content is... Read More

Website Design Mishaps - How to Avoid Costly Errors That Can Crush Your Chances of Success

Designing your website can be a difficult task especially if... Read More

Top Ten Website Design Secrets for Internet Marketing Success

When it comes to marketing your website, you should really... Read More

Design With Purpose

If your website is falling through the cracks, the chances... Read More

Top Ten Ways to Increase Web Sales - Part 1

You have only 10 seconds to impress your potential buyer.... Read More

Do Your Website Yourself - 4 Simple Steps to Get Your Dreams on the Web

Many people hire professional web site designers for as much... Read More

3 Tips For Writing Content That Will Make You Sales

Content is king. Without content your website is an empty... Read More