What Are Landing Pages and Why Are They Important?
Landing pages play a very important role in digital marketing. An essential part in the customer journey, landing pages are one place where you can turn visitors into either customers or followers.
What is a Landing Page?
A landing page is a dedicated web page on a website often created as a part of a marketing or advertising campaign. It’s a standalone page where a visitor lands after clicking on a link in an email, or ads from Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google, Bing, or other social and search platforms.
Unlike other web pages which encourage the exploration of your entire website, a landing page is geared towards a single focus and predetermined goal. It makes use of compelling copy and a strong call to action to encourage users and visitors to take the next step in your customer journey.
What’s the Difference Between a Landing Page and a Home Page
The key difference between a landing page and a home page is focus. A home page is like a busy commercial district with dozens of crossroads and intersections. A home page is focused on directing visitors to other important sections and locations of a website, with multiple links, buttons, and entry points.
A landing page, on the other hand, is like entering and exiting a tunnel with a single destination. Your intention is to have your visitors see the light at the end of it. They direct a visitor towards a single purpose. That means that there are only very limited navigation options.
What Are the Different Types of Landing Pages
When it comes to design, there are several types of landing pages that exist on the web such as squeeze pages, splash pages, and infomercial pages. However, all these types of landing pages can be categorised into two main types:
- Lead Generation Landing Pages
- Click Through Landing Pages
Lead Generation Pages are a form of landing page whose main purpose is to collect data such as the names and email addresses of visitors. In exchange for that data, an offer is usually made such as free ebooks, whitepapers, exclusive content, or webinars.
This is usually done to establish a direct relationship with a user, nurturing that relationship over time and is used by both B2B and B2C businesses.
Clickthrough Landing Pages are more common for ecommerce and software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses. These landing pages are usually sales pages where the user can view pricing plans or go through the checkout process.
Why Are Landing Pages Important
Because of the high-intent nature of a landing page and its hyper-focus, they are often optimised to create the best possible results. From the design, to the copy and the offer, landing pages turn your website visitors into either leads or customers. This makes them more important than many other pages on your website.
A good landing page can be the determining factor that turns your marketing or advertising campaign into a success. That’s why it’s important to get it right.
Building a landing page, however, can be difficult, as it requires several sets of skills, including web design and copywriting. But that’s where agencies like ours come into the picture. With years of experience on our belts, building a landing page that converts is something we can definitely help you with.
So if you have landing pages that you feel need a quick makeover, or you’re starting from scratch, our experts are just an email or a call away.
Why No One Sticks Around- Improve Site Traffic!
So, you’ve created your website and paid attention to all important details. You’ve even looked at the content you have used over and over to make sure it’s perfect. So why aren’t people making themselves at home and taking a look around? Luckily for you, we’ve provided the right information and some quick tips to improve site traffic.
With the average person taking only 59 seconds to decide whether your website is worthy of their time, you’ve got some serious pressure here. If you don’t spice up your website’s content and appearance to interest more of your audience, your visitor count will quickly diminish.
2017 Website Tips to Adopt and Avoid!
How did your website rate in 2016? Did you see the conversions you were looking for, or were people bouncing off your website faster than a kid who’s just found out it’s dinner time? Read our 2017 website tips to find out how your business can better stand out in the New Year!
Things To Consider:
Long-Scroll Layouts Vs Excess Tabs
Once upon a time websites contained lots of individual pages under different tabs and links, but these days you might have noticed a distinct shift away from this. Nowadays, your average website implements long-scrolling; where businesses will list multiple sections all on the one page. For example, instead of clicking on an ‘about us’ and then ‘awards’ tab, a website might choose to put all of this information on one landing page, under multiple headings.
And it really is a simpler process – particularly for those who are scrolling on their phones. Being able to keep scrolling down to see all the relevant information for that page, as opposed to getting lost in the depths of multiple tabs, is a much more user-friendly experience.
On that note, if you’re looking to test the user-friendliness of your website there are plenty of online service providers (such as those below) that can assist you with valuable feedback. Some may even provide a free trial as well! We recommend you give the following a try:
Reassure Customers with Numbers
Have you won a number of awards, or helped hundreds of local customers with their product needs? Don’t be shy of boasting your achievements – these figures can persuade a potential customer that you’re not just another average Joe. Show them why they should come to you!
Video, Video, Video
Yes, video content is a big deal, and if you don’t yet know it your business is likely suffering! Just like a picture can paint a thousand words, a video is even easier on the eye of your potential customer. For example, instead of filling your site with text heavy content about your product, try adding a video at the top that clearly demonstrates how the product works, and shows it being used by a real person (even better, add a testimonial of a customer who has used your service or product).
Things to Consider Avoiding:
Homepage Carousels
Although they add an interesting visual dimension to your website, carousel designs can actually reduce your SEO rankings; as they lack content that Google can crawl (unless each image is labeled). Likewise, slow loading times for high-res images can also be enough to drive people away before they’ve clicked any further. This is not to say that you should definitely steer clear of these types of ads, but it is important to weigh up if they are the right choice for you – after all, according to a 2013 study from Erik Runyon, only 1% of people actually click on a carousel ad.
When designing your website (or having it designed for you), put yourself in the shoes of a potential customer and ask yourself:
- Is it easy to find what I’m looking for?
- Could navigation be better?
- Are there too many tabs?
- Are the colours and fonts consistent?
- Do I have too much block text on each page?
- Does my layout look dated?
With just a few questions such as these, you’ll be on your way to creating a website that is functional, user-friendly, and unique to your product. If you need a hand with getting on the right track, give our web experts a call on 1300 332 256.
3 Ways to Improve Your Marketing Content!
When you’re running your own business, it can can be easy to assume your customers and followers want to read every brilliant blog you post. But great as they may be, if you don’t have the right AdWords and SEO practices in place, it’s possible your brilliant content could be getting lost in cyberspace.
Below, we share three ways that you can check on the SEO health of your content before moving on to more complex marketing strategies.
Google Trends
If you’re stuck on what to write about, ‘Google Trends’ is one of the best sites for discovering trending topics and stories. By searching through the most popular stories and finding the ones that relate to your organisation / business, you can take note of trending keywords and utilise them in your content. That way, when it comes time to analysing your SEO trends, you can at least be confident that you’re writing about relevant and engaging topics.
BrowserStack
So, you’ve spent hours on your website and you think it’s coming together pretty well – but have you made sure it looks clear and engaging on both desktop and mobile platforms? Ensuring your content is formatted correctly across all types of digital devices and platforms is crucial, and cannot be understated! The good news is, with BrowserStack you can quickly work out what is and isn’t working across each platform, and adjust as necessary.
Seoptimer
Using this free website review / SEO audio tool, you can find out in just a couple of seconds what you need to do to improve your website SEO! For example, maybe you need to add some ALT attributes to your images, or add a proper sitemap.xml file? It’s a quick easy analysis, and you can even download a free PDF report.
While online marketing is an extremely complex and ever-changing world, simple tools such as these can give you a head start; allowing you to get an indication of what you need to build upon to make sure your website content is reaching as many people as possible.
It’s always worth noting however – unless you consider yourself an AdWords and SEO guru – taking the next step toward more complex marketing strategies is generally better left in the hands of a dedicated marketing professional. After all, this is your business!
Are you looking for advice on how to implement these changes, create more engaging content, and ultimate get more traffic toward your website? Contact the GMT team today on 1300 332 256.
Are Myer overdue with their ‘New Myer’ strategy, or just fashionably late?
Myer have recently announced their new ‘New Myer’ strategy, with emphasis on omni-channel pathways and marketing initiatives to leverage relevant customer behaviours in the face of strong digital competition from retail rivals at home and overseas. But have Myer come to the game too late? With a predicted $600 million, five year transformation agenda, including $200 million into omni-channel capabilities, the new strategy undoubtedly takes on-board the changing space of consumer spending and behaviour. Though when taking a look at competitors overseas, it seems to be a serious game of catch-up.
There is an ongoing trend which is mirrored across many industries in Australia when it comes to successfully investing in technology and digital transformations. While Australian’s are some of the fastest consumers of new digital technologies, Australian businesses are slow on the uptake. It’s very much a case of ‘let’s wait and see just how much of an impact this will actually have’ and commonly, businesses finding themselves left far behind due to exactly that.
Modern retail is an online and offline journey, but it is increasingly apparent that if it’s not online, then it may as well not exist, particularly when it comes to ‘fashion’. In 2014 the stark truth is that Australian retail giants Myer and David Jones could only account online sales for approximately 2% of total sales. For those with their eyes on the ball, the massive opportunity this presents small to medium sized businesses in Australia is huge. For those which already have a good online E-commerce presence, then the customers are there for the taking. For those who are coming to the realisation that now is the time to move, they can guarantee that it won’t take five years and $600 million to establish themselves online.
There are exceptions to Myer’s blunder. Many businesses saw the writing on the wall after the GFC and realised that innovation was needed to pick up business again. With technology producing smart mobile devices and companies like Google driving online relevancy, data-driven marketing has reshaped the way businesses must communicate and connect with their customers. In Australia, brands such as Country Road and Lorna Jane are shining examples of what positive omni-channel experiences can do not just for revenue, profit and growth, but brand loyalty and advocacy.
So in the face of retail globalisation, digital disruption and consumer expectations, Myer’s new strategy, while a welcome sight, will have to wait a while to see the fruits of its harvest. With the busy Christmas shopping season quickly approaching, and with Myer’s notorious online system outage one week out from Christmas Day in 2014, consumers and industry watchers will have to see whether small to medium businesses will take advantage of the online opportunity and good fortune. If you’re looking to update your e-Commerce strategy in time for the Holiday Season this year, then get in touch with Get More Traffic today on 1300 332 256.
The 3 Key Features You Must Have in Online Marketing
Whether you are stepping into the world of online marketing for the first time, or if you are a savvy marketing business owner, we all have one thing in common – that we should never stop learning and we should never assume that we know it all. As the bright and bubbly crowd that we are here at Get More Traffic, we’re all for learning from those around us. So go on, follow our lead and learn a little something from us! We reckon there are three main points you must always include in your online marketing strategy; websites which are optimised for high conversion, Pay-per-Click advertising, and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
Conversion Optimised Website
Your website is the online version of a physical shopfront. People will choose to enter your website based on whether they like the look of your website, or not. Believe it or not, a successful website comes down to whether it has been optimised for conversions. Let’s face it; we live in a world where people expect everything to be available at their fingertips. If your business is not offering this, then people will go elsewhere; they will go to your competition! A website which has been created for optimal conversion rates should come before a Pay-per-Click advertising strategy, and a SEO plan. There is no point in running these methods if they aren’t going to lead your prospective customers to a well-functioning website. It’s why we offer Convertopages as a website conversion product. Speak to your Account Driver today if you are interested in learning more.
Pay Per Click Advertising
Want prospective customers to find you when they are searching for what products and services you offer? Then Pay-per-Click advertising is what you want. It puts your business in front of users at the exact time they are online and looking for the products and services you sell. In terms of timing, you couldn’t get it any better. But what about a user’s buying cycle? What’s that, you ask? This determines where the user is in their search query progress. Users can begin their search online for a product or service, but will revisit that search process four to five separate times before they are ready to click on your ad link. You want to capture their attention when they are at this stage in the buying cycle. Unsure how to do this? It’s the exact reason why you have someone like your Account Driver here at Get More Traffic to help you with this. Speak to them today about your target markets buying cycle.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
SEO tactics help your website to rank as high as possible on search engines. We prefer to focus on Google simply due to the sheer size of the online giant! When your website ranks well in Google search, users will inherently trust your website to be relevant to their search query. It also builds trust, brand recognition and it puts you above your competitors. However, SEO does have a bit of a science to it, and getting it to work for your website is seriously a full time job. Due to the fact that a company like Google are always tinkering with their search algorithms, it’s our job to stay on top of what that means for you!
So, gone are the days when you could easily rely on a few advertisements in the local newspaper or radio station. With prospective clients always online, whether that’s via a PC or mobile device, you need to meet them there. The three key features above are what will ensure you can this successfully. If you’re interested in learning how Get More Traffic can help your business, simply give us a call on 1300 332 256 – we’d love to have a chat and help you out any way we can.
Recent Posts
What is Meta?
Meta, is a company that has redefined the way we connect, communicate, and consume content. Meta, previously known as Facebook, has expanded its horizons beyond the conventional realms of social networking and now offers a multitude of services under its umbrella. One of the standout components of this transformation is Meta Ads – a dynamic advertising platform that enables businesses to engage with their target audience like never before. Its flagship product, the Facebook social media platform, has grown to encompass a broader vision, leading to the rebranding of the company as Meta. Meta envisions a metaverse that goes beyond traditional digital experiences, integrating augmented reality, virtual reality, and various other technological advancements.
What are Meta Ads?
Definition
Meta Ads, an integral part of Meta’s ecosystem, are a sophisticated form of digital marketing that empowers businesses to connect with their target audience across multiple platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and more. These ads leverage the vast amount of data within the Meta network to deliver personalized and relevant content to users, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.
Purpose
Meta Ads serve a multifaceted purpose in the digital marketing landscape. They enable businesses to reach a wider audience by connecting people from all over the world as their potential target audience. It provides a diverse range of advertising formats like video or image which caters to various business goals and creative strategies which maximises engagement. It also helps with analysing results as it provides tools and techniques to track the performance of the campaigns in real-time, enabling data-driven optimizations.
Types of Meta Ads
Facebook Ads
They let businesses use single images to promote their products, services, or brand. Image ads can be used across different ad types, placements, and aspect ratios. Image ads are a good fit for campaigns with strong visual content that can be shown in just one image. These images could be made from illustrations, design, or photography.
Facebook lets businesses use a single video to showcase their products, services, or brand.They’re especially helpful for product demos, tutorials, and showcasing moving elements.
Carousel ads showcase up to ten images or videos that users can click through. Each has its own headline, description, or link. Carousels are a great choice for displaying a series of different products. Each image in the carousel can even have its own landing page that’s specifically built for that product or service.
Instant Experience ads, previously known as Canvas Ads, are mobile-only interactive ads that let users engage with your promoted content on Facebook. Using Instant Experience ads, users can tap through a carousel display of images, shift the screen in different directions, as well as zoom in or out of content.
Collection ads are kind of like immersive carousels — taking the user experience a step up. Collection ads are mobile window-shopping experiences where users can flick through your product lineup.
Instagram Ads
These are single-image ads that appear in users’ Instagram feeds. They are a simple yet effective way to showcase products or services and can be used to drive traffic to a website or landing page.
Video ads are similar to photo ads, but they use videos instead of images to convey the message. Instagram videos can be up to 60 minutes long, but you should prefer much shorter videos for your ad. Video ads are a great way to tell a brand story or showcase a product in action.
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Carousel ads
Carousel ads allow businesses to showcase multiple images or videos within a single ad unit. Users can swipe through the images or videos, giving them a more immersive experience.
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Story ads
Instagram Stories ads are full-screen ads that appear in between users’ stories. These ads are a great way to create interactive and immersive experiences for users and this is why engagement is often higher with this type of ad.
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Collection ads
Collection ads are designed for e-commerce businesses and allow users to shop directly from within the ad. These ads feature a cover image or video and multiple product images below, making it easy for users to browse and purchase products.
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Explore ads
Explore ads appear in the Explore section of the Instagram app, where users discover new content. These ads are a great way to reach a new audience and increase brand awareness. Instagram Explore ads do not appear directly in the Explore section, but are shown after someone clicks on a photo or video from Explore.
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Shopping ads
Designed for e-commerce businesses that have a shop on Instagram, Shopping ads take users directly to a product description page within the app. From there, your customers can easily make a purchase.
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Reels ads
After the launch of Reels, Instagram has also allowed Reels Ads. These ads are usually videos, up to 60 seconds long, that are shown between Reels.
Process
Step 1. Choose your objective
Login into Facebook Ads Manager and select the Campaign tab, then click Create to get started with a new Facebook ad campaign. There are 3 marketing categories – Awareness, Consideration and Conversion that Facebook provides with consumers on what they want their ad to accomplish.
Step 2. Name your campaign
Name your Facebook ad campaign and declare whether your ad fits into any special categories like credit or politics. If you want to set up an A/B split test, click Get Started in the A/B Test section to set this ad as your control. You can choose different versions to run against this ad after it’s published. Scroll down a little further to choose whether to turn on Advantage Campaign Budget+. This option can be useful if you’re using multiple ad sets, but for now, you can leave it turned off. Click Next.
Step 3. Set your budget and schedule
At the top of this screen, you will name your ad set and choose which Page to promote. Next, you decide how much money you want to spend on your Facebook ad campaign. You can choose a daily or lifetime budget. Then, set the start and end dates if you want to schedule your ad in the future or choose to make it live right away.
Step 4. Target your audience
Scroll down to start building the target audience for your ads. Start by selecting your target location, age, gender and language. Under location, you can even choose to include or exclude cities over a certain size. You can also prioritize people who’ve recently shown an interest in the product or service you sell.
Step 5. Choose your Facebook Placements
Scroll down to choose where your ads will appear. If you’re new to Facebook advertising, the simplest choice is to use Advantage+ Placements. When you select this option, Facebook will automatically place your ads across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and the Audience Network when they are likely to get the best results
Step 6. Set brand safety and cost controls
Scroll down to the Brand Safety section to exclude any types of content that would be inappropriate to appear with your ad.
Step 7. Create your ad
First, choose your ad format, then enter the text and media components for your ad. The formats available will vary based on the campaign objective you selected back at the beginning of this process. Use the preview tool at the right of the page to make sure your ad looks good for all potential placements. When you’re happy with your choices, click the green Publish button to launch your ad.
Tips and Tricks
- Use vertical videos: Use a vertical or square aspect ratio. Most people hold their phones vertically, so you’ll cover more of their screen.
- Shorten text: People on Facebook and Instagram scan quickly. In research conducted by the Mobile Marketing Association, it took two to three seconds for two out of three for people to see and cognitively recognise desktop ads compared to 0.4 seconds on mobile. Keep your text short, clear and concise to get your message across.
- Add multiple images using the carousel format: Carousel allows you to show several images for people to scroll through at the same cost. It’s a great opportunity if you have lots of product or brand images.
- Add movement: Ads with movement can stand out in Feed. Templates in Meta Ads Manager can help you create a video ad from your images.
- Use calls to action: A range of call-to-action (CTA) buttons are available for Facebook and Instagram ads. These buttons draw attention and encourage people to engage with your ad. Based on what you want people to do when they see your ad, experiment with the CTA buttons available for different ad objectives and formats. See which ones get your audience to take action.
Resources
Paid Meta Training Resources
Free Meta Training Resources
YouTube is not only a platform for sharing videos but also a powerful advertising tool that allows businesses to reach a global audience in creative and engaging ways. Understanding the various YouTube ad formats is crucial for creating successful ad campaigns that resonate with your target audience. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the different YouTube ad formats, their features, benefits, and when to use each format effectively.
Exploring the differences of YouTube Ad Formats:
Skippable Ads
Best for: Maximizing Brand Exposure
Skippable ads, also known as TrueView in-stream ads, are one of the most common ad formats on YouTube. These ads appear before, during, or after a user’s chosen video and can be skipped after the first 5 seconds. The key features include:
- Ad Length: Skippable ads can vary in length, but the first 5 seconds are crucial for capturing viewers’ attention
- Engagement: Viewers can skip the ad after 5 seconds, so creating a compelling hook in the beginning is essential
- Cost: Advertisers are charged when viewers watch at least 30 seconds of the ad of the entire ad if it’s shorter than 30 seconds
Non- Skippable Ads
Best for: Conveying Important Messages
Non-skippable ads are short video ads that viewers are required to watch before they can access their chosen video content. These ads are limited to 15 seconds in most cases. Key features include:
- Viewing Obligation: Viewers must watch the entire ad, which can lead to higher engagement
- Message Efficiency: Due to the time constraint, these ads require clear and concise messaging
- User Experience: While they ensure ad views, non-skippable ads can be seen as intrusive if not well-crafted
Bumper Ads
Best for: Delivering A Punchy Message
Bumper ads are short, non-skippable video ads that are limited to 6 seconds. These ads are designed to be concise and impactful, making them ideal for mobile users. Key features include:
- Limited Length: The 6-second limit encourages advertisers to convey their message quickly and creatively
- Mobile-Friendly: Bumper ads are effective on mobile devices, where attention spans are typically shorter
- Frequency: They can be used as a supplement to longer ads to reinforce your message
Overlay Ads
Best for: Prompting a call to action (CTA)
Overlay ads, also known as display ads, appear as banner ads at the bottom of the video player. They can be text-based or rich media ads. Key features include:
- Visual Presence: Overlay ads don’t interrupt the video content and are displayed as a semi-transparent overlay
- Engagement: They encourage viewers to click through to your website or landing page
- CTR Tracking: Overlay ads’ click-through rates (CTR) can help measure their effectiveness
Sponsored Cards
Best for: Showcasing products
Sponsored cards are interactive, content-specific cards that promote products featured within the video or related products. They appear as small teasers within the video. Key features include:
- Contextual: Sponsored cards provide relevant information about the products or services featured in the video
- Interactivity: Viewers can click on the card to see mobile details or visit the advertiser’s website
- Engagement: These cards enhance the user experience by offering additional value
Discovery Ads
Best for: Capturing Intentful Viewers
Discovery ads, previously known ad TrueView discovery ads, are promoted videos that appear in YouTube search results, alongside related videos, and on the YouTube mobile homepage: Key features include:
- Placement: Discovery ads are strategically placed in areas where users are actively looking for content
- Viewer Intent: These ads target users who are more likely to engage due to their search or browsing behaviour
- Thumbnail and Title: The ad’s success depends on an attention-grabbing thumbnail and an enticing title
Masthead Ads
Best for: Broad Audience Impact
Masthead Ads, also known as YouTube’s “Masthead” placement, allow your video to take center stage at the top of YouTube’s homepage on all devices, from desktops to mobile devices and smart TVs. The prime real estate grants you unparalleled visibility and exposure, making it an ideal choice for campaigns aimed at maximum reach and brand impact. Key features include:
- Massive Reach: Engaging a diverse audience with prime placement, ensure that your message reaches users across various demographics and interests
- Visual impact: Capture attention instantly with autoplay visuals
- Clickable CTAs: Direct traffic with overlay CTSs for seamless engagement
10 Steps to Start YouTube Ads
Starting YouTube ads involves careful planning and execution, but the potential to reach a massive and engaged audience makes it worthwhile. By following these 10 steps, you will be on your way to create impactful and successful YouTube ad campaigns that drive your marketing objectives.
1.Define Goals:
Clarify your campaign objectives. Are you aiming for brand exposure, website traffic, lead generation, or sales conversions? Having clear goals will shape your entire strategy
2. Create Channel:
Establish a YouTube channel for your business. This provides a dedicated space to host your video content and manage your advertising campaigns
3. Link Accounts:
Link your YouTube channel to a Google Ads account. This integration allows you to manage and track your ad campaign seamlessly
4. Budget:
Determine your budget for the campaign. Decide whether you want to allocate a specific amount per data or for the entire campaign duration. Google Ads offers various budgeting options to suit your needs.’
5. Audience:
Identifying your target audience. Consider demographics like age, gender, location, and interests. The more precise your audience targeting, the higher the chances of reaching the right viewers
6. Choose Format:
Select the appropriate ad format based on your goals. For instance, if you want to create brand awareness, skippable ads might be ideal. If you have a short, impactful message, bumper ads could work better
7. Craft Content:
Develop compelling video content that resonates with your audience. Start with a captivating hook in the opening seconds to capture viewers’ attention and encourage them to watch further
8. Set tracking:
Implement tracking mechanisms, such as Google Analytics or conversion tracking, to measure the effectiveness of your campaign. This data helps you refine your strategy and understand what’s working
9. Campaign Details:
Configure campaign parameters. Specify the campaign start and end dates, ad scheduling (when your ads will run), and geographic targeting (where your ads will be shown)
10. Launch and Optimize:
Review your campaign settings, content, and targeting one final time. Once you are satisfied, launch the campaign. Continuously monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) like click-through rates, view rates, and conversions. Use these insights to optimize your ads for better results over time
As you navigate the world of YouTube advertising, understanding these various ad formats is essential for tailoring your campaigns to your audience’s preferences and behavious. Each format offers unique advantages, and by strategically using them, you can create compelling and experiences that resonate with viewers and drive your marketing goals.
The key to a successful YouTube ad campaign is not only choosing the right format but also crafting engaging content that captures your audience’s attention and encourages them to take action.