Some additional tips to help you design landing pages

Here are some additional tips to help you design landing pages that convert visitors who click through your PPC ads:

• Create specific landing pages for each PPC ad. Individual landing pages allow you to tailor the pages to specific audiences, which can increase your chance of conversion.

• Quickly orient the visitor with the purpose of the landing page by using direct and concise headlines. When users click through an ad to your landing page, they must immediately see that the page will help them reach whatever goal they have in mind. If they don’t see this, they’ll just click back to their search results.

• Don’t overcrowd your landing pages. Too much information, too many graphics, and too many multimedia elements can make it difficult for users to load your landing page. Even if they do load it, they’re likely to become sidetracked by over stimulation. Keep pages clean and include plenty of white space.

• Include everything that visitors need to complete a conversion. That means users should be able to sign up for your newsletter, make a purchase, or fill out a form, all on the landing page. If users have to click much deeper into your site, you may lose them.

• Test, test, test. You’ll hear that mantra over and over again associated with many different SEO strategies. For landing pages, you may have to test several versions before you find one that works for the ad you’re currently running. Then, when you change the ad, the landing page will need to change, too. It’s an ongoing process that’s never quite finished.

When you’re looking for a PPC program, Qualifications to Keep in Mind

When you’re looking for a PPC program, remember that you’ll probably use more than one, and some companies use several to reach both broader and narrower markets. Which company you choose and whether you choose to work with more than one company should be determined by your needs. But when you’re considering PPC agencies, here are some qualifications to keep in mind:

Length of Service: How long has this company been around? If you’re considering a new agency, use caution. New companies aren’t necessarily stable and you might find that you get your campaign started only to have the company gobbled up by another — or could just fall off the face of the Internet.

Industry Participation: The PPC industry has been around a while, but as with anything on the Internet, it changes often. Find out how invested your target company is in the industry. Industry investment usually means long-term plans and goals within an industry. It also means that the company is more likely to stay in good standing with customers.

Features and Feature Combinations: Your Company might have different requirements from other companies. Look at the different features and feature combinations that are offered by your target PPC provider. Some of the services that should be available are bid management, education, reporting, link submission, copywriting, and even some elements of research. Determine what features you must have and then find the vendor that can provide them.

Number of Campaigns: Some PPC providers have restrictions on the number of PPC campaigns you can run at any one time. Others have restrictions on the types of campaigns you can run (that is, global versus local). Be sure to ask about limitations in this area, because you’ll find later on that it’s an important issue to address up front.

Average Spend: Can your prospective PPC company give you an estimate of the average spend for companies that use their services? This average helps you to quickly determine if your budget is sufficient.

Client Referrals: Client referrals are an often overlooked aspect of PPC company research. What are other clients saying about the service? You can look for these comments online or ask the company specifically for referrals. However, if you’re asking the company to provide referrals, keep in mind they will point you only in the direction of good referrals.