Posts Tagged ‘effective internet marketing’

Internet Marketing Tips: 5 Reasons You Should Use A/B Tests to Create Better Landing Pages

Friday, March 25th, 2011

Although landing pages are crucial to the success of a company’s site, many marketers are not taking the time to enhance this element. In a recent webinar hosted by Marketo, the importance of landing pages was discussed. According to WhichTestWon.com, a site that focuses on collecting Internet marketing data, less than half of all marketing professionals are conducting A/B tests on their landing pages. By following a few simple tips and adding components to their landing page, such as an eCommerce offer, conversion rates are more likely to go up and more users will complete online forms.

Many marketers are wondering the same thing: what elements need to be monitored and tested on my landing page? Research has shown that by running A/B tests on the following five components of a landing page, conversions will increase and landing pages will become much more effective on the consumer.

  1. Buttons and Response Links: Button visibility can make all the difference in form fill-outs and response rates. The buttons on your landing page need to stand out and catch the eye of the consumer.
  2. Headline Copy: Try different formats and wording for your headlines. Sometimes, the short, catchy phrases work best, while other times, longer, more detailed keywords work best. It all depends on your audience and who you are trying to draw into the site.
  3. Distraction Removal: Conduct an A/B test to find out ways to improve and change the layout of your landing page. Pinpoint elements that are useless and are just creating clutter on the page, and remove extraneous copy or images.
  4. Images: Test out multiple images to discover the most effective display for your landing page. You can try using pictures of males versus females, different facial expressions, various races, etc.
  5. Forms: According to research collected from WhichTestWon.com, forms with fewer required fields actually received more completed submissions from qualified leads. If you have longer forms, break them up into different pages to avoid overwhelming the consumer.
  1. Buttons and Response Links: Button visibility can make all the difference in form fill-outs and response rates. The buttons on your landing page need to stand out and catch the eye of the consumer.
Headline Copy: Try different formats and wording for your headlines. Sometimes, the short, catchy phrases work best, while other times, longer, more detailed keywords work best. It all depends on your audience and who you are trying to draw into the site.
Distraction Removal: Conduct an A/B test to find out ways to improve and change the layout of your landing page. Pinpoint elements that are useless and are just creating clutter on the page, and remove extraneous copy or images.
Images: Test out multiple images to discover the most effective display for your landing page. You can try using pictures of males versus females, different facial expressions, various races, etc.
Forms: According to research collected from WhichTestWon.com, forms with fewer required fields actually received more completed submissions from qualified leads. If you have longer forms, break them up into different pages to avoid overwhelming the consume

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    Posted in Internet Marketing Training, social media marketing | 1 Comment »

    Tips For More Effective Internet Marketing

    Monday, April 19th, 2010

    Website Magazine writer Tim Ash recently wrote an article taking six principles of universal persuasion written by Dr. Robert Cialdini, president of Influence At Work, and applied them toward more effective Internet marketing. First, Ash outlined the six principles which are reciprocation, scarcity, authority, consistency, consensus and liking, and then explained how some of the principles could be used by Internet marketers. Selling something online is hard because it’s hard for people to trust you unless they know you. Ash mentions using the principles to develop more trust in an online world of uncertainty.

    • Authority: “Authority and expertise must be established before you ask someone to act. Otherwise you become a blowhard and self-promoter,” said Ash. The key to gaining trust online is to show information in an unbiased way. Dr. Robert Cialdini suggests that before the most compelling part of your argument, mention the weakness and drawbacks of your product or service. This shows that you know and acknowledge both the pros and cons of your service or product and shows trustworthiness because you’re willing to show a weakness. Then you can use the weakness to show the positive. Example: Avis: “We’re #2, so we try harder.” Avis points out they are only #2, but that is what’s forcing them to try harder to please the customer and improve their service.
    • Consensus: Showing that others like you are doing something is more likely to get you to do the same. If Internet marketers can show testimonials from their potential customers’ peers, they are more likely to see their product. Lead with the most comparable circumstance and include testimonials from experts as well as peers for the most effective Internet marketing.
    Click to read the full article Creating Influence and Trust in a Place of Uncertainty, in more detail.

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    Posted in Business Marketing Online | 1 Comment »

    Why does a Small Business need a Website?

    Monday, August 10th, 2009

    draft_lens6382231_1249935518businesswebsiteGood question. After all, if business is good, then what’s the point of undergoing a new project–one that’s bound to take time and money? Well, if you’ve been reading this blog, then you’ve learned some key reasons why getting an edge over your competition online is crucial in today’s marketplace. But if you need more convincing, then we’ve put together a handy Squidoo guide that shows why every small business owner needs to seriously consider getting a Website that they can use to promote their business online.

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    Posted in Internet Marketing Training, Local Internet Marketing | 1 Comment »