SMA April 2007 Newsletter

"Landing" Pages Convert Visitors to Customers

To what web page are you sending traffic in your latest direct mail package? What about your ads in newsletters or newspapers, or on radio and television? If you're just driving visitors to your home page, you're probably not converting as many of those visitors as you could be.

Create web "landing pages" that focus on the action you're trying to drive

If you're doing a promotion to drive a particular action on your web site (purchase, register, etc.), create a web page focused on that promotion - complete with a "click here" button for the action. Anything you can do to cut down the number of clicks a visitor has to go through to get to what they're looking for will boost your results.

Bank of America has created a collection of eight web sites, each focused on a different product, to help visitors quickly locate what they're looking for. When someone is in-market for an auto loan, don't make them wade through your home page pitching mortgage rates and your latest CD special to find the "auto loans" link.
Limit the links on the landing page to those focused on that product

If I'm looking for accounting software, I don't need to be distracted by links to your other 7 software packages. Include just the appropriate links to help me with the product I'm interested in.
Place the link to the registration form (or "buy now") "above the fold"

The link to the action you want me to take should be visible without having to scroll to find it. When I visit your landing page for a new product or service you've advertised, I should see the "buy now" or "download the data sheet" link immediately.
The headline should refer to what you promised I'd find on the page

The headline and first few lines on the page should ensure the visitor they've arrived on a page related to the topic you promised (in your mailer or ad).

The latest landing page study from Marketing Sherpa reveals that the "stay" or "bail" decision is based on whether the first 15 words on your landing page are relevant to the visitor.

It's just too easy for searchers to go on to the next search result, if they don't immediately find what they're looking for on your landing page.
Start with design, to ensure the important elements stand out

ALL of your web pages should be "design-driven." That means the design should be mapped out first, to ensure that the most important elements (usually the key actions you want visitors to take) are the most prominent. Make a list of the elements that need to be on your landing page. Plan the layout to place the most important elements "above the fold," make those elements the most prominent, and move the eye through the page. Then write copy to fit the layout.

Do your emails pass these 5 "effectiveness tests"?

Is the most critical copy in text with no background, so it can be easily read even if graphics are turned off - and no matter what the email program?
Do you have your most critical message in the first few lines of your email message - to ensure the most critical words show in the preview pane?
Is your email message easily scanable? If I just read the items that stand out to the scanning reader, do I get your entire message? What if graphics are turned off -- can I still easily scan and get the entire message?
Is your HTML version completely usable without the graphics? (The majority of email programs now have "graphics off" as the default. For more on this, see our March newsletter.)
CAN-SPAM required elements:
- Do your email messages contain your physical mailing address in text (rather than within a graphic, that might not be read by the recipient's email program)?
- Do your email messages contain an unsubscribe link?

What to know when renting email lists

A recent MarketingSherpa article reported that less than 20% of email lists are "safe for reputable emailers." (yikes.) Here's what you should know before you consider renting an email list.

How does the "rental" work?
- You will provide your email creative to the list company, who will send out the email to their list. (So most email lists are not available for "purchase", and you will usually not receive the email addresses in a rental arrangement.)
- You will also provide your do-not-email list, so the list company can suppress those records if found on their file.
How were the names generated?
This is the key question on any list rental - postal or email. Be sure you know how the names were generated, and exactly where they came from.
- Single-source names are usually preferred for a test. You may want to test a "representative sample" of names from the list - and that sample will more closely reflect the rest of the list if all names are from a single source.
- Find out where the names are collected by URL, and check the web form to see what the names opted in for. (Just as with postal lists, sweepstakes entrants will usually be less qualified than names who registered to receive something related to your product or service area.) It's also true that if the names opted in to receive an educational resource (like a white paper or newsletter), they may not respond as well to a more promotional offer.
Characteristics that can make a difference in response
- Look for a recency select. Renting the most recently-added names can offer two benefits: first, you're more likely to reach more still-in-service email addresses; and second, if the email is using the list owner's company name in the "from" address, more recent names are more likely to remember that they opted-in to receive email from the company, so should be more likely to pay attention to the message.
- Look for files that aren't emailed more than twice per week.

Direct Mail DESIGN (USPS San Diego)
May 16, 2007 10:00 am to 12:00 noon

How do you put an effective direct mail package together? What package format should you use? What pieces should you include inside your envelope - and should you use an envelope? How do you get your package opened - or past the "gatekeeper"? And what makes one direct mail package get 3 times the response of another?

Learn how to review your entire direct mail package from the eyes of your prospect. You'll discover:

Everything you always wanted to know about direct mail formats, including: the best-responding envelope sizes - to self-mailers - to "lumpy" and dimensional packages
The simple process for determining exactly what pieces should go into your package
2 key roles of direct response design - and when design can actually depress response!
7 proven steps to effective design of any direct mail package
How your package is viewed by your prospect - along with a half-dozen ways to easily boost its response

Attendees' packages will be discussed during this session (like having a personal consultation with the instructor)! For registration information, visit www.sdpcc.org.