Search Engine Used: Google

Search Phrase: movie rentals by mail

PPC Ad: BLOCKBUSTER Movie Rentals Rentals. Blockbuster.com BLOCKBUSTER Movie Rentals Online. Over 80,000 Titles. Learn More Now!

URL: https://www.blockbuster.com/signup/s/plan/p.26722/

This landing page has a lot of potential and could be more effective if redesigned and tested. Blockbusters solution for a landing page is more like a shopping cart, as opposed to an informative page for you to decide if this service is right for you.

It is clear as to what the Blockbuster landing page wants the prospect to do next, choose a plan and click the “Continue” Button the way in which they have chose to execute it however is not as elegant as the Netflix example. In that respect, the availability of additional information is visually confusing. There are several areas the viewer can rollover or click to get more information but they are visually unclear. (These areas include the tabs and question marks, as well as the “Why choose Blockbuster?” link) The remaining steps in the process under the main headline, 1.My Plan, 2. About Me, etc. is an interesting approach to let you know how long the process is and where you are in it. This solution is more commonly seen in a shopping cart scenario.

How would I do things differently?

I would first change the headline “Choose The Plan That Works Best For You!” I would include some of the keywords surrounding this campaign and repeat them in the headline.

Next I would visually differentiate the different tab colors “Total Access Premium” and “Total Access” They are too visually similar to each other which can cause a prospect to over look them completely.

I would also remove the Promo Code option on this step and put it further back in the process at the final “My Billing Info” step. By having the promo code up front like this is a potential roadblock for prospects. An immediate sense of I’m not getting a discount when I can is created which may cause potential customers to bounce before getting any further into the conversion funnel, by moving this to the final step at least the prospect is more committed to signing up and will be more likely to complete their order.

To improve this landing page even further I would remove the links along the bottom “Contact Us, Help, etc.” as well as the terms of service. The extraneous links are distractions from the goal of the page and the terms of service at this point in the process is very daunting and scary for a potential new member. I would move the terms of service further down the conversion process.

This Blockbuster landing page although not under a unique URL is somewhat of a micro-site in the sense that it’s links are self contained and is independent of the main website. This method works for this type of service as in the example above, a unique URL is not really necessary in this case due to the way they handled the flow of information.

Search Engine Used: Google

Search Phrase: movie rentals by mail

PPC Ad: Netflix® Movies by Mail www.Netflix.com Only $4.99/mo. - Free Trial! Over 90,000 DVD titles to choose

URL: http://www.netflix.com/Register?mqso=80008236

This is one of the best landing pages on the web because it does everything right. It is very clear what Netflix want’s you to do on this page, sign up. The first step in the process is clearly defined both visually, by clearly outlining the form area that a prospect needs to fill out to get started and verbally, with the text “Start here” and a concise form with only 4 text fields to fill in. The headline copy “Sign up today and try Netflix for FREE!” reinforces this. The page provides the benefits to a potential subscriber without visual clutter and is easily scan-able.

How would I do things differently?

I would remove the numbers on the boxes below “How Netflix Works” and used arrows going from one box to another or perhaps reworking the graphic into a circular image visually suggesting that the process is continuous. This would help to make the image look less like buttons or steps in the sign-up process and more clearly define visually how Netflix works.

This campaign didn’t use a micro-site in the sense that it’s a unique URL but it is smaller and independent of the main website, which you can only get access to once you sign up. Netflix revolutionized the movie rental industry with their unique rent by mail concept. Since the idea may be new to some people the micro-site functionality allows prospects to learn more yet stay within the conversion funnel that Netflix has cleverly designed.

Search Engine Used: Google

Search Phrase: CEO Coaching

PPC Ad: CEO COACHING - Learn from Fellow Leaders, Vistage. Largest CEO Mentoring Organization.

URL: http://www.vistage.com/enrollment/chief-executive/…

This landing page does a couple of interesting persuasive techniques. First they include video on the page, which is not intrusive, allowing the user to click on the play button and view it at a point that is appropriate to them. The second effective technique on this landing page is the decision to include the form, in the right vertical column, to request more information vertically on the page. This allows the call to action to be present above the fold and at the same time when reading or viewing the video, which clearly shows the prospect what the next step is.

The copy is benefit orientated but could be better organized and designed so it’s easier to scan at a glance.

An interesting aspect of this landing page is that there are two call to actions, a hard offer for more information which requires the surrendering of in-depth personal information, phone number, first name, etc. and a soft offer in the form of subscribing to their newsletter, which only requires an e-mail address. The position of the soft offer is nicely placed in the center of the page, which breaks up the copy and easily draws the eye to it with a background graphic treatment. I would have liked to see some transparency on Vistage’s behalf with an indication of the frequency of the newsletter, is it monthly, weekly, quarterly? A link to a sample of the newsletter, and what they will do or not do with my e-mail address before I sign up. Additionally, the “Subscribe to the Vistage Insight e-newsletter” text could have more contrast visually, it is difficult to see from the choice of background. Overall, the use of two offers hard and soft make this landing page effective and compelling for more than one type of prospect, those that are more committed and those that want more insight but don’t want a sales call, very nicely executed.

How would I do things differently?

This landing page is a page within their normal website with some tracking code for measurement purposes. I would have reproduced the page and kept it separate from the main site, allowing the design to eliminate the main site navigation to funnel the path of the prospect, not allowing them to get distracted further into the site. By separating this from the main site they should take advantage of the opportunity to create a unique headline copy that supports the keywords of the campaign, in the case of this search “CEO Coaching”. Vistage could have further strengthened this landing page by breaking up the copy with bulleted text so it is more easily scan-able.

A micro-site for this type of service would have been more effective considering the target market and type of sale, a Chief Executive Officer in the market for a coach would want to know more information about the program. No area on the site provides any, however this may be part of the Vistage sales strategy for lead generation, forcing all prospects to complete either the hard or soft offer as the only way of getting more information, which hopefully hands off that lead to a sales team or uses the newsletter as long term sales tool.

Search Engine Used: Google

Search Phrase: Postcard Printing

PPC Ad: Postcard Printing www.OvernightPrints.com Order Online, 15pt Card Stock, Full Color, Offset Quality, Free Uploads

URL:http://www.overnightprints.com/

This is an ok example of an effective landing page, it’s doing a few things right and a few things wrong. First the things it does right, it presents a clear call to action with a “More Information” and a “Start Order” button with a strong headline “ALL POSTCARDS ON SALE ACT NOW!” With an enticing price of $9.95 in addition to the regular price of $29.95 so I can see how much I am saving and bulleted text lets me scan the page quickly. I am reassured with a customer testimonial and a link to read more testimonials in addition to a satisfaction guarantee image that links to a satisfaction guarantee page outlining Overnight Prints policy on the matter. This landing page also clearly lets me know at a glance what forms of payment the site will accept making it easy for me to see how I can order before I go any further into the conversion funnel.

In this case I was searching for Postcard Printers and chose the search term “Postcard Printing” to begin my search, the ad I clicked on contained my search term “Postcard Printing” the landing contained the term Postcard as well as images of postcards to reassure the prospect that they have arrived at a place relevant to their search where they can easily get information about what they were searching for.

I would remove all main site navigation like (Shopping Cart, Track My Orders, Products, Printing, My Accounts, etc.) Landing pages should lead your prospects down a path of conversion, by allowing them full run of the site they can get distracted and be lead off focus.

The two call to action buttons make it very clear as to what to do next. However, the two-dropdown menus to the left of the buttons don’t have any effect on my choice of either “More Information” or the “Start Order” buttons. The dropdowns did provide a nice overview of the prices but it did distract from what the page wanted me to do. I would have eliminated the dropdowns and included them on the next step which needs some work to live up to the things that this landing page is doing right. This landing page could use some optimization through multivariate or A/B testing to improve conversions. This campaign did fall short in that there was no defined click path through to conversion, both the “More Information” and the “Start Order” buttons took you off of a conversion funnel for your search term.

In this case a landing page is appropriate since postcard printing is not a complex sale, however the path through the “More Information” button functions like a micro-site,http://www.overnightprints.com/main.php?A=pcsale&s=2 by visually and verbally explaining what makes their postcards top quality.

Search Engine Used: Yahoo
Search Phrase: crabgrass preventer

PPC Ad: Prevent Crabgrass GreenviewFertilizer.com - Avoid Summer Lawn & Weed Problems. Use Greenview, Choice of the Pros.

URL: http://www.greenviewfertilizer.com/weeds

This landing page is not effective at all. Not only is the headline “Your lawn’s worst enemies have met their match…” a weak and ineffective headline, there’s not enough contrast between the black text against the dark green background. The call to action is not persuasive, and neither is the sales copy. The urgency in the text above the product “But hurry! Time’s running out…” is also weak, why is time running out? Is there a special offer that expires in 24 hours that I need to know about or is it almost too late in the season for me to benefit from this product? If I miss this window what is my best solution to prevent crabgrass? The landing page offers no support for any of these questions and concerns. I can’t get any more information regarding my search from this page.

It is unclear what the next steps are for this conversion pathway. Do they want me to click on the weak text link “Shop for the red bag today. Stop weeds >>” which is not only verbally weak because it lacks persuasion, but visually weak as well, because it’s not visually strong enough to draw my eye to it. Or do they want me to click on the better designed call to action on the right “start today >>” I’m interested in the 2-step lawn plan and in the product despite the lackluster page but which do I click on? This campaign also does not have a defined persuasive pathway with steps beyond this landing page, which would only help in increasing conversions and sales for GreenView.

The headline and supporting image need to portray the benefits of using the GreenView Firway formula spring fertilizer product, with the keywords I used for this search or those included in the campaign. The image of the dandelion should be replaced with an image more like the one to the right, of the beautifully manicured lawn to visually show the benefit of using the product.

The product image is too small, and should be treated as the star of the promotion; after all it is the solution to the search term “crabgrass preventer” that the potential customer is searching for.

The sales copy needs to be stronger and in bullet format so it is more easily scanable. The landing page needs to speak to the benefits of using this product and what is it’s unique selling proposition. With a stronger headline that visually pops off of the image.

The call to action also needs to be more persuasive with the implied benefit clearly stated to the reader.

This campaign could have benefited from the use of a micro-site to allow a better-designed pathway for persuasion that could answer any of the many questions a prospect may have and help to propel GreenView as an expert leader in the field of crabgrass prevention.

YouTube Insight, is the new Free web analytics tools that reports context for online videos. This will fundamentally change the way videos are used as a marketing tool on the web and is a major leap for web analytics, thank you Google.

Anyone with a YouTube account can view video analytics that they’ve uploaded, just by clicking on the “About this Video” link under My account > Manage my Videos > Videos, Favorites & Playlists for your uploaded videos.

• How often are your videos viewed?
• What geographic regions have viewed your video?
• How popular is your video is relative to all videos in the market over a given time?
• How long does it take for a video on YouTube to become popular?
• What happens to views as your popularity peaks?

Right now the tool is only showing Views and Popularity broken down by country or USA State but new features will be available soon according to YouTube. The insights and learning that marketers can gain from this new analytics tool could very well change the game entirely. Perhaps this is one step closer to understanding how viral videos really work and how to make them more effective and how video can be designed persuasively.

I received a marketing e-mail from McAfee the other day. We often forget the lonely e-mail campaign in these days of new media marketing and social networking sites but that doesn’t mean e-mail is dead. According to a recent Jupiter Research report e-mail marketing is set to grow 75% by 2012, to reach $2.1 billion dollars. Open and click through rates are still very much big business that produces real marketing results for many businesses. Building a solid opt-in house list is still vital the importance of which is often preached by John Wall and Christopher S. Penn on The Marketing Over Coffee Podcast.

The thing that struck me about this email wasn’t the email itself it had a clear call to action button, despite the poor choice of blue text links on a red background and didn’t use too many images so as not to get throw into my spam box. The problem with this e-mail campaign is where Order Now link took me straight to the McAfee shopping cart with a 1 year subscription already in the cart, talk about pushy sales people. I might expect this if I’m buying a used car but please not in my e-mail box. To make matters worse an emergency recovery CD was also added to the shopping cart page without my approval.

This e-mail campaign could have been way more persuasive. They had a strong offer with a 50% savings on a 1 year subscription but they failed to develop the relationship and persuade me.

Buying online is like dating you have to go slow and take small steps especially when the click starts somewhere as personal as my in-box. You have to start with flirting and work your way up to handholding. The e-mail ad didn’t answer all my questions and concerns; I’m not quite ready to buy just yet. A more persuasive pathway would have taken me to a dedicated landing page, specifically designed to answer my concerns and guide me further through the persuasion-buying funnel and increase their overall conversion rates.

Despite McAfee’s approach and lack of a persuasive marketing plan they are doing some things right on their shopping cart page but I’ll save that for another blog post.

As the old saying goes you are what you eat. On the web you are what you publish. The information you put out into cyber space becomes your company face and your brand. Since you can’t really make a first impression in person on the web, you’re judged by the quality of your content.

No matter what format, a website, video, blog, podcast, etc. your content needs to not only be persuasive but also provide real value to your reader in a genuine and transparent way and without being an advertisement.

This type of marketing is truly conversational, which is what marketing has always been about. An excellent example of this type of marketing is done by Michael Seaton from Scotia Bank in Canada. For an example of how to do it right take a listen to a few of his podcasts, The Money Clip. The money clip podcast offers real value for listeners which in turn is reflected onto the Scotia Bank brand.

Remember the way the web was a long time ago? When committees would argue and fight over the home page and having a spot above the fold, oh wait that was just last year or for some maybe just yesterday or today. Well your website home page is no longer the main focus you thought it once was, sorry to be the one to break it to you, I’ll leave it up to you to break it to the committee.

Home pages should probably get the least focus when it comes to prioritizing effort and ROI. The fact of the matter is the average web user is using the web a lot differently now then they were in the past. With the proliferation of search, social network sites like facebook, blogs like this one, and real simple syndication (RSS) home pages are becoming less important. All of those tools mentioned previously and a host of new ones that haven’t been created yet are driving more and more visitors deeper into a website than ever before and the majority of consumers bypass your home page completely.

The good part of this is that each page of your site, not just your home page will have a wider reach with a longer lasting lifespan, and the ability to attract a new audience like never before.

The bad part is that we as marketers and designers need to adapt to this change, and adapt quickly. The importance of each interior page, your landing pages, your detail pages and category pages has suddenly tripled overnight and they need to do more heavy lifting now. They no longer have the home page to support them anymore. Every page is now a home page.

To capitalize on this, we need to change the way we design those overlooked interior pages. They need to be designed using persuasive web design. Each page needs a strong, clear call to action supported with persuasive influences to drive visitors deeper into your site and closer to conversion and you need to start today.

The Internet has been around for quite some time now but businesses and marketers still don’t quite get it. Sure the impact is clear, you don’t have to search far to find stats from Forrester” The Web’s Impact on In-Store Sales: U.S. Cross-Channel Sales Forecast, 2006 to 2012 for information like 43% of all retail sales are expected to be influenced by or made on the Internet by 2012. or B.J. Fogg’s Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility that reports 75% of web users admit making judgments about the credibility of an organization based on the design of its web site. If all this data is available at the click of a mouse then why don’t marketers get that there’s more to the success of a company than just driving more traffic to your site?

According to Jakob Nielsen, the godfather of web usability, of the Nielsen Norman Group just by increasing the usability of a website the average business metrics improvement after a usability redesign is 83%. This is substantially less than 6 years ago, but ROI still remains high because usability is still cheap relative to overall gains.

When usability is joined with the principals of persuasive web design the gains can quite often surpass the findings from the Nielsen Norman Group. The reason for such massive gains has to do with the way persuasive web design guides your specific web visitors, influencing their web behavior and motivating them to take action on your web site.

Marketers should clearly be concentrating on how they can make their web site more persuasive both visually and verbally across all of their unique web visitor’s goals rather than being fixated on bringing in visitors that just bounce.