9 Common Mistakes in Landing Page and PPC Campaign Design

1. Mismatched URL and Site Topic to User Inquiry

Many individuals try to create a one-stop shop landing page for a group of leads so they can build links and try to rank one spot naturally. That is fine as long as the topics are narrow enough in focus to where a visitor from either site feels at home. But when you have visitors coming in from related but not identical fields, it is important to consider that you may be losing more PPC conversions than you’re gaining in natural search by having a mismatched URL and landing page focus as compared to the terms you’re targeting.

2. Below the Fold Call To Action

The call to action is the whole point of a landing page, so why hide it well below the fold where you’re automatically going to lose 30% of visitors.

3. Collecting Unnecessary Data

Every piece of data you collect in your landing page means fewer submissions. While there is certain information you absolutely must have, collecting unnecessary or redundant data is just throwing money away. When it comes to high-dollar time-sensitive lead that you are going to pursue over the phone, there is absolutely no need to collect the specific address. Sending out a piece of snail mail is useless, and so if you’re just trying to figure out which of your subscribers to send the lead to, zip code is plenty. (For that matter you can get rid of the ‘State’ entry as well).

4. No Testimonial

Testimonials dramatically increase landing page conversions because they indicate to the user that the form is legitimate and completes the promise it makes. It’s obvious that a testimonial can be faked, but a casual internet user doesn’t think quite so cynically and will regard testimonials as a quality assurance indicator.

5. Too Many Calls to Action

There should be one or a maximum of two calls to action on your page. While you might be inclined to think that offering users the opportunity to sign up for your newspaper, give you a call, send you a fax, sign up for your RSS feed are all good things, they create confusion and a paradox of choice for the visitor.

6. PPC Not Directed to Landing Page

This is about the dumbest mistake possible, yet seen most of the times in different campaigns. You’re bleeding money through a PPC campaign, you’ve created a landing page, but your campaign doesn’t drop the user directly on the page. Instead people often have their highly converting page one or even two clicks away. If you're investing money to convert via a landing page, don't make the visitor work to find it.

7. Call to Action Not Distinguished or Obvious

Think of your entire landing page and PPC campaign as an elaborate plan to get people to complete one single action. Now that you’re in the right mentality, how dumb is it to leave the call to action button a muted color or otherwise not distinguished. Instead, use an arrow or incorporate a different design element that immediately draws the reader’s eye to the call to action.

8. Using Flash, Video, or Other 'plug-in required' design elements

People clicking on a PPC campaign link typically aren’t the most sophisticated internet users. So running a landing page which requires a plug-in is a surefire way to dramatically cut your conversions.
Rule of Thumb: If your grandma connecting through a dial-up on her Pentium I 586 can't quickly see and complete your call to action, it’s too complex.

9. Being too cheap with your PPC campaign to target top terms

Nobody is saying that you need to spend $12.00 a click like some of those mesothelioma attorneys are doing, or even $0.25 cents a click to capture long tail industry terms like texas trucking accident. But often people want to limp into a PPC campaign with only a few hundred dollars and end up bidding ridiculously cheap keywords that do them no good. Spending a few extra cents per visitor is often the best way to ensure a decent return from your campaign.
No matter whether your goal is to buy a mansion or just to drive some additional leads to your business, a decent landing page and PPC campaign is an essential component of that success.

Google Updates Web Analytics, Relaunches Urchin

Google announced three new features of its web analytics service: Site Search Reporting, Event Tracking and an updated version of the almost forgotten Urchin Software.

• Site Search reporting: It aggregates data on the effects of searches on site usage, e-commerce activity and conversion on rates. By tracking internal search patterns, it enables users to identify keywords, categories, products and trends to help users measure their sites effectivity in bringing marketing revenues. Site search reporting works well with Google Custom Search, GSA, Google Mini and other non-Google site search products.

• Event Tracking: Finally, Google Analytics is making the measurement of visitor engagement in the interactive features of users’ sites. These interactive elements which are part of the non-static HTML includes Ajax, Javascript, Flash movies, gadgets and widgets, downloads and other multimedia web 2.0 site specific features.

• All New Urchin Software: This software is a refurbished version of the analytics software bought by Google not so long ago. The Urchin Software is a proprietary desktop version of the web based Analytics. It is currently in beta stage and can be downloaded for a trial period of 90 days. It will be made available for a fee once it gets out the beta stage.

As a bonus feature, Google Analytics is now available in several new languages including Czech, Hungarian, Portuguese, Thai, Indonesian and Filipino.