5 Tips To Improve Conversion On B2B Landing Pages

Getting a prospect to your website is only half the battle. Successful B2B search marketing programs must also focus on the “post-click” experience. Here are five proven ways to improve B2B landing pages and increase your search marketing conversion rate. 1. Support your brand. Build trust. Landing pages that are aligned with your brand demonstrate […]

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Getting a prospect to your website is only half the battle. Successful B2B search marketing programs must also focus on the “post-click” experience. Here are five proven ways to improve B2B landing pages and increase your search marketing conversion rate.

1. Support your brand. Build trust.

Landing pages that are aligned with your brand demonstrate credibility and strengthen customer loyalty. Your search marketing landing pages should be consistent with corporate logo, color, font and language standards. For example, a landing page logo should be prominently located and in the same relative position as on the corporate website. Be sure to use the same language and voice the corporate site utilizes.

PPC keywords and ad copy that include branded terms should click through to a landing page with a strong brand experience. Improve your customers’ experience by making your search marketing landing pages an extension of corporate marketing efforts. I recommend displaying industry awards and associations to provide credibility and build trust.

2. Provide a compelling call-to-action.

What’s the goal of the site or page? Does the page clearly answer your visitors’ question, “What’s in it for me?” Establish the top priority action you want a prospect to take on the site and provide them with clear and actionable direction. Explain the benefit of what you are offering and how it will specifically help them meet their goals. Keep the action steps (i.e. conversion path) short and simple.

It can be very helpful to provide a graphic that supports the call-to-action. For example, a button or action box or image. The graphic needs to be high contrast to the rest of the site and provide actionable direction to the user. One specific idea: If you are using photography, have the subject looking in the direction of the call-to-action button.

In the example below, Rhapsody.com does a nice job of speaking directly to the user, offering a clear value proposition, and offering a free trial.
rhapsody-thumbnai-1

3. Simplify and test registration forms.

Most B2B landing pages involve some sort of registration form. In general, reducing the number of required fields will increase your conversion rate. Of course, there is always a delicate balancing act between quantity and quality of leads. B2B marketers must try to maximize the number of conversions while at the same time qualifying each registrant by collecting sufficient data.

Also, test various form placements on the landing page. For example: upper right corner, center of page, and left side bar. Additionally, test not including the form on the landing page but rather place the registration form on interior pages. This may seem counter-intuitive, but I have found that many B2B audiences respond more favorably when they are not immediately presented with a form.

Finally, the form title, or headline, is also of critical importance. Test different ways of communicating the benefits associated with completing the form. Many times simply changing the name or title of a downloadable asset can dramatically improve conversion rate.

4. Expand and enhance content.

If you are promoting a product or service that requires a higher level of commitment or cost, you may need to increase the amount of information you provide. For example, instead of a single landing page, a multi-page microsite may be more effective. The additional content should support prospects as they move through the complex B2B buying cycle.

Displaying the registration form on all interior pages is usually a good idea. Be sure to implement tracking code on each of these pages so you can analyze specifically where conversions are coming from.

5. Implement an ongoing testing program.

The only way to continually improve landing pages and increase conversion rate is to test, test, test. B2B marketers should implement a rapid, iterative testing program. Let your prospects decide what is most valuable and effective. An successful testing program begins with a sound strategy followed by an iterative process of test, measure, improve.

There are many tools available to help you track your testing results (analytics, heatmaps, etc.). Whatever your preferred method, watch closely to determine how prospects are interacting with the page/site.

Test results are not only limited to conversion metrics. Remember, you can learn a great deal from visitors who do not convert. Where do prospects abandon the conversion path? What is the bounce rate for various pages? All of these factors should be analyzed to understand your customers’ overall experience.

Maximize marketing ROI.

These are just a few recommendations to help jump-start your B2B conversion improvement program.

  1. Stay aligned with your brand
  2. Provide a clear, compelling call to action
  3. Simplify and test registration forms
  4. Provide content that supports the B2B buying cycle
  5. Test > measure > improve

Improving your conversion rate is a critical aspect of maximizing search marketing ROI. Small changes can, and do, produce big results!


Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.


About the author

Amanda Simmons
Contributor

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