Conversion

Pay-per-click Advertising: Try The Home Page For A Landing Page

Over the last couple years a lot of emphasis has been put on creating the perfect pay-per-click landing page. The overall landing page strategy is to create a clear call to action on the page and to have relevant content relating to the search query and ad text. After you’ve followed these guidelines and even split-tested different variations, what happens if the keyword still doesn’t convert?

In my experience, a home page can sometimes be the solution. The value of landing visitors on a home page through paid search should not be overlooked. The main reason is because your home page is a reflection of your business. People always say, “You don’t get a second chance at a first impression.” While it may be a cliché, the adage is oftentimes true. A well-contrasted, clean-cut home page will give first-time visitors a warm and fuzzy feeling when they find your ecommerce business. Not only will this help conversions, but it could potentially turn those first-time visitors into return visitors. If your home page includes too many messages, or if it is contrasted poorly, first-time visitors may turn away quickly and never return.

Having your keywords’ products easy to find on the homepage will enhance the visitor’s experience. Not only have visitors seen that your home page (and therefore, your business) is helpful, but also that finding what they searched for was painless. Compare this to shopping at any offline store. Let’s take a sporting goods store, for example. If you enter the store and it takes, say, less than a minute to find the section you need and the product you want, my guess is you’ll be back another time. Conversely, if you walk in and it takes too long to find the section, and once you find the section the products don’t seem to be in the right place, my guess is you will not buy something during that visit, and you won’t return for another item.

So, if your pay-per-click advertising campaigns are having trouble converting on product pages, send visitors to your home page. This could convince them that your business is where they should make their current and future purchases.

Bryan Bacarella
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