Building Landing Pages To Achieve Your Goals
A key aspect to your nonprofit’s Google Ads performance is the landing page experience. Google uses your landing page to measure how well your organization’s website gives people what they’re looking for when they click on an ad.
A user’s experience on your website affects your Quality Score, Ad Rank and therefore your Cost Per Click and overall position in the ad auction. If your website has a poor landing page experience, your organization’s ads may end up showing less often, if they even show up at all. But what makes a good landing page?
Relevant Copy
A good landing page offers content that is original and relevant to the user. The copy used in your ad should correlate directly with the content on the page. If your nonprofit is advertising for a service that finds elderly dogs a good home, users should not end up on a page that discusses problematic cat behaviors. Instead of selecting a landing page that discusses cats, a better landing page for this ad should include information about how to adopt an elderly dog, where to adopt, which breed is right for you, and anything else relevant to the adoption process. Irrelevant page copy dilutes your nonprofit’s message and distracts users from the intended conversion. A good rule of thumb is to consider what the user wants, and find the best way to give it to them. Be specific when users are searching for something in particular, and offer users options when they are searching more broadly.
Compelling Website Design
Landing page design is crucial to a user’s decision to engage with the content. Three key components of effective landing page design are clarity, relevance, and navigability. The copy should clearly express the message, align with the user, and contain a strong call-to-action. Content, including images, should be relevant and consistent. Lastly, your landing page should be easy to navigate. The more cluttered and complicated a landing page appears to be, the less likely the users will be to convert. By directing users to a page that is appealing, and answers their questions, you can guide them easily to the next action on the site, setting them up for a conversion.
Quick & Responsive Landing Pages
Aside from the specific web page content, speed should also be a top priority when creating your landing pages. Just a one second delay in page response can result in a 7% reduction in conversions. The longer a user has to wait for your organization’s page to load, the more time they have to rethink their interest in the conversion you want them to complete. Focusing on speed, and responsiveness is even more important when considering mobile users. With 69% of digital media time spent on mobile devices, far more people are going to arrive on the mobile version of your website than the desktop version. For this reason, it is imperative that your organization has a speedy, responsive website, so your nonprofit does not miss opportunities to reach this market.
Consistently Updated
Finally, your organization should be constantly testing and optimizing the landing page experience. Users are the ultimate decision-makers when it comes to what works best on your landing page. While there is not an exact guide for creating a perfect landing page, consistent trial and error will help your nonprofit develop the most effective landing page for your audience.
