B2B Landing Page Optimization Case Study: 67% Conversion Rate Success Story

Many B2B marketers overlook the biggest lead generation opportunity available. No, it's not relating to strategies of pay-per-click search or optin email marketing to drive traffic to a web site. It's actually converting the traffic that does come to your site to leads. The number one mistake marketers make is sending qualified and pre-screened visitors to a generic home-page, with no clear call to action. Visitors will arrive after receiving some intriguing text ad copy messaging from a Google search, or a fancy HTML email with no idea of where to click next.

Below I outline a simple case study example of where I achieved a 67% conversion rate from unique visits to leads for my branding agency client. The main strategy was to generate a simple but direct landing page coupled with a straightforward white paper offer promoted via optin email list rental. We sent a benefit-oriend and well optimized HTML email to a opt-in list of 10,000 marketing professionals (sourced from a reputable online marketing publication), saw a 11% HTML email open rate (on the low end, but the list was mailed 3 times a week), and a whopping 67% conversion to lead rate (66 leads from 98 unique clicks). We collected only email, first and last name, and company name.

Keys To Landing Page Testing & Optimization:

In order to maximize your lead traffic, you need to create a specific landing page template that keeps your visitors focused, building trust with them and sending them straight to the lead capture form. It must be single-minded, contain no external links or navigation menus, and take a minimalist approach to copy and graphics. Here are some key dos and don'ts;

echo the exact same offer keywords used on your ad or HTML email in your landing page headline copy
keep your copy concise and benefit oriented since these are visitors (often search engine visitors) who are actively researching information, and need the short "Coles/Cliff Notes" executive summary for their boss's approval
make the gist of your offer appear "above the fold" without making the visitor scroll down to search and read more to get it
if you are using optin email list rentals (the 2nd most cost effective lead generation technique next to search), be sure to test at least 2 subject lines and make them clear, concise and benefit oriented
make your offer timely - my client's white paper titled "8 Ways to Optimize Marketing for Growth in the New Economy" resonated well with marketers
provide a good offer that really shows your stuff: top 3 most popular for b2b are: white papers, webinars and ebooks
use clear large subheadings, and large fonts (keep it over 12 pixels, with good colour contrast - no pastel tones on white)
remember that some viewers will be using iPhones or other small/remote PCs with little visual area so reduce Flash or excessive code or tables that may not render well in smaller resolutions
put a priority for your first visual on your offer (e.g. white paper), and then secondly it's a graphic for the call to action (a "download" or "submit" form button in my case)
keep copy short, clear, benefit oriented, not salesy - under 250 words max
use case studies, client testimonials and client logos to build trust, conversions will increase guaranteed

drive traffic to a general home-page
include more than 1 offer per landing page
include any navigation menu or links - you paid for traffic to arrive, and you don't want them to leave without submitting your lead form
add visuals that don't have a clear purpose (you know, that good looking guy on the laptop, or that girl in the cafe typing away), which is either to show the offer, or direct eyes to a call to action button or form
collect more than 3 or 4 fields of data (fax #s are not required), each additional required field will cause you to lose 5% of your leads
ignore the opportunity of the thank you / follow up email that sends the offer - this email will be opened and read more than any other email you send these people, so cross sell, engage and wow them!

Related article: 10 Tips For A Successful Webinar