About Jodi Kaplan

The 5 Step Guide to Perfect Landing Pages

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Jodi Kaplan

Image via Wikipedia

“The goal of a test is to get learning, not a lift,” Dr. Flint McGlaughlin, CEO & Managing Director, MECLABS. (Marketing Sherpa, June 9, 2011)

Translated from marketing speak, that means when you test something, such as a landing page, or an offer, you want to get data and information – learn something.

If you get more sales, that’s great. If not, you use what you learned to make something better.

Failure is good

One company tested two landing pages (click link to see them) against their existing page. The responses tanked (down 53% from the original page). They realized that the original page was too copy-heavy – it was slowing people down, and actually making it less likely that they would sign up.

Back to the drawing board

So, they tried a new version (click to see it) – with much less text. This one increased responses by 78%. Aha!

Best practices for landing pages

1. Write a great headline

Don’t shout too much (ME! We’re here, we’ve been in business since the Jurassic era). You don’t want to be annoying (or arrogant), you want to be helpful – and relevant.

2. Be unique and interesting

Explain why you’re different. Perhaps you’re a wedding photographer, but you specialize in exotic weddings (underwater, on ski slopes, or on board yachts).

3. Cut the friction

The test showed that less was more (in this case). Fewer fields, and fewer words. They needed fewer words because readers already had enough information; they didn’t need to read it again.

4. Show value

If you want them to download an ebook (or buy one), show how valuable it is. You can do this by assigning it a price ($29 value), by adding testimonials showing how others benefited from the product, or even just a picture of everything they’ll get (even if it’s virtual).

5. Be trustworthy

This is both social proof (those testimonials again), and reassurance that you respect your readers’ privacy. (Tip: Chris Brogan recently said that he got much better results when he promised privacy, rather than “no spam”).

How to test your landing page

If you’re not sure of the technical stuff, you can do this by creating several landing pages and tracking with Google Web Optimizer (free). Or, you can try unbounce, which helps you create and track landing pages (even if you’re not a geek).

The Best Email Newsletter Design Tips

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Jodi Kaplan

Email Icon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Which email newsletter design is the best? Should you use text or HTML? And what kind of design gets more clicks?

Before you design anything, of course, you need to have interesting (and relevant) messages.

Constant sales messages, or messages sent too frequently, will annoy your readers. Keep it mostly helpful, with a dollop of promotion, maybe 60/40.

Choose the best email format

There are, essentially, two options: text or HTML. Text is well, text. It looks more like an email you’d send personally. It doesn’t get stuck in filters or image blockers either.

HTML lets you use colors, graphics, and all sorts of designs. Much more slick. And, your ESP can only track opens on HTML emails.

Consider your audience

A study done by email marketing company Silverpop several years ago found that text emails worked better for business to business, while postcard formatted emails worked better for email marketing aimed at consumers.

Think about your own audience, and the purpose of your emails. Are you showcasing products (you’ll probably need HTML), sending a digest of information/links from multiple sources (that’s probably a job for text), or are you trying to make a sale?

Reduce the friction

Make it easy to sign up and use as few fields in the process as possible. The more information people need to enter, the lower the subscription rate. Try subscribing to your own newsletter. Check to see how hard it is.

Optimize your newsletter design

Whether you use text or HTML, keep the format consistent, so that your readers can find what they want.

Make a header

Whether you choose text or HTML, create a header that announces what the newsletter is about, who it’s from, and the title. Think of it as an electronic masthead (like a newspaper or a magazine would have).

create sections

Divide the content into sections to separate different topics or subcategories (for example weekly tips and weekly sales). You can use color (if it’s HTML) or just a simple line of asterisks.

Format for online reading

Keep the paragraphs short (4 or 5 lines), so they’re easier to read. Consider whether your readers are more likely to read on a phone or a desktop, and adjust your template accordingly. If you use text, keep the lines under 50-60 characters long so that the sentences don’t run off the screen.

If there’s a call to action, make it stand out. In text, use special characters (such as number signs or asterisks) to make the call to action more noticeable. If you use HTML, create a button (and make that button a different color than the rest of the newsletter).

Offer a “read on the web” option. That gets around the blocked images problem. In any case, make sure you add alt text to any images so that the message still makes sense.

Create a visual hierarchy

Headings should be larger than subheadings and both should be different than paragraph text.

If you use HTML you can change fonts and sizes. If you stick to text, try bold or italic.

Bonus tip: If you offer a freebie (ebook, product, coupon) in return for a signup, make it relevant. Don’t offer a blusher in return for signing up for a printer ink/computer supplies newsletter (yes, that’s a real example).

Tuesday Travels: Free Writing Ideas

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Jodi Kaplan

Image by smemon87 via Flickr

Sometimes, even the most creative minds need a little boost. Today’s links will help generate new ideas when you’re feeling a little stuck.

Good Fast Content Write well, and speedily.

100 blog post ideas This could work for articles too.

Idea engine Type in a word, get ideas.

10 Tips for Successful Landing Pages

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Jodi Kaplan

10 via Wikipedia

A successful landing page means more subscribers, more queries, and more clients. But what 10 things can make or break your page?

Here are ten tips for designing and writing a landing page that converts.

A good landing page has to be relevant, has to appeal to its audience, and, of course, has to convert (turn visits into subscriptions or leads or sales).

These simple steps will make your landing page better.

1. A catchy and relevant headline

This is not the place to be funny or cute. People don’t want to admire your writing (sniff). They want to solve a problem. If you sent them to the page from an ad or an email, keep the two related to each other (so they know they’re in the right place.

2. Testimonials

Use real people, with real names, not initials. If they’re in the same industry as your audience, that’s even better.

3. A photo of the product

Advertisers call this the “hero” shot. It’s the big, beautiful picture of everything they’ll get (all the mp3 files, ebooks, worksheets, and videos in one glorious pile). This is especially important online, as it makes e-products look real and tangible. Make it a clickable image (people click on everything).

4. Your logo or your photo

This is another good way to establish trust. It shows you’re not hiding behind spammy content – you stand by what you sell and your proud of it.

5. A simple form

The more fields people have to fill out to get something, the less likely they’ll do it. If you can create a form that fills in information automatically, or has check off boxes (rather than long menus), even better.

6. Benefit statements

Use lots of them. Bullet points are good. Or, if not, then short, to the point paragraphs. Break them so they’re easier to read. If it’s an ebook, point to the page numbers where the information is found in the book.

7. Sub-headings

It’s long been a truism that people don’t read (Claude Hopkins complained about it in 1920). However, they do skim.

Some read just the headlines and sub-heads, others will look at headlines, skip along, and then read more closely when they see something of interest. Write for both kinds of readers.

8. Several order buttons

Some people take one look at your page and shout, “Eureka! My problems are over!” Others need a bit more information to make up their minds. Include more than one order button or form.

9. Simplified format

Leave the subscription page, the links, the other offers, away from your landing page. You want to keep it simple. Break up the paragraphs into small, easily-digestible bits. Don’t use long (10-15 line) paragraphs. It’s just too hard to read onscreen. Use a lot of white space (this also helps readiblity).

10. Value statement

Also called anchoring, this means comparing the cost of your product to the cost of something else – or, stating a high value for it – and then telling the reader that it will actually cost much less. It’s a steal!

Get the Freelance Fees You Deserve

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Jodi Kaplan

Image by seanmcmenemy via Flickr

A recent post by Jennifer Mattern got me thinking about money. In it she said that “nonprofit should not equal non-paying.” In the comments, I mentioned the story of a would-be prospect of mine. They wanted someone to write b2b marketing copy (hey, I can do that). So far, so good.

Then, they asked for two spec writing samples (two marketing emails). I wrote back saying I was happy to share prior examples of my work, but how much would I be paid for the custom stuff?

I think I completely flummoxed them. The woman went to her boss for help – and sent me the email by mistake! It seems I was the first person to ask such questions and she had no idea what to do.

When she did reach her boss, the answer was that they wanted to see if my writing was “compatible” before they hired me. I offered (and sent) pre-existing samples instead. Funny, I didn’t get the gig – but I bet there were some freelancers who fell for that trick. Voila, the freelancers get screwed and the company gets free copy.

Know your own worth

If you don’t think you’re worth a respectable rate, neither will your prospects or clients. Your work is worth something. Charge for it. The only exception is if you are doing something for a cause you believe in, or if you’re just starting out and need to build up a portfolio. Even then, make sure you get public recognition and testimonials for your efforts.

Offer great value for your work

Make your deal so amazingly great, they’d be crazy not to take it. For example, offer a training package that includes a how-to ebook, a step-by-step video, a transcript, and free graphic files for $150. It sounds good, doesn’t it? And you don’t even know what it is!

Compare and frame your prices

Compare your price to the price of something your prospect already buys regularly (less than a tank of gas, or less than dinner out with the kids).

Or, frame the price. “I charge $300 an hour for personal consultations, but you can buy a training package for $150.” The package seems cheap compared to the expensive consultation.

Have you had clients or prospects try to get you to write for free? Or try to nickel and dime you for extra revisions or extra work? What did you do? Share your tips and stories in the comments.