We all can’t be part of such brilliant (yet ridiculous) Web marketing as Alex Tew’s million dollar homepage, but we can capitalize on cross-channel marketing by experimenting with online ads. Web ads can be used to promote new products, services, promotions, coupons or anything else you want to publicize. The key to success is ensuring your online ads generate maximum conversions instead of becoming the joke of a generation.
Here are two ways to make the most of your web ads and get the ROI you expect:
1. Spend time fine-tuning your ad copy and graphics.
Web ads have the benefit of not needing to conform to the cookie-cutter space that a magazine or billboard ad does. They can range from banner ads and pop-ups to pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns and personalized ads. If you want to get noticed, get creative with your ad copy and graphics.
Spend time writing copy that is fun and engaging but that also gets your point across quickly. Use a graphic designer to create professional images that are eye-catching and convey your message.
2. Create landing pages that convert.
Even though designing the ad and buying ad space is the most exciting part, don’t ruin your efforts by neglecting the importance of a landing page that will drive conversions.
Don’t direct a potential customer to your general home page. Instead, send them to a landing page–a page on your website that was created specifically to convert them into a new client. Use the landing page to convince them that they need your product, service, white paper, eBook or whatever it is you are promoting.
If a customer clicks on an ad selling an umbrella, send them to the page with an umbrella on it. Something that simple can make the difference between a sale and a lost sale. Also be sure to add a sense of urgency to the copy on the landing page – you want them to take action now, or you will most likely lose them.
Finally, make it easy for them to take action. Ask them to fill out a form to download an eBook. Put a giant button on the page that says “Buy now!” so they can quickly and easily buy that shiny new widget you are selling.
These tips seem pretty obvious, don’t they? But do these two things right, and your Web ads will deliver you the results you want.
Image by Flickr user Ashifeld Haque (Creative Commons)
