I wasn’t really in the market for a new pair of hiking sandals. But there I was, clicking on an ad that popped up on my social media news feed. My hiking boots were getting a little worn out, and summertime was fast approaching. These sandals were perfect!
But I’m like so many potential customers who click on an ad for any ecommerce site. I was lukewarm. This is where landing pages play a huge role in hooking shoppers like me. My customer journey is likely a lot like that of the people who find your products or services.
When I clicked on the ad for a specific pair of hiking sandals, it wasn’t simply a link to a home page. That would have immediately lost me; I wasn’t going to hunt down the pair of sandals I liked. Instead, the link brought me directly to a landing page where I could pick out the size and color that I wanted for the exact pair that interested me.
As I lingered, considering whether I liked the neutral beige better than the white, a pop-up appeared on the landing page. It offered me 10% off my purchase if I signed up for their email newsletter. That sounded great to me! A few clicks later, I had a coupon waiting for me as soon as I decided.
I’ll be honest: I didn’t buy those sandals that day — and that makes me even more like most customers. And that’s OK because their strategy is working. They’ve netted me in a sales funnel that started with that email marketing landing page. A string of messages sent automatically by email marketing software is now motivating me to buy. I suspect I’ll eventually be hiking in style.
Landing page marketing is the first step in a strategic process that can help you gain more customers for your ecommerce business. By following email marketing best practices, it’s possible to achieve the measurable goals set out in your comprehensive digital marketing plan.
From the start, let’s underscore that it can take time for a landing page strategy to work. I haven’t purchased those sandals yet, and it’s been a few weeks since I first saw them. So, it’s best to keep your timeline realistic. Plan for long-term success, which is possible as you get off on the right — stylish and ready to hike, if you’re like me — foot.
What is the purpose of a landing page in email marketing?
When you create an email marketing plan, the goal is to influence potential customers to undergo specific behaviors, such as making a purchase or signing up for an email newsletter. A landing page is an important step in the chain of actions that leads to that goal.
A landing page is a single page located within your website. It doesn’t necessarily have to have a place in your navigational menu since most customers will discover it directly by clicking on an ad — like I did originally — or through an email.
An email marketing landing page is a part of the customer journey. For me, it started with an ad. Then I was sent to a landing page, which got me to add a pair of sandals to my shopping cart. The landing page also served as a tool to get me to join their email list with that pop-up sign-up form promising 10% off.
From there, my customer journey continued as I received emails from the company. They reminded me about my abandoned shopping cart, the 10% off coupon I received, and how great the company is.
If I didn’t have a destination on the website that drew my attention, which is another way to describe a landing page and its function, I wouldn’t be tempted to make a purchase.
The best landing pages can also be discovered through SEO (search engine optimization) marketing, too. They should have a strong headline featuring your main keyword, a sub-header for clarity, enough copy to fully explain the product or service you’re offering, and at least one direct call to action (CTA).
After all, that CTA is your ultimate goal, so make it something that draws the eye. Often, companies will use brightly colored buttons as part of their landing page design to make it more effective. In the case of those cool sandals, the big “Add to Cart” button worked as a call to action.
4 ways that landing pages and email marketing work together
Landing page and email marketing best practices connect through the creation of sales funnels, which lay out the customer journey in a targeted way. Brands need to use a variety of email marketing tools to draw in potential customers, with an understanding that people are in different phases of the buying experience. It’s always important to keep the personalized nature of the transaction in mind, even as you create automated systems to improve conversion rates.
1. Welcoming new email subscribers
When I clicked on the ad and found myself directed to the sandals of interest, landing page email marketing was underway. The landing page allowed the company to ask for email addresses. And with very simple form fields to fill out, the process was quick and easy.
Within seconds, I received an email. It served two functions: First, it gave me the promised 10% off, along with a CTA button that encouraged me to get back to shopping. Secondly, it thanked me. The simple “We’re glad you’re here” was enough to tell me that the company shares my values, at least when it comes to having gratitude for the little things.
The welcome email is an important psychological tool. This is your opportunity to show your potential customers that they’re on the right path with a decision to buy whatever you’re offering.
In the message, you can share what leads/customers can expect from being on your email list. There’s no need to sell anything with this email. Instead, my welcome email explained that the brand, Teva, was pronounced “teh-va” instead of “tee-va.” I learned that these sport sandals have been around since 1984. They even encouraged me to follow them on social media to learn more.
Creating engaging welcome emails like this can easily be set up through most email marketing software platforms, like Constant Contact.
2. Lead nurturing and conversion
A landing page for email marketing takes a lukewarm lead and turns up the heat. Again, consider my situation. I was still sipping my first cup of coffee when I saw those neutral-colored sport sandals. I wasn’t in a frame of mind to jump for my credit card, but with one click, they had me.
Of course, increased sales are the ultimate goal of any email marketing strategy. But customer journeys are not always so direct. It’s vital to create methods to nurture leads through the journey from first seeing a product to making the purchase.
For example, you may be wondering why I haven’t purchased those sandals. It’s because I’m traveling now and don’t have access to a mailbox. If I keep receiving marketing emails from the company — and I will as long as I don’t opt out — chances are I’ll be converted to a paying customer once I have an address for delivery. Remember, it’s crucial to be focused on the long term.
3. Onboarding new customers after a sale
Another time to use landing pages for email campaigns is after the sale. Recently, I was stumped about what to get my parents for gifts. Both of their birthdays are right around Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and they have everything they need. Through a Google search, I discovered a coffee roaster in their hometown. So, I bought them a membership to a coffee-of-the-month club.
Their email marketing landing page is the way this coffee roaster works to keep me satisfied. Once I signed up for the membership, I received an email welcoming me. It gave me a link to a landing page that explained the subscription plan. It also provided instructions in case I had any questions.
And I did have questions; almost instantly, I learned that my parents threw away their coffee grinder. Through the landing page link, I connected with the company and asked if they grind the beans before sending them. It was no problem, and that subscription continues as a rolling gift that everyone appreciates.
4. Recovering abandoned carts
It should be clear by now through my sandal experience how email marketing and landing pages help to recover abandoned carts. It’s so easy for potential customers to get distracted and forget about the purchase they were interested in. A simple personalized message in their inbox — linking them directly to an email marketing landing page — is sometimes all that’s needed to help complete the sale.
How to implement and optimize landing pages for email marketing
Now that the importance of email marketing and landing pages for your email marketing campaign is clear, you’re ready for a checklist of what’s needed to truly optimize landing pages. First, start with the goal in mind. Determine what result you seek and make your goals both measurable and time-restricted. Then, follow the best practices of digital marketers for the best landing pages.
Understand and create buyer personas
To create effective landing pages, you must know who you are speaking to. Teva was able to grab my attention because they pegged me when they developed their buyer persona. They were looking for women who were adventurous and also fashion-conscious. Guilty as charged!
Consider every demographic about your ideal customer, as well as their hobbies, pain points, and personalities. The more detailed you are, the easier it is to communicate why they should buy your products.
Maintain consistent and relevant messaging
I fit the buyer persona, and the company developed messages that were relevant to me. For example, one photo on their email marketing landing page showed two people in jackets on the hiking trail in sport sandals and socks. They knew one of my hesitations would be whether my feet would be cold. This is one way they are nurturing me, and it’s working!
Stay consistent in your messages and always stay on brand.
Keep email signup forms short
It’s tempting to gather as much data as you can with email signup forms, but I wouldn’t have signed up for that coupon if they wanted to know everything about me. Stick with asking for a name, email, and maybe a birthday. That way, you can send a special birthday discount, which could send them to another email marketing landing page.
Nail your copy
Email marketing platforms make it easy to send frequent messages, but make sure you take your time to get the copy right. Always think about your customer and focus your messaging and email landing pages on helping them meet their needs.
A common mistake that many small- and medium-sized businesses make is to look from within and share what they think is important rather than what their customers care about.
Stick to simple designs
When you’re ready to design a landing page, don’t overdo it. Simple designs — like those found on landing page templates — are better. Pages overflowing with flashy videos or other exciting features take too long to load and too long to build. You may also find that you’ll create many landing pages as parts of different sales funnels.
Have a single call to action
Decide in advance what you’d like your customer to do once they arrive on your landing page. Then, make that CTA the most obvious thing to do. Remember that brightly colored “Add to Cart” button? It worked for me, and it can work for your customers, too.
Run A/B tests
If you’re not sure which email marketing landing page works better, test it. The process of A/B testing is straightforward. Create two different pages with a different color scheme, message, or photo. Then, send half of your prospects to one and the other half to the other. See which landing page performs better and update your strategy accordingly.
Create impressive landing pages for your email marketing campaigns
Email marketing landing pages play a vital role in engaging prospects and converting them into paying and loyal customers. By implementing a digital marketing strategy with well-designed and properly targeted landing pages, you can motivate people to engage and enjoy what you have to offer.
To start, brainstorm your customer’s journey. Use my experience with sport sandals as an example as you map out the steps they’ll make as they consider your product or service. Along with an in-depth understanding of your buyer persona, this customer journey map will help you craft an effective message and design an attractive landing page that will get you the results you seek.
