Avoid the one Google Ad mistake that's a killer for insurance agencies.

Anatomy of a Landing Page: How to Build Landing Pages that Boost Conversions and Drive Traffic

In today's digital world, landing pages are essential for any successful ad campaign such as Google or Facebook Ads. A landing page is a standalone web page that is specifically designed to convert visitors into leads or customers. Unlike a regular web page, which may have multiple purposes, a landing page is focused on a single goal, such as driving sign-ups, generating leads, or making sales.

What is a landing page conversion and what is a good one?

A conversion isn't a sale but rather the occasion of a measurable event such as a form fill, phone call, link click or video view. According to Wordstream, an average landing page conversion rate across all industries is 2.35%. The top 25% of landing pages convert at 5.31% and the top 10 percent convert at an 11.45% rate.

It goes without saying, but we'll say it anyway, the higher your landing page conversion rate, all else being equal, the higher the return on your ad campaign investment. For more information on how to calculate an ROI for a digital advertising campaign, check out our blog post on the topic.

Why build a landing page at all for an ad campaign? Why not just use an existing web page on a business website?

There are several reasons why it is important to create a dedicated landing page for your ad campaign:

• Focus: A landing page is focused on a single goal, which makes it more likely that visitors will take the desired action. When visitors are directed to a regular web page, they may be distracted by other information or calls-to-action, which can reduce the chances of conversion.
• Relevance: A landing page can be tailored to the specific ad that is driving traffic to it. This ensures that the messaging on the landing page is relevant to the ad, which can increase visitor engagement.
• Control: With a landing page, you have complete control over the user experience. You can design the page in a way that is optimized for conversions, and you can track visitor behavior to see what is working and what is not.

What relationship should there be between ad copy (the text that displays on Google Ads, for example) and the content on the landing page?

The ad copy and the landing page content should be closely aligned. The ad copy should create a sense of anticipation and encourage visitors to click on the ad. The landing page should then deliver on the promise made in the ad copy. This means using similar language and addressing the same pain points or advantages of your product or service.

For example, if your ad copy says "Get a free consultation", your landing page should prominently feature a call to action to sign up for a free consultation. The landing page should also provide more information about the consultation, such as what it will cover and how it can benefit the visitor.

What elements, at a minimum, should be included in the landing page?

Every landing page should include the following elements:

• Headline: The headline is the first thing that visitors will see, so it is important to make it clear, concise, and compelling. The headline should state the benefit of taking the desired action.
• Subheadline: The subheadline can be used to provide more information about the offer or to address any objections that visitors may have.
• Body copy: The body copy should be used to explain the offer in more detail and to persuade visitors to take the desired action.
• Call to action (CTA): The CTA is the button, form or link that visitors click on to take the desired action. The CTA should be clear, concise, and persuasive.

What page elements beyond the minimum will make a landing page convert at a higher rate?

In addition to the minimum elements, there are a number of other elements that can be used to improve the conversion rate of a landing page. These include:

• Images and videos: Images and videos can be used to make a landing page more visually appealing and engaging. They can also be used to demonstrate the benefits of the offer.
• Social proof: Social proof is evidence that other people have taken the desired action. This could be testimonials, reviews, or case studies.
• Benefits-oriented copy: The copy on a landing page should focus on the benefits of taking the desired action. Visitors are more likely to take action if they can see how it will benefit them.
• Scarcity and urgency: Scarcity and urgency can be used to create a sense of urgency and encourage visitors to take action immediately. For example, you could offer a limited-time discount or a bonus for taking action within a certain timeframe.
• Form optimization: The form on a landing page should be as short and easy to complete as possible. Ask only for the information that is absolutely necessary.
• Testing and optimization: It is important to test different elements of your landing page to see what works best. This could include testing different headlines, CTAs, and layouts.

How many goals should you have in mind for a landing page?

The most effective landing pages have a single conversion objective. This will help you to focus your efforts. If you have multiple goals, it can be difficult to create a page that is optimized for all of them.

For example, if you have a landing page for a webinar, your goal should be to get people to register for the webinar. If you also try to get people to download a white paper or subscribe to your blog, you may be less successful in getting people to register for the webinar.

Landing pages are often overlooked but really important.

When you launch an ad campaign you are essentially entering an auction by bidding on keywords (Google) or consumers based on demographic and psychographic attributes (Facebook). You can also run ads that display on websites, usually in rotation with others. Most, if not all your costs are tied up in the keyword bids and the number of ad impressions or click-throughs your ad gets.

A good, well targeted ad with compelling ad copy will optimize click-throughs from the ad to your landing page but those clicks aren't money. Even goal fulfillment on your landing page isn't money, unless you have a pathway to instant quote and policy issue. But goal fulfillment is that second to the last step before you get money and a well designed landing page is going to boost your ROI - so be sure to make attention to your landing page part of your digital ad set up.

Some Examples...

First, some counter-examples...

The image immediately below shows search results for 'trucking insurance'. At the top are three sponsored listings, meaning each insurance agency (or company) has paid some money to get there.

This blog post isn't about ad copy, but as we noted above, landing page copy and offers should expand on or match up with ad copy so let's start there. First, which of the ads do you think you might be most likely to click on?

If you are like most people, the top ad (#1) will get your attention first and the heading copy is pretty good, with a low cost value proposition. The supporting copy is also good, as the years in business and number of insureds nationwide helps establish trust.

Things fall down a little when you get to the landing page, however. The save up to 20% is good and extends the ad copy displayed in the search results image. 'Get a quote and get covered in minutes' is also good, it lets the visitor know what they can expect if they follow through.

But the most prominent design element on the page, 'What's your industry?' is going to make this a less effective landing page and reduce ROI. The ad was for trucking insurance, why do I have to choose my industry? We might add that including the Google rating is a great element, further establishing trust. But the size and location of that page element means it will get missed by a lot of users.

Let's take a look at listing 2 in the search results page and the associated landing page next. 'Fast, simple quoting options' is a good hook to draw visitors in, but 'Chubb Commercial Insurance' misses the mark a little. It's a small quibble, but we are talking about trucking insurance here so let's not do anything that might confuse anyone on the search results page trying to decide what to click. On the up-side, over 200 years experience is a great trust builder.

The landing page, below, is a big quibble. The page says nothing about trucking insurance and confusingly provides a lot of superfluous options that won't be relevant to anyone clicking through. This landing page will leave a lot of ROI on the table.

Finally, let's take a look at listing 3. Really, nothing compelling here, and maybe a little confusion. Insurance for Truckers - New Authority Insurance doesn't suggest any kind of value proposition or benefit. Moreover, the logo and brand sponsoring the ad is DAT, and New Authority Insurance seems also to be a brand but it doesn't match anything else.

The landing page associated with example 3 doesn't overwhelm either. First, the page carries the main navigation from the agency website which provides a number of distracting and superfluous options to the trucking insurance seeker. The 'Get a Quote' button is fine, as far as it goes, but up to this point there isn't any hint at the benefit of doing so here would provide and no idea what might happen next.

The 'Learn More' button hyperlinks to further down the page and provides some compelling reason why someone might proceed to get a quote from this page. The lower page answers the question, 'why should I?'. Because of that the Learn More button might be better labeled 'The Advantage' or 'Why Us?'. Also, cherry picking a line or two from the lower page to include in the upper part of the landing page and in the search display ad copy would make both more effective.

Just one more... and this one gets it right. The landing page screenshot for the Progressive landing page includes a simple call to action that is consistent with the search intent and the call to action includes minimal friction. Progressive further establishes trust by pointing out that professional truckers have been insuring with them for five decades.