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Branding, Website Design & Development

Have you ever sat in a sales pitch and known you were going to take the leap, long before the end?

Maybe the product was right, the format was perfect, the messaging was on point, and the salesman was passionate. Whatever the cause, it made you feel like the seller understood what you wanted.

A great landing page can be the same way! The right one cultivates a sense of connection, tempting leads down the funnel with a streamlined landing page design.

In other words, if you’re on the fence about creating a landing page for your business, it’s time to consider how the perfect design can take your next campaign from good to great. Here are a few key benefits of the right design.

Great First Impression

As this post’s title suggests, landing pages can leave a great first impression on your visitors. Depending on the type of campaign you set up, your landing page may be the first time a visitor engages with your brand.

For these users, a well-crafted landing page is like the first glance through your front door. This is why a landing page design and message that speaks to users is critical. It means the difference between a visitor that steps further inside and one who turns around to leave.

Fewer Distractions

Minimalist design may be having a moment, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t also have its own inherent benefits. For many marketers, it’s tempting to clutter a landing page with “useful” design elements, elaborate messaging, and multiple calls-to-action.

However, these elements can add visual confusion to a page that should be sleek and streamlined.

But it’s worth noting that most site visitors take just 3-5 seconds to decide whether they want to stick around . This is a phenomenon commonly called “the blink test.” If your website is too cluttered to pass, you can say goodbye to those elusive conversions.

It’s worth noting, of course, that there are additional benefits to getting rid of distractions. Many of the most effective landing pages use minimal elements to guide visitors toward a specific goal.

This may include fewer required fields for form fills to make conversions easier, for example. You might also consider removing the navigation bar to keep visitors from leaving. With fewer distractions, you’ll find that your landing pages inherently see more success.

On-the-Spot Personalization

Audiences love a personalized marketing experience, one that targets their specific situation or needs. For many brands, this can be difficult to provide, and it can seem like a particular challenge with landing pages. Visitors who end up on a landing page are often new to your brand, meaning you won’t have collected previous information about them.

However, with the right design, it isn’t hard to add a touch of personalization to your campaign. Consider the interactive tools on the landing page for Transferwise, for example. This brand allows users to input their own financial details to see how the site’s transfer tool would help.

Another great landing page example comes from Airbnb. This global brand uses location data to show visitors how much they could make from renting out a room in their area.

Smart personalization options like these are a great way to connect with visitors, drawing them further down the funnel.

Specific and Targeted Messaging

The most effective landing pages are focused on a single goal. Every part of the design and messaging revolve around leading users toward that goal.

Where homepages may showcase multiple products or messages, a well-designed landing page will include a single headline, one unique selling proposition, and a call to action for a specific offer.

This, in turn, makes it much easier for you to generate leads for a specific company need. Add in a dose of SEO to include the right keywords, and you’re off to a great start.

Better Credibility

As noted above, a good landing page can create a credible impression that cultivates a burst of initial trust from visitors. After all, the landing page is designed to offer a solution to a specific need or problem the customer faces.

However, well-designed landing pages go even further to showcase credibility and authority, encouraging more conversions. One critical way they do this is through social proof. According to this concept, people are more likely to follow through on an action other users have already taken, as if this is an indicator of “correct” behavior.

To take advantage of this, effective landing pages go to great lengths to display information about current or past users. Shopify’s simple landing page, for example, includes logos of brands that trust their services, as well as a quote from one of their users. Brands can also post reviews, testimonials, ratings, or links to social media as indications of credibility.

In addition, effective landing pages even offer opportunities to generate trust with affiliate traffic. One great example of this can occur when a landing page uses the logo of the destination website and the affiliate website. This ensures that visitors arriving on the landing page feel comfortable knowing that they have, in fact, found a page that their trusted affiliate site has directed them to.

More Lead Conversions

At their most fundamental level, landing pages serve a single purpose: lead generation.

Study after study shows that marketers generate leads more effectively through dedicated landing pages than they could by sending traffic to their home page. And while even the most basic landing page can serve a vital purpose in a marketing campaign, a well-designed page that attracts and retains interest will always generate more conversions.

Make the Most of Your Landing Page Design

The most effective landing pages will get visitors exactly what they want with little to no friction—but this can be easier said than done. The right landing page design can mean the difference between a successful and a mediocre campaign, so it’s worth the effort of creating the perfect tool.

If you’re ready to create a well-crafted landing page that takes your business to the next level, we’re here to help. Contact us today to get started.

Web Design Companies

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Advertising, Branding
When I was but a child, perhaps about six or seven, I didn’t care what brand I wore. My mother, also, didn’t care what brand I wore. I’m not insinuating that I was a walking fashion disaster – I was not. I was simply decked in obscure, on-sale brands. However, I imagine when I have children of my own I will need those specific shoes from that specific company, honey.
    So while the generation past preferred benefits to personification, my generation has come into the branding world with a giant sledgehammer and completely re-written the rules. With the rise of social media comes the rise of brand identity. Marketing is an ever-changing game, and right now, it’s all about identifying with the product. Okay but people out there still want something that will benefit them, right? I mean, c’mon – we all know that the “in” brands fall apart one year into owning them.
    Not so fast –

Truly successful brands build a strong brand identity and a reputation for quality. Here’s a few that did just that:

Patagonia

College campuses beware – young, handsome collegiates will be wearing Patagonia’s brightly patterned, incredibly obnoxious fleece for years to come. It’s become a symbol across America everywhere that says, “Yeah, I’m involved in Greek Life” or “Yeah, I’m a stoner with a trust fund and a penchant for sleeping outside.” But, all joking aside, Patagonia actually does it job. Really damn well. Patagonia’s quality makes it a reputable choice for all age groups. If that college boy ever finds himself on a mountain, his fleece will keep him warm. That’s the magic – it’s a versatile piece that can serve as a stylish accessory or to do as nature intended it to: climb a freakin’ mountain.
   

L.L.Bean

Another product that has taken the youth by storm and yet never seemingly worn in any of the conditions it was made for: L.L.Bean. Many of LL Bean’s Duck Boots orders are going to people who will never hike or climb in them. Cue the sad music. I’ll wait. Yet with every stitch, LL Bean screams quality. It means that if your feet step off the concrete for a second and you find yourself grizzly-bear watching in Montana, those trusty stylish boots will do their thing.
   

VANS

Those canvas skate shoes sure make you feel edgy when you put them on. Trust me on this., I buy Vans;, I feel like Tony Hawk. Have I ever touched a skateboard? Um… no. However Vans has been around a long, long time, and while they’ve done a good job with their new designs appealing to young people and becoming “hip” once more – they also do their, you know, job. I like to daydream up scenarios where somebody throws me a skateboard and I’ve got these bad boys on. I just hop on and I’m a master. I do a sick 360 flip and everyone cheers. My trusty Vans save the day and I win the skateboarding competition.
  I digress.
So… What’s the Lesson?
Quality is a powerful tool for a product. It’s great to be known for the quality or the performance. Pair this with a strong brand identity and you’ve got a winning combination. If a consumer can a) buy a product as an expression of their identity and b) see that it actually serves a purpose beyond fashion, the consumer now has a brand that can satisfy both needs. It’s a yes from me!
    Do you have a great product or service but struggle to convey its benefits to your customers? Are you looking to build a brand that better resonates with your target audience? Hit us up today for a free consultation. We’d be glad to offer advice and strategic tips to getting your quality brand in front of your perfect people 🙂 Talk to us! http://www.forgedigitalmarketing.com
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Advertising, Blogging, Branding, Creative, Marketing
By now you may have caught wind of this story: Heinz Tomato Ketchup is actually running a fictional ad campaign first presented in AMC’s Mad Men by the dashing, the debonair, Mr. Don Draper. Queue the girly screams.
The campaign is simple: feature pictures of mouth-watering foods missing one key component, Heinz Tomato Ketchup, of course! The tagline is equally simplistic: “Pass the Heinz.” Pass the Heinz Don Draper Mad Men Ad How did the real-world agency David Miami decide to collaborate with Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce? How do executives feel comfortable taking an idea from a TV show? Well, folks, it’s actually subtle genius. Fans of Mad Men will go crazy when they see the advertisements run in New York, and those that don’t know about Mad Men? It’s still a pretty damn solid campaign (remember how we talked about nostalgia marketing last week?). Not to mention all the exposure the show Mad Men will be getting from this campaign. That’s some serious earned media right there.
Advertising campaigns for products you may think are boring, such as Ketchup, don’t necessarily have to be. Heinz’s new campaign brings a little more imagination to daily life. After all, the idea for their campaign didn’t even start in this reality. It began 50 years ago, from the mind of Don Draper himself. Perhaps the coolest part of this campaign is the fact that the fictional agency Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, as well as Don Draper and real life show-writers Matthew Weiner and Josh Weitman are all credited in the creation of the ad. So, you know, Draper doesn’t feel left out. The campaign itself is a solid idea – As Don Draper said, you don’t need the bottle because the consumer will fill in the blanks themselves. He’s exactly right: sometimes an advertisement without the product says more. Simply suggesting that the void be filled with your brand/product engages the consumer and gives them a reason to remember your advertisement. It’s also a victory cry. We all know what Heinz is, we all know what purpose it serves. A brand so strong that “Pass the Heinz” is a phrase understood by everyone? Now that’s pretty cool.
    10 out of 10 fresh ripe tomatoes on this one. Want more knowledge on how to get your brand on the way to stardom? You might like these articles: http://www.forgedigitalmarketing.com/2017/02/17/brand-gap/ http://www.forgedigitalmarketing.com/2017/03/14/nostalgia-marketing/
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Branding, Social Media
I’d like to let you in a little well-kept secret: the Denny’s tumblr. If you haven’t seen it, please check it out. It reads less like a major corporation and more like some fourteen year old drank a Monster and started a blog about… eggs? (Seriously, there seems to be an underlying theme of obsession with eggs here, understandably so.)   What do you think of when you hear “Denny’s”? Boring old diner that your grandparents go  to? That 24/7 dinner where (rumour has it) if you go at 3 am, you may fall into a Denny’s-esque Twilight Zone, never to return?     Maybe you think of their wild Tumblr account, with their ridiculous and often-times questionable responses to their fan’s inquiries. Denny’s is introducing themselves to the millennials and generation Z as a much cooler, much snarkier version of the Denny’s your mom and dad know and love.   Don’t believe me? Look at how integrated their tumblr has become with internet-speak. No high-fluentent wordings and proper capitalization here! No ma’am, Denny’s is changing the game when it comes to marketing a pancake diner. denny's tumblr Or perhaps…   How can we learn from the Denny’s tumblr? Almost every product can benefit and gain positive PR by “getting with the times.” I do not mean desperately slapping your brand on a meme and calling it a day. Denny’s has cultivated something truly unique here – and they have a whole generation hooked on their sardonic words. They’re over here like:   Recognizing how this generation differs from the last. We’re a little less serious, our humor as evolved (or taken two steps back, your call), and we identify with brands that are more brutally honest than try to win us over with lots of fancy guarantees.   Rock on, Denny’s. Keep showin’ us how it’s done. Want more microtrend marketing brilliance? Read more here: A Mega Idea: The Microtrend
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Advertising, Branding
Today we’re covering the all an important concept in Advertising: The Brand Gap. Huh? Excuse me? What in tarnation is that? The Brand Gap could be defined as bridging the gap between creativity and strategy, a.k.a what you think your brand is and how it’s actually perceived by potential customers and brand loyals. How you view your marketing strategy will play a significant role in how your product sells. Don’t believe me? Think of all the brands that failed miserably because they failed to recognize their brand aura. Instead of focusing on what the consumer has decided they are, they ignore this and choose their personality themselves. You might be saying, “Ok that makes no sense – we, the marketers, decide what our brand wants to be known for.” You may think that advertising professionals sit up in ivory towers rubbing their hands together, waving magic wands and declaring that their brand is now a cool/funny/edgy brand with one clever piece of copy. Well, that isn’t exactly how it works. http://giphy.com/gifs/crystalstarr-l0ExpNqEegk5eVW2A Word of mouth can be the silent killer of many a product – how the consumer sees your brand aura, how they talk about your brand, controls your image more than you would like to think. The first lesson of bridging the brand gap is realizing that your brand is not what you say it is, it’s what the consumer says it is. (Gulp) Okay, enough words. I know how much you all love pictures. A good visual example of brands that have crossed the Brand Gap and become “charismatic brands” are: Bridging the brand gap | McDonalds These are the brands in America that we can’t live without. Maybe you think to yourself, “Um, I’m SUPER healthy, I can DEFINITELY live without McDonalds. Or Coke. Also, if you aren’t from Kansas are you sure you own a tractor?” The point is that you know these brands, they are familiar to you, and you can identify what they stand for. On a smaller scale, such as local advertising, being the “go-to” coffee shop in town could be considered a charismatic brand. http://giphy.com/gifs/season-1-episode-8-showtime-3ohfFE19LpU939JqHC So the question is, do you have what it takes to capture a consumer’s heart as well as strategically orient yourself as an essential part of their lives? A great way to start building your customer base is through TRANSPARENCY! WHAT? Here’s an article to prove it. Want to make advertisements that will help you become a charismatic brand and bridge that brand gap? Check out this one. http://giphy.com/gifs/80s-chappelles-show-kazoo-kid-4nI8xTsPdwhs4
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