When a prospective college student clicks on one of your ads, the next step is to convert them into a lead that you can connect with and push through the enrollment funnel. Though it’s not a perfect world, delivering the right content at the right time can help secure these relationships. That’s why you don’t want to send a prospect to your homepage. It may look nice, but your homepage is too general and will probably distract the user from the content they really want.
Landing pages are effective at increasing the performance of marketing campaigns, but boosting conversions can be tricky. Luckily, college prospects who are in the search phase are typically open to receiving content from a number of schools, as the goal is to collect as much information as possible and then sort through it. The key is to optimize your landing pages accordingly.
Below are three hacks that will help you make better use of your landing pages and increase conversions. Let’s begin!
Hack #1. Ask visitors to introduce themselves before they leave.
You’ve paid for the prospect to click on the ad and be brought to your page, so why give them the option to leave right away?
Build a page that focuses entirely on a single goal: completing a lead capture form. Eliminate links and navigation menus so that all a visitor has to do is drop in their name or email. No distractions. No alternative routes.
If you feel that it’s imperative to share certain information about your program or institution, consider uploading a quick video that does the explaining for you. This way, you’re not taking up precious real estate or cluttering your page with too much text.
Encourage prospective students to watch your video, and perhaps even state how much time it will take. Example: Check out our 30-second video on the most recent upgrade to the engineering department!
Also, only ask for the most basic and necessary information, such as an email address and first name. The easier the form is to fill out, the more likely a prospect will do so.
Hack #2. Be clear about what’s in it for the lead.
Your target audience is young and has grown up with the internet by their side. They know how to tune out information that isn’t important to them, and they are especially skeptical of material that is overly promotional. If you want to get on a lead’s good side, you need to be clear about what’s in it for them.
As you ask for an email address, let the prospect know what they can expect in return. Be specific. Don’t just say “more information” or “more updates.” Let the prospect know that by sharing their email address, it will be worth their while.
Here are some ideas of what you can offer in exchange for an email address.
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More personalized content
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Updates based on the field of study
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Invitations to events in the area
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First to know about certain events or news
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Access to subscriber-only content such as podcasts and infographics
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Meet-and-greets with professors
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Coupons for the campus bookstore
Hack #3. Give attention to your button text.
Have you ever visited a landing page and felt compelled to click the Submit button? This means that the CTA was done right.
Though it might not look like much, the call-to-action text within a button can make a difference in your conversion rates. Use A/B testing to see which variation of buttons and CTA text your audience responds best to.
You might find that a simple and subtle Sign Up button is all that is needed to get people to click. Or, your audience may respond better to something more energetic like Get My Free Packet Today!
If you need some inspiration for a new CTA, we encourage you to check out this article from HubSpot that features over 30 different CTAs. Looking at these examples, you can get a better idea of what they might look like on your landing page and how your audience might respond.
Remember, no matter what CTA you choose, keep your request for information to a minimum and write to your audience.
Wrapping it Up
Your landing pages are an integral part of your marketing strategy, and when used appropriately, will help you capture the right information about your leads. With these details, you can move highly qualified candidates through the funnel. When the time’s right, request that they fill out an application.
