How to Select a Landing Page Vendor

As the demand for higher ROI and conversion optimization continues to explode, landing page vendors are popping up everywhere. So how do you decide what path to take on the road to ROI enlightenment? Here are 8 key pointers to help you in your search for a landing page vendor.

1. Software, services, or both?

The first question you should ask yourself is: are you looking for a turnkey solution — a partner who will take your clicks and turn them into customers or leads? Or are you looking for software to help you test your pages? Or maybe software to help you create, manage and test your landing pages? Not sure? Many of our prospects aren’t. Since landing pages are a new endeavor for many marketers, it’s not until we discuss their business, the scale of their online programs, and their available time/resources that they make a decision on whether to outsource the management of their landing page testing program or keep it in-house. This blog entry applies to both software & service solutions.

2. Analytics, creation, or testing?

Analytics will tell you what’s happening on your pages. Testing will allow you to try new things. Creation solutions will allow you to launch pages without IT. And a good landing page management solution should combine all 3 for best results. Yes, you can use all three separately, but when you combine them in a single solution you get unmatched agility and quick results.

3. Be willing to go in it for the long haul.

Some firms offer quick fixes or one time consultations. Those are helpful, to be sure, because some advice is better than no advice, but you’ll achieve the best results if you develop a long term strategy for continually testing & optimizing your pages. There’s always room for improvement, and you should never stop testing. That quick fix won’t have a lasting effect — the market is always changing, and so should your landing page program. The best results are achieved over a period of time, not overnight. Go for a continuous testing approach. 

4. Learn about the methodology.

Landing page optimization strategy & tactics shouldn’t be a secret. In fact, there is no one definitive way to boost your results. Every campaign is different. Every product is different. And every stream of traffic is different.

Get a good understanding of a firm’s methodology. They should be open and honest, and if they claim their methodology is proprietary and are secretive about it, run for the hills. 

5. Avoid black box software & solutions.

You can’t automate strategy. You can’t automate creative. And you can’t automate marketer brilliance. What you can do is select the best tool to give you the most learning in the least amount of time. If the solution is predictive or secretive code that your IT team adds to your website, use that as a warning sign. No matter how advanced the code, it can’t write your pages. It can’t design them. And it certainly can’t strategize them. That’s what you’re here for (or your agency).

Oh, and maybe I’m just a skeptic, but I’d stay away from products that use the term “Squeeze”, unless you’re looking for a orange juicer. I usually land on “Squeeze” software pages after I click spam links on Twitter (no offense to the legit squeeze page companies there).

6. Align your goals with the vendor.

As you take on your new landing page initiatives, decide what your goals are. Do you want to save time and resources in the creation of pages? You’ll need a landing page management software or turnkey service. Are you looking to optimize your organic traffic or your paid/campaign traffic? Organic traffic is wild and crazy, and should be optimized separately from your paid traffic. Make sure the solution differentiates between the two. How fast do you need to boost your results? If you’re new to the world of landing pages, an experienced landing page expert should be able to jump start your landing page program quickly. Likewise, a landing page management software will allow you to take control over deadlines and dates. Do you want to involve IT? An IT-free solution will ensure that your pages can be launched, updated, and tested without any time barriers or roadblocks. 

7. Get case studies. See results. Talk to current customers.

If a software or firm is as great as they say they are, they should have the case studies and customer accolades to back up their claims. Read their case studies. Also, ask the vendor if you can contact a current customer or client. They should have nothing to hide and be excited that you are hot enough in the sales cycle to want to speak to a current customer.

8. Trust your gut.

If a software seems shady or too good to be true, it probably is. And if there’s no work involved, there won’t be any results involved, either.

Good luck and let me know how your search goes!