Is a Squeeze Page the Key to Achieving Marketing Magic?

You may have noticed, my blog doesn’t get a lot of comments.  This is because my “target” audience is NOT other bloggers.  My target audience is small business owners – many of whom don’t have a blog or if they do, they don’t know how to use it.  (If you fall into the latter category, check out the 8 Week Power Blog Launch.)

Instead of comments, I get emails from visitors asking questions. Here’s a frequently asked marketing question which has made its appearance once again in my morning email.

Is a Squeeze Page the Key to Achieving Marketing Magic?

I’VE ALSO BEEN TOLD THAT MY WEBSITE HAS TOO MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR A VISITOR TO CLICK ON.  THAT’S WHY MY BUSINESS COACH CHARGED ME TO CREATE EXTRA LANDING PAGES – SO AT THE BOTTOM OF EACH OF THOSE PAGES THE ONLY REQUIREMENT IS TO CLICK OR NOT TO CLICK — NO OTHER CHOICES.  WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT? SHOULD I BE MAKING MORE USE OF THOSE DIFFERENT LANDING PAGES?

(Note: the person sending the email sent it in all caps.  I know it’s shouting, you know it’s shouting but since I copied and pasted it, it’s staying in all caps for this post!)

There are a lot of “small business marketing consultants” who are in LOVE with the “squeeze page” however, many of them are crooks and liars.

Actually, a true squeeze page allows the visitors to take one of two different options:  Buy or ask for more information rather than “buy or leave”.   You use the power of “free” to entice the visitor so sign up to get more information.  In squeeze page land, there are scripts that squeal, oink and “holla at ya” to try to prevent you from leaving without at least signing up for more information and collecting your free gift.

In this person’s case, the marketing coach created TWO squeeze pages for this business owner.  I can’t help but think that the answer to the question, “How much business are those 2 landing pages driving?” lies in the fact that this other small business marketing consultant’s client is emailing ME for advice!

But I ask in the return email out of courtesy, “Are you getting lots of traffic to those pages?  Are you getting a lot of sales and/or sign ups as a result?”

I have to ask, even though I know the answer.

See, the problem with Squeeze Pages is Google HATES them.  In other words, Squeeze Pages have rarely ranked well for desired keyword terms.    For a while, internet marketers got around this by using PPC (pay per click).  Google expressed their hatred for the SQUEEZE PAGE philosophy again, as was evidenced by the Google SLAP issued last year.  In essence,  squeeze page owners who were using Google Adwords to drive traffic saw their PPC rates rise exponentially overnight.   With the Google Slap in place,  natural search AND isn’t going to bring potential buyers to your squeeze page.   That means you have to PAY to drive traffic to the site. That means you have to PAY to drive traffic to the site and if you’re planning on using PPC (pay per click) you’re going to pay DEARLY for those clicks.

See, there’s more to a squeeze page campaign than just slapping up a one page website and raking in the money.   In order for a squeeze page to work, you need to drive LOTS of traffic to that page.  You need that traffic so you can MEASURE how many buyers you’re getting and how many “subscribers” you’re getting from your squeeze page.

If you get 1000 visitors to your squeeze page and 100 sign up for the “more information” and free resource, then your sign up conversion ratio is 10%.   If 10 bought your product, then that is a sales ratio of 1%.

Next, your job is to “work” those 100 sign ups to squeeze another 10-30 sales from those who asked for more information.

THE BASIC PROBLEM WITH SQUEEZE PAGES:

The problem most people have when it comes to squeeze pages is that you HAVE to drive traffic – and lots of traffic- to your squeeze page so you can get a baseline measurement.

Your Squeeze Page isn’t going to win when it comes to the search engines on lucrative terms and you’ll spend a fortune promoting your squeeze page via pay per click if you don’t have quality content backing up that squeeze page on the site.

However, while generating  tons and tons of web traffic is job one for using a squeeze page, it’s not the ONLY job.   The next step is where the real HEAVY LIFTING comes in.

Once you’ve got OODLES of traffic flowing to your squeeze page, you then need to TEST alternative messages.   This is known in the “biz” as “split testing”.

For example, let’s say you have a squeeze page that is using Arial typeface – one split test you may want to perform is to launch an IDENTICAL squeeze page -EXCEPT- use Courier typeface instead of Arial.

Lather- rinse -repeat.

You measure the sales/sign ups on the squeeze page with Arial font to the sales/sign ups on the squeeze page with Courier font.

One font will be the winner – one will be the loser.

Remember, you don’t change ANY OTHER ELEMENT other than the “test”.  If you change the FONT and the COLOR, you can’t know which change triggered the increase/decrease in sales.

Sometimes the tweaking is in the free offer- in which knowing your target audience or niche market is the key.  If your freebie isn’t appealing to your target audience, you won’t get people signing up for more information no matter WHAT typeface your squeeze page uses!

There is a lot of measuring when it comes to squeeze pages – however, in the case of the business owner who asked this question, I have to ask – WHY ARE YOU USING SQUEEZE PAGES FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

See, this business owner (and I won’t embarass this person by revealing his/her identity here – nor will I engage in shaming his/her business coach) isn’t offering a low cost info product.  This business is in business of offering consulting services to high income executives.

This business owner is making what is called a MAJOR SALE. In the Major Sale, the buyer needs to develop trust with you before making a purchase from you.

SQUEEZE PAGES ARE REALLY, REALLY BAD PRACTICE FOR SOMEONE ENGAGED IN MAKING A MAJOR SALE!

Squeeze pages are a marketing tactic that shouldn’t be used in every marketing strategy!

In essence, squeeze pages are the ANTI-BLOG of marketing tools!  Blogs are all about freely communicating who you are and what you do.  Squeeze Pages are all about hiding information and making a prospect “pay” in either dollars or identity to gain access.

Blogs are like throwing a party to meet new people while squeeze pages are like herding sheep into a pen for fleecing.

Do you want wool?  Herd Sheep.  If you want clients, then think blog.

If you’re making a Major Sale, you’re seeking clients.  If you’re making a Minor Sale, you want wool.  It’s just that simple.

For more information about Major and Minor Sales pick up a copy of my book Beyond the Niche: Essential Tools You Need to Create Marketing Messages that Deliver Results.