Most people in the Internet marketing arena know what a squeeze
page is. However, most marketers that I've seen try to
implement one do a terrible job. Therefore they get less
than desirable results.
For the uninitiated, here's a quick definition. A squeeze page
is a webpage that, when the visitor "lands" on it, he is asked
to opt-in to some type of list in order to proceed further. On
some squeeze pages, your only options are to opt-in or leave.
On others, you are given a method to continue exploring the
site without opting in. Purist would argue that the second
type isn't a real squeeze page.
The rationale behind using a squeeze page is that most Internet
marketers realize that the vast majority of visitor will not buy
from a site on the first visit. So, these marketers make list
building their top priority. If they can just collect the
email address, along with permission to follow-up, then they'll
get other opportunities to make the sale later.
A squeeze page, generally, has some enticing bullets on it, and
does a thorough job of describing what you'll be able to access
after you enter your data. The enticing offer on the
squeeze page, that has the visitor salivating to get at what's
behind that "door," is essential.
The most effective squeeze pages that I've seen, used
enticing emails to drive traffic to the sites. These emails were
either emailed by joint venture partners, or by the product
owner who was introducing a new product.
That email that drove traffic to the squeeze page, sent them
there already READY to sign up. That email, if it did its
job, thoroughly described what was waiting on the site, and
so the squeeze page was only a slight inconvenience. It was not
enough of an inconvenience to be noticeably objectionable to
those who were already thoroughly sold on the product concept.
The enticing email that does the pre-sell is a step many less-
savvy marketers skip. Because their visitors aren't pre-sold,
their conversion rates are much lower than they would otherwise
be.
Squeeze pages often experience "leakage" because many visitors
knows how to view the page's html source code, and locate the
url of the follow-on webpage. So they can just enter that url
to access what's behind the door.
A good way to prevent this type of leakage (if you want to) is
to encrypt the url for that follow-on webpage. Another way to
do this is to EMAIL what was promised on the squeeze page. So,
if the visitor doesn't provide an email address (or provides
a bogus email address) they don't get to enjoy what was
promised on the squeeze page.
If you'd like to see an example of one of the most effective
squeeze pages that I've seen lately, check out
http://ButterflyMarketing.net
On the page above, notice that if you try to circumvent the
squeeze page, you CANNOT just access the information. Instead,
you are simply given another chance to opt-in. This is a
brilliant implementation of a squeeze page.
By the way, you should go ahead and opt-in at
http://ButterflyMarketing.net That way you can study the rest
of the process being used. You need to see the full picture in
order to set up your COMPLETE process correctly!
One other nice implementation of a squeeze page that I've seen
is one that passes information from the squeeze page on to the
next page. So, the next page that you get to after filling in
the form may have your name, or some other personal data, right
in the copy on the page.
An example of the above might be a site selling pet toys. The
form might ask what type of pet you have and your pet's name.
On the next page, as you read through the copy you might see
your pet's name scattered throughout the page, or you might
see mention of the specific type of pet that you have.
The type of squeeze page described above can be very powerful if
done correctly. If it's not too blatant, your visitor may not
even consciously notice that the page is personalized and
specifically targeting him. For example, if that page only
mentions the type of pet that you have, or some other seemingly
innocuous fact, the personalization will still make the copy
talk to YOU more. However it won't be as "in your face"
as when the copy uses your name.
There is actually a piece of software that will generate this
type of squeeze page for you. That way, you don't have to
understand how to set up coding that tells the page how to pass
variables from one page to the next. This software is called
Squeeze Page Generator. You find it at:
http://WillieCrawford.com/squeezepage.html
When you visit the page above, enter your name and email
address, and the demo will show YOU what your visitors will see
when you use this software on your site.
I've tested Squeeze Page Generator on some of my sites, and it
DOES increase conversions. I prefer using it where it's less
"in your face" as I've described above ;-)
When you use Squeeze Page Generator that way, your visitors feel
more connected to you and your copy, but they don't really know
why. I think that makes it more effective.
Many online marketers do use squeeze pages, because, while they
may irritate a small percentage of your visitors, they have
been proven to increase your signup percentages. If they don't
opt-in to your list, then there's no way for you to follow-up
with those who don't buy on that first visit. Consider adding
squeeze pages to your marketing arsenal today.
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