As a B2B marketer, it’s frustrating to try and pry prospect information from those visiting your Web site. Most people want to get something for nothing – a white paper, podcast, software – without giving something in return. I understand that mentality as I too, won’t sign up for something unless I’m very, very interested in purchasing the product or at least entertain a sales call. Plus I relish the day I find just what I’m looking for without having to part with my personal information.

However, it is our jobs to get that information. The following are tips on how to make your PPC landing pages more likely to capture this precious contact information:

• Use a landing page – Sending people to your home page is a waste of time in most cases. People click on your ad because they are looking for something specific and your landing page should only discuss what they are looking for.
• Keep it simple – Cluttered, overly long landing pages scare away a visitor. They don’t have time to read a lot of copy. If there are too many things to do on the page, they’ll get frustrated and leave.
• Match the landing page to the PPC ad – Generic landing pages used for all of your PPC ads is a waste (like sending visitors to your home page). Make sure your landing page matches the specific call to action you put into the ad itself.
• Make the call to action clear – If you are trying to collect contact information, make sure what you want the visitor to do is very simple and easy to find. Put the form where they can easily see it as soon as they get to the page.
• Encourage visitors to give you their information – Make sure your privacy policy is posted and visible. Also, if you are giving something away like a paper or free product, send the link to the fulfillment in an email rather than including it on the thank you page. At a minimum, you will get a valid email address.

Other sources of tips for developing a PPC campaign and its associated landing pages:

• Better B2B Landing Pages – A Case Study – Modern B2B Marketing Blog
• Six Elements for Effective Landing Pages – Marketing Pilgrim
• Matching Keywords to Landing Pages for PPC Pay Off – ECommerce-Guide.com