Have you ever gone to a restaurant that serves everything from pancakes to tacos to lasagna and has a nine-page menu? How many times did you send the waiter away with “Just another minute, please”? Give anyone too many choices, and that’s the reaction they’re likely to have. Panic. Anxiety. Fear of making the wrong choice.
That’s exactly what happens when readers are faced with too many choices on your squeeze page. They panic. They worry they’ll pick the wrong thing. That they’ll regret their choice later. So they decide not to decide.
I had a client once who sold many different variations of the same thing. They were all essentially the same, just a minor difference in color and style, but rather than letting the customer choose the color at checkout with a simple drop-down box, the client wanted a PayPal button on the sales page for every single style/color combination. So visitors read the entire page, and then they faced a parade of 30 PayPal buttons, all lined up in a row. You can imagine the response.
But too many choices is just one problem with a leaky opt-in page. The other is escape.
Internet users are distracted. Email, Twitter, Facebook, the kids, the job, the dog, and their iPhone are just a few of the things competing with your page. When you include links to other places within your opt-in page, you’re simply providing another way to leave your page.
One client found a cute YouTube video that she thought was a great match for her squeeze page, and it was. It featured a catchy dance tune that fit with her message and was fun to watch. But when it was over, it also offered several other videos the viewer might find interesting, and clicking on them led the reader off the page and back to YouTube.
The last thing you want your reader to do is leave the page, so don’t offer them an opportunity, no matter how compelling the video might be.
Good squeeze page design demands that your visitor have only two choices: Sign-up, or get out. Offering any other options will only hurt your conversions.
Your Turn: Have you had luck with an unconventional squeeze page design like my clients wanted? Share your experiences in the comments.
Wow, I never thought that a YouTube video within a squeeze page would turn out to be such a bad decision!
I’m still working on designing my own squeeze page; as I haven’t created a mailing list for my site yet. What I have in mind is a very simple page with a small form to fill in one’s name & e-mail. With a small pic of my new eBook’s cover right next to it, promising to send it as an incentive for signing up.
Hey Amr,
What you have in mind is the typical squeeze page. You used to see a couple of paragraphs and maybe a few bullet points that talked about why you should sign up, but now I’m seeing a trend (among my clients, anyway) toward shorter, punchier squeeze pages. They tell you everything you need to know – the big benefit – in the headline and a single sub-heading.
Cindy:
I have to admit, the squeeze page is my downfall. When I first started out in aff marketing, I bought into all the hype and BS and had some really lousy squeeze pages and offers. Now that I am building a serious blog/business, I am taking my time putting all this stuff together. I like that you said..2 options…sign up or get out. Puts it in real perspective.
Cheers,
Lisa
Hey Lisa, you’re moving up in the world. I didn’t have to drag this comment out of the spam filter, just had to give it my blessing. LOL! I don’t know what’s up with WordPress, but hopefully it learns from its mistakes!
Squeeze pages are tough to write. You have to say a lot – and make it meaningful – in a small amount of space, and that can be a real challenge for people. And it’s easy to fall into hype mode when you’re trying to sell something. I have to watch out for that all the time, no matter what I’m writing.
I looked for a squeeze page on your site but didn’t find one. Are you just using the sidebar widget, or did I miss something? (Just curious really. I don’t have a squeeze page here, either, but I may in the future.)
Definitely a great message, Cindy – a squeeze page should present only one choice: SIGN UP!
Ana
Hi Ana,
I wonder how that would work in a headline…”Sign up or don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
I might have to test that. LOL!
I am just the kind of person to say that on my squeeze page, Cindy – now you gave me an idea.
Great point, Cindy! There are times to be generous with your links and times to be miserly. Squeeze pages definitely fall into the latter category!
Question: What’s your take on privacy policy links on squeeze pages? Are they necessary? I just looked at my squeeze page. I’m pretty proud of it, but I did notice this time around that I have that privacy policy link under my AWeber form. Should I take it out or leave it? I mean, it’s not like anyone clicks on those anyway…
Hey Tristan,
That’s a great question about links to a privacy policy. Personally, I leave them in. As you said, I suspect very few people click them, and I’d rather stay on the right side of the FTC. (NOTE: I am not a lawyer and have no idea what the legal requirements are here. Just talking out loud!)
One other link it’s sometimes important to have is “Home.” Some article directories (and Google, if you’re buying traffic through PPC ads) don’t like to send traffic to a single-page website. They prefer something that offers value to the reader, so linking to a blog or other content site satisfies that condition. Again, I’d put the link in the footer, where it’s unlikely to be seen or clicked.
Huh, that’s interesting about having a Home link. I’ll have to look into that more. Thanks, Cindy!
Well it seems I misspoke myself. Here’s a quote from EzineArticles on the subject:
They seem to be saying they aren’t concerned with added value in a squeeze page. What I had read before (and which prompted my comment about having a home-page link) was that links within the body of the article need to lead to pages that add value. So it would appear the rules are different depending on whether the link is in the body or in the resource box.
Then there is Google, who says this:
Which I take to mean the typical squeeze page as we think of it would not be tolerated, perhaps even if it does have a home-page link. I don’t dabble in PPC, so I can’t say for sure, and their documentation is rather ambiguous.
Love this post. Simple is (almost) always better. When you are hoping for a single result, help them focus – as you say; sign up or get out
Hi Cindy, I’m long overdue here on your blog and love what you’re doing…and really appreciate all the value you bring to the conversation at TSL.
Regarding squeeze pages…I must be honest, this is an area where I currently stinketh and need to really, really improve. This article did get my little brain working though and I’m sure I’ll check back to it again once a get to a ‘squeezin’….
Thanks for all
Marcus
Hi Marcus, I’m honored that you stopped by! Squeeze pages are an art all their own, but with your sales background, I’m sure you could teach me a few things about them. Just like in any other sales venue, it’s all about the customer and what you can do for them.
Thanks again for taking the time to chat with me. I’ve been really enjoying your blog, and I’m glad you decided to pay a visit.
Cindy
Hi Cindy
What a really practical post. I am fairly new to all this and was only talking to a more experienced blogger/marketer on skype last night about this topic. He was asking my opinion on his new optin. I hasten to add not as an experienced anything other than a frequent visitor to blogs lol
Thought that was savvy of him cos if I can use it and find it attractive enough to click on, then even a first grader could manage it and hopefully lots of newbies will be signing up to his series.
No distractions. I like it cos I would be one to bounce off if you don’t get straight to the point! So many sites either don’t ask others about their site or have friends who are not honest with them.
Patricia Perth Australia
Hi Patricia, thanks for commenting!
From the looks of your blog I wouldn’t call you a beginner. You’re rocking it over there! You’re right about getting someone to give you an honest, from-the-user’s-point-of-view opinion. You can ask your family and friends and they’ll all tell you how wonderful it is, but if they’re not your audience, it doesn’t matter. And nothing is written in stone either. Some markets love those ugly, hype-y pages with the yellow highlight and big red headlines, and some prefer a more subtle approach, so it pays to get lots of opinions, and test, test, test to see which pages convert the best.
Thanks again for stopping by. I hope to see you here again.
Cindy