How much have you been caught in this trap? You click on an ad with an enticing bid, but instead of going to a page that tells you all about the offer that took you there in the first place, you find a page that tells you nothing about it.

Just now, I fell into one. I clicked on a hotel ad promising special discounted rates this season. To my dismay, I was taken to the reservation page that gave me daily rates, with no mention whatsoever of the special deal they advertised. This hotel was only able to give itself a poor impression. I was thinking that:

• It can’t be trusted to deliver on what it promises.
• Their landing page has utterly ruined the intention of running a successful ad, which probably cost a lot of money.
• They just lost me and potentially several others as potential customers.

Read also: How Small Businesses Can Improve Their Customer Experience

In other words, the defective landing page translates to ROI down the drain. Not only would it lose the chance to make a sale, it will also turn potential buyers into annoying tourists. Imagine wasting money on PPC, SEO, etc only to get a marginal conversion rate and a negative image? In the end, what’s the point of wasting money and trying to bring potential customers in when the landing pages push them out?

What a Landing Page Should Look like

A landing page can make or break your chances of success. To turn visitors to sales or leads, use these parameters to test the landing pages:

1. Relevance

Consider your landing page as your point of sale. This is the first page to which a visitor is taken immediately after clicking on your ad or discovering you from a search engine, so it should answers the unique and most relevant needs of that particular market.

2. Instant Gratification

Your landing page should give your visitors the details they’re looking for without having to click through a page full of links.

Read also: Three Benefits Of Web Analytics

3. Ability to Close Sales

Since most visitors who land on this page already have an interest in your deal, make it easy for them to purchase, sign-in or opt-in. Your forms should be visible enough and does not need too much detail.

Landing pages will undeniably provide a lifeline for the success of your online business. Therefore a lot of thought and attention should be paid to designing them.