The holiday season is a critical time of year for brands to reach consumers. As a marketer, you should consider every step of the consumer journey to optimize for conversions.
With advertisers estimated to spend $350 billion on mobile advertising this year, you should also think about what happens after the user clicks on your ad. Recent research conducted by Meta and Branding Brand shows that on average, advertisers only have a 66% effectiveness score on their ad destination pages, meaning that brands may be leaving dollars on the table.
Thankfully, there are several things you can do to help improve the performance of your holiday ad destination pages. Specifically, make the most of your holiday traffic by ensuring your ad destination page follows the 3Cs framework—continuity, content and call to action.
1. Continuity
The destination page, whether it’s the homepage, a campaign landing page or a product page, should feel like a seamless next step from the ad. Brands should ensure that products, messages, promotional offers and pricing appearing in the ad are also reiterated on the destination page. If you tap on an ad in your Facebook or Instagram feeds, what would you expect to see next? Be sure your ad destination delivers on your potential customers’ expectations.
According to Eric Whaley, VP of Playbook Media, “We always encourage our clients to consider that important ‘next step’ after consumers engage with the ad. It’s an opportunity for clients to consider how they tell their story once consumers express interest.” He continued, “Clients consistently achieve improvements in conversion rate when they align their landing page creative and messaging with those in the ad.”
2. Content
It’s not enough just to design your destination page for mobile users by using clearly legible text, engaging images, and section headings and bullet points for easy skimming. This is where your brand message and value proposition can shine—especially for those who are new to your brand.
For potential customers who engage with your ad by tapping through to the destination page, consider the questions they may have and be sure to answer them. For example, people commonly want to know if free shipping and returns are available, and if a brand offers many similar products, what differentiates each.
In a Meta-commissioned study by YouGov, 91% of holiday shoppers surveyed said they’re likely to try a new brand during the holiday season—and those shoppers who are unfamiliar with your brand may have questions that your repeat buyers may not. Helping holiday shoppers by answering their common questions and outlining your value proposition can make their gift-buying process easier.
3. Call to action
Make sure customers who tap on your ad are clear on the next step. Destination pages should invite holiday shoppers to explore with clear call-to-action buttons. The primary call-to-action button should be centered and span the width of the screen so that consumers can easily tap when holding their phone with one hand.
When call-to-action buttons are anchored to the bottom of the viewport as the consumer scrolls and have action-oriented copy that describes the next step, they can help guide consumers to the next phase of the consumer journey.
Multiple call-to-action buttons can overwhelm and distract. In instances where you need them, identify the primary call-to-action button and offer a design that distinguishes and elevates it from the secondary buttons.
Test to see what works for you
Brands are experimenting with ad destination pages to find what works for them. Jae Noh, acquisition marketing manager at Magic Spoon, explained, “By testing a variety of landing pages and optimizing for revenue per session, we get the most of every valuable click from our Meta ads. We find themed landing pages to be helpful in providing the extra boost in conversion rate during new product launches and holidays. The biggest win came from featuring different product combinations and maximizing average order value, which we were able to grow by over 30% within a year.”
As an advertiser, you want to make sure your mobile advertising dollars bring results—especially during the holidays, when shoppers are out in full force. By focusing on continuity, content and call to action, the 3Cs for ad destination pages, you can help turn curious consumers into customers this holiday season.
