Posted by: Daniel Levis
December 19, 2007
Issue #311

Are Squeeze Pages Dead?

These Split Test Results Reveal The Answer …

In this issue:

• To squeeze or not to squeeze, that is the question …
• Why so many marketers can’t get squeeze page campaigns to work …
• Integrated systems or BOB? Pick your poison wisely …
• And more!

Dear Web Business Builder,

Are squeeze pages dead? Are they now a roadblock to the sale, preventing potential buyers from even seeing your sales message in today’s brave new Web 2.0 world?

Recently, I decided to have some fun testing these common theories to see if they could be true. And in this week’s Web Marketing Advisor I’m sharing the results.

Here’s what I tested.

I slapped together a very simple campaign that began with a squeeze page promising a special report.

When people opted in they were e-mailed a link that allowed them to download the special report, and their browser was redirected to an HTML version of the special report.

At the end of the special report was an offer to obtain more information for a fee.

If they didn’t buy, they received several follow-up messages beckoning them back to the special report.

What I wanted to find out was whether more sales would result from sending visitors a) directly to the special report, or b) to the squeeze page first, requiring them to opt-in.

Now, let me point out a very important point. There is no definitive general answer to this question. I am not sharing these results to try and prove that one approach is always superior to the other.

The results you’ll experience are entirely dependent on the interrelation of the various elements that comprise your campaign – your squeeze page, your sales page, and your follow up autoresponder series etc.

Logically, you know this to be true, yet it is human nature to see things in rather black and white terms … to over generalize … and be irrationally biased toward one approach or the other.

Lately, I have seen a ground swell of popular opinion declaring the death of squeeze pages … and the birth of “a whole new dynamic” in online marketing.

These tests prove conclusively that popular opinion often descends into a kind of mindless over-generalization, and that it is often wrong. As Dan Kennedy likes to say, “be careful of stepping in somebody else’s dogma, even mine.”

Here are the results:

	Unique Visitors	Opt-ins	Immediate Sales	Autoresponder Sales	Total Sales	Opt-ins to Sales Conversion	Unique Visitors to Sales Conversion
Squeeze Page	693	153	21	15	36	23.5%	5.2%
Direct to Sales Page	648	NA	27	NA	27	NA	4.2%

What surprised me most about this little test was the rather low opt-in rate, just (22%). This test was done with somewhat warm traffic, and I was expecting to generate two to three times as many leads.

With cold traffic, the very same page converts at 29%. Usually I can count on cold opt-in numbers doubling with warm traffic. Obviously that’s not always the case.

Still, the net result was 36 sales with the squeeze page, and 27 without. Plus, the squeeze page generated 153 leads that will yield further back end sales. Using a squeeze page is easily generating twice the profits. Imagine what it could do with some tweaking.

Common wisdom says that when you use a squeeze page, only a portion of the traffic you generate will have a chance to buy your product, and this is true. But what common wisdom fails to take into account is that the people who make it to your sales page are better prospects, and far more likely to buy your product.

So instead of converting 4.2% of the people who see your sales message, now you’re converting 13.7% on contact, plus your autoresponder follow-up series is snagging an additional 9.8% – for a total of 23.5%!

Why so many marketers can’t get
squeeze page campaigns to work …

One of the reasons many people find it harder to convert successfully when using a squeeze page is simply this: there’s more to go wrong. You’ve got to move people smoothly from one call to action to another without dropping the ball.

When I was selling high-tech in the 90’s I was always on one side or the other of the “Integrated versus BOB” debate. “Integrated” meaning software systems that combined a large set of functions, thus allowing these various functions to work together intelligently as a whole.

And “BOB”, meaning “Best of Breed” – specialized systems that did one thing incredibly well, but required integration with other best of breed systems to achieve the functionality that most businesses required.

Why am I telling you this?

Because you, dear online marketer, face a similar dilemma …

You’ve got to integrate your squeeze page with your sales page, and your sales page with your autoresponder’s series messages.

This means many things, but let me give you just one quick example to inspire your thinking …

Here are the openings to three of the autoresponder messages I used in the above test. All three messages share something in common that is dependent on the integration of two essential e-business functions. See if you can guess what two things working together as one allowed these messages to close an additional 9.8% of the leads generated by the squeeze page.

Day 1

Hi %$firstname$%,

Yesterday, you requested my free report, "The
Truth About Making Money Without Money – FAST!"

In case you misplaced the link, here it is again:

–> [[link goes here]]

In that report I offered a totally risk free look at the exact step-by-step instructions myself … my associate Michael Cage … and hundreds of our students and clients are using to generate wealth in the information marketing business.

Still, I have not heard from you, and that has me concerned …

I know you want more wealth in your life… more time to spend with your loved ones … and more meaning in your workaday life. Why else would you have requested my report? Heck, who wouldn’t want more of these things?

If you read it carefully, no doubt you were impressed at the level of income available to you in this exciting business, and the lifestyle it can give you. So I can only assume you’re hesitating because you feel you don’t have access to information people will actually pay for. You’re not the first to have felt that way…

[[E-mail goes on to provide an answer to this common objection]]

Day 3

Hi %$firstname$%

This is the third time I’ve written you about an issue that I can only assume is of crucial importance to you – your financial independence. And still, I haven’t heard from you …

Have you been out of town? Are you hiding out in the Witness Protection Program? Do you really have a money tree out back?

Kidding aside … I have to wonder, because I’ve given you my solemn pledge to show you a totally realistic and proven plan for going from $0 to $10,000 a month in the next 30 days doing something you love – entirely at my risk.

There are no pre-qualifications for this. You don’t need a lot of money to get started. You don’t need any special skills that you can’t easily pick up as you go along. And you really can make six or even seven figures a year working from home.

What could be more tempting than that? Click on this link and take a risk free look. It’s fully guaranteed to work for you, or don’t pay a red cent! What have you got to lose?

–> [[link goes here]]

Last time I wrote, I gave you some examples of real people leveraging their professional skills and experience in this business.

But hobbies work too …

[[Email goes on to provide an answer to another primary objection]]

Day 5

Hi %$firstname$%,

This is your fourth and final wake up call

(Sure you’ll still hear from me from time to time, but not about the unprecedented deal that’s currently on the table.)

I’ve written you on three previous occasions and given you umpteen great reasons to get involved with the most profitable and rewarding business on Earth.

Plenty of other smart people who signed on about the time you did are now reviewing the system risk free. Some of them will go on to take action and begin making serious money working from home sharing their life passions.

But still, I have not heard from you. I’m disappointed. All I’m asking you to do is take a look. That’s all.

Put our system to the test for up to one full year – and then decide! Go ahead, click on this link, you’re totally covered by my Triple Satisfaction Guarantee.

–> [[link goes here]]

OK, last time I promised to reveal a sneaky little trick that allows you to create and sell information on subjects you know nothing about, and make serious money, really quick.

Well here it is …

[[E-mail goes on to provide an answer to yet another primary objection]]

OK, so did you see the point of integration? It’s really simple, but critically important to the success of these autoresponder messages, and the campaign in general.

Integrated systems or BOB?
Pick your poison wisely …

Because my shopping cart and my e-mail system are part of the same integrated system, I can send messages that make a powerful personal connection with the target audience.

I can say to them, “why haven’t you responded?” And know for a fact they have not.

If I had been using a “best of breed” system for my e-mail, and another “best of breed” system for my shopping cart, I would not have had this critical piece of information to work with.

I would have had to hire some propeller head to try and make the two systems talk (good luck) … or send messages that desensitize my best customers (the ones who have already bought) to further email promotions … or use copy that was less personal and persuasive.

Food for thought as you shop for online marketing tools to grow your business.

Until next time, Good Selling!

Daniel Levis
Editor, The Web Marketing Advisor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE™

Looking for resources related to this article? Try some of these.

Looking for more of Daniel’s articles? Check these out.

Looking for past issues of The Total Package? Click here for our archives.

Want to share or reprint this article? Feel free. Just give us full attribution and a link to our Home Page when you do.

Attribution Statement: This article was first published in The Total Package. To sign-up to receive your own FREE subscription to The Total Package and claim four FREE money making e-books go to www.makepeacetotalpackage.com.

Related posts

• The Two Most Powerful Words in Advertising. (No, they’re not FREE and NEW.)
• How to Create Web-Store Excitement and Loyalty
• The Secret to Becoming An “A” Level Copywriter
• Are All Online Marketing Junkies Drooling Morons? You have to wonder …
• Boost Your Internet Sales 1,000% In 90 Days or LESS

---

7 Comments »

1. Comment by Edward Turner — December 19, 2007 @ 11:33 am

   Seems obvious that once the entire sales funnel has been established, it would be a great idea to start improving each element to increase over-all conversion.

   For example, if the squeeze page itself could double it\’s opt-in conversion, sales would soar.

   Would be interesting to see how a Quiz Landing Page performs on the front end. The quiz, as an involvement device, should give a boost to the opt-in conversion.

   Edward Turner
   Opt-in Quiz Generator
   http://www.optinquizgenerator.com

2. Comment by Kevin — December 19, 2007 @ 2:20 pm

   My question is this: is this evidence for using squeeze pages, or is this evidence in favor of doing follow up? Unless I am mistaken, your results are showing a higher initial response w/o the squeeze page. Did you use autoresponder follow up with each group?

3. Comment by Daniel Levis — December 19, 2007 @ 3:11 pm

   Kevin, in answer to your question. Without the squeeze page, or some other name capture device, how would you know who to follow up with?

   Another test would be to test squeeze pages against pop overs, exit pops, and on landing page name capture devices.

   Or quizzez as Edward points out.

4. Comment by Online Copywriter Andrew Cavan — December 19, 2007 @ 3:34 pm

   I\’ve been testing using full pages that appear on exit when your prospect leaves your optin page.

   You deliver the free content on the exit page.

   On on each page of free content you have another optin form.

   This is far better than just wasting that 73% to 79% of exit traffic.

   And if the content you provide to your exit traffic is really good everybody wins.

   Kindest regards,
   Andrew Cavanagh

5. Comment by Brenton — December 20, 2007 @ 6:18 am

   Daniel,

   The question that popped up for me is what integrated system are you using? AWeber is a recommended solution. What do you use?

   Thxs.

6. Comment by Daniel Levis — December 20, 2007 @ 7:16 am

   Hi Brenton,

   I use a company called 1ShoppingCart, which is an integrated system.

   Aweber is an example of BOB. As such, it is probably a better email system (Best of Breed), but it is up to you to make it \”TALK\” with the other elements of your e-commerce engine.

   Daniel

7. Comment by Hendry Lee — December 20, 2007 @ 12:43 pm

   Hi Daniel,

   Thanks for sharing your cmapaign results with us. I think the hard work of setting up name squeeze, autoresponder messages, are well worth the efforts.

   Btw, you can integrate such thing with Aweber too. You need to setup two lists, one for leads and one for customers.

   You need to send sales data to Aweber, depends no which shopping cart or payment processor you use.

   Upon subscription to customer list, Aweber will automatically unsubscribe the customer from the list for leads.

   Those who keep receiving the autoresponder sequences have not yet bought.

   I have just checked that Aweber also includes support for 1Shoppingcart order message.

   -Hendry

8. Comment by rikpdyio — January 10, 2008 @ 10:59 pm

   bzzvwezk iaminhux http://pnmezthh.com iqoxsstn nyqknhut [URL=http://dulbtykm.com]zrwjzihg[/URL]