Getting the Most from your Thank-You Page
Most companies use thank you pages for prospects who have subscribed to their services, but most do not take full advantage of the potentials a thank you page can offer. Often thank you pages are an afterthought – I mean, they’ve already subscribed, so why do more, right? Wrong! You’ve captured their attention, but don’t leave it at that.
Using a thank you page effectively can help keep your subscribers interested. Below are a few tips for creating a good thank you page and a few don’ts when creating the page.
- Don’t use the generic thank you page that came with your web program. Those who have signed up with you are expecting great things from your company.
Do customize the web page to reflect the awesomeness of your business. Remember, this is the first thing customers see after they sign on with you. This is your chance to make a great impression. - Don’t leave them in the dark wondering what will happen next after they subscribe to your services or purchase your product. A lot of people are still unsure of the web and if you don’t tell them what will happen after they subscribe, they’ll be left wondering if the button they clicked or the form they filled out actually went somewhere.
Do provide customers with a detailed report of what just happened, what will happen next (eg. An email will arrive shortly) and what actions they’ll need to take, if any (eg. Please confirm purchase or subscription in the email that will arrive) on the thank you page. - Don’t forget about them after the initial contact and the thank you page. If you use it effectively, your thank you page can help you move the customer through your marketing funnel.
Do use the thank you page to provide Calls to Action for your customers. You can provide multiple calls to action on your thank you page, such as free trials, demos, contact details and social sharing. - Don’t underestimate the power of social media. Look upon your subscribers as free advertisement and get them working for you right after you thank them.
Do provide links for customers to share your site and demos or trials with their friends on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. The internet is a powerful tool and a lot of products and services are sold via word of mouth and endorsements on social media sites. - Don’t make your page as dull as it can be. Remember the first point – this is your chance to make a great impression and keep people coming back and sending referrals your way.
Do use graphics, text, audio and video to spruce up your site and make it stand out from the rest. Video can be a great way to explain details of what benefits subscribers will get or to provide instructions for confirming subscription or tracking purchase orders.
You can see now that the thank you page is not something to be taken lightly. Some marketing automation programs provide the capability to keep collecting prospect data as they interact with the company over time. A thank you page with calls to action is also a great place to collect this information and keep people coming back to your site over and over again, pushing them through the marketing funnel.
What aspects are important to you on a thank you page? Would you add anything we haven’t covered? Do you have any great examples of thank you pages you’d like to share?