Valentine's Day Landing Pages

[CHR]

Ran across a blog post comparing landing pages from Google's Adwords ads for the term "Valentine's Day Roses'. The blogger compares PF, 1-800 and FU's landing pages and offers suggestions to each.

It's actually some decent advice, although the writer (like most consumers) doesn't 'get' that the low priced roses are boxed and DIY.

I left him a comment (awaiting moderation) and hope he lets it through.

Talking about best practices is one thing but nothing works like showing them. With Valentine's Day just 2 short weeks away roses are about to start flying off the shelf and that presents a great opportunity to see just what some top bidders are doing with their pages. ". No explanation should be needed on what we're looking for here... it's time to drive sales and the pages I'll be reviewing represent the top 3 searches on Google for "Valentine's Day Roses" and were saved early Friday afternoon. Here we go.

The first page we're starting with is from ProFlowers.com. No surprise here as ProFlowers is a huge player in the space. Ad copy suggests a good price (lower than either of the two other competitors), a free vase and a sense of urgency.

ProFlowers.com

My 8 second feedback: When I hit the page is options, and value but not relevancy. The page doesn't speak to Valentine's Day, there are no reds, and no reinforcement of what my search was about although I am given a special offer as a "google searcher". That said the first product I see is a dozen roses for $19.99 just as the ad advertises. Across the page I have a strong loyalty and guarantee statement which throws a lot of reliability.
What I like:

• There's a great focus on options, satisfaction, visuals and the deal here.
• The top of the page recognizes my source and presents the offer I clicked on.
• The promotion box in the upper right shows me a bunch of data about customers returning for more orders to ProFlowers than anyone else.
• I've also got an alternative payment option plug within my initial view (bill me later) and a reinforcement of the free vase deal.

What's lacking:

• My search was specific - Valentine's Day and Roses and while that's the first product it isn't the page. I'm seeing nothing about valentines on the page aside from a link in the navigation which takes me to an entirely different page [and probably the one I should have been on].
• I'm also getting the wrong products - item #2 is for lilies and further down the page is a mix of roses, tulips and other flowers. At the very end of the page is a "get well soon" product which is just pointless for my Valentine's Day search.
• The copy isn't great either... the first two products have short but rich descriptions but the 5th product is a picture of tulips and has the label "pucker up with chocolates".
• The navigation also looks to be standard and contains a large promotion about needing the item tomorrow or Sunday... not for the holiday.

Verdict: I'm sold on this being a trustworthy site that provides an option at the best price and offers the deal I saw on Google but I'm getting a lot of irrelevant options for products that aren't roses and aren't even Valentine's Day, not seeing anything about when I need to order for Valentine's Day (that "need it tomorrow?" box would be a great place for an order by call out) and there's just no Valentine's Day theme.
Next Steps: I like the deal, the visuals and the options so I'd click the Valentines Tab but I'm already tabbed over to the next page and may not return if they meet my needs quicker.

Follow the link at the top of the post to read his assessments of 1-800 and FU including this observation about 1-800:

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Next Steps: I like the focus and the feel of the page but ProFlowers had a better deal so now that I know about free shipping I'm going to have to compare the two a bit more.

You'll love how he recommends all the sites include user reviews. :>

As much fun as it is to poke fun at the usual suspect, his comments made me really think hard about my pages - and whether they have the info clearly laid out. I like when a post makes me think.

 

[bloomery]

Good find

Thanks, Cathy -- some great information for all of us to think about!

 

[CHR]

The blogger published my comment:

Thanks for the enlightening observations about landing pages.

Before you jump to conclusions about price and product comparisons, the one thing ProFlowers doesn't tell you as a buyer is that their products do not arrive in vases - as depicted in the photos - and are shipped in a box for the recipient to assemble him/herself.

On 1800flowers.com, the items marked as 'same day delivery' mean they are delivered as pictured by a local florist affiliate, while the other items (like the rose bouquet at the top) also arrive in a box and need assembly by the recipient.

When you really start shopping for Valentine's Day flowers, be sure to compare everything; including stem length ('cuz size does matter), professionally designed vs drop-shipped, extra fees for 'on the 13th or 14th delivery' and pay special attention to the shipping charges - which can top $30 for Saturday, Feb. 14 delivery.

Chances are, dollar for dollar, you'll find the best values are direct with local florists who professionally design and hand deliver your roses without all the extra fees.

and his thoughtful reply:

Thank you for the comment Cathy.

The information you provided would make for a great landing page for an alternative company competing with these "brands". Often times pages become about price wars but as you've demonstrated, appearances can be deceiving and I could see a lot of value in a landing page with a series of checkboxes "we offer... the competitors don't".

Time to go work on the pages some more. Good stuff.