Noodle: How we design PURL’s

A PURL, or “Personalized URL”, is a media type we use often to
create a larger lead conversion for our clients. It is often combined
with our variable data print pieces, though we sometimes use them with
emails as well. The point of PURLS varies from generating leads with a
form, selling products via an e-commerce solution, or printing off
vouchers/coupons for sales events.

When we start designing a new PURL for a campaign, we focus on three things:

1. The reason for customers to log on to the PURL (i.e. gift voucher, exclusive discounts, etc.).
2. The main feature of the PURL (i.e. info, sell products, form completion, etc.).
3. The overall user experience and campaign branding

The great thing about PURLS is how customized they can be. We take
all the data the we have available to us from the campaign, and see
what elements we can use to really blow the user experience out of the
park. Usually, we utilize names, addresses, and specific campaign data
like vehicle types, home types, etc. Also, we try to create different
designs (depending on the campaign) for gender, age, and data segment.

Once we know what data elements we have to work with and plug some
design features in, we concentrate on the feature of the PURL, such as
the lead generation form, the product list, or even a gift voucher.
Whatever feature we use, we always incorporate some way to capture
additional data from visitors.

Some of the best PURLS we’ve put together have followed this
approach. Companies want to really connect with their customers and
gather as much information on them as possible. Some ways we’ve tried
to design PURLS to maximize the marketing effort and information
gathering is to integrate social media features, videos, and even
custom directions from Google. The best thing you can do is engage the
users and really keep them interested, just like any other website. The
main difference is that this entire website is personalized to them.

PURLS are really great for adding additional ROI to any campaign
because they are so customizable within the design. We are really
trying to push the envelope within the PURL designs and always trying
new things. If you have any ideas, let us know!