Whether you’re looking to reach a wider online audience and drive those sales, or you’re just starting out and testing the waters with a fresh new idea, there is no question that a dedicated landing page is something you need in your business toolkit. Consider it just as essential to your online marketing campaign as a fresh coffee or hot shower is to your morning routine!
In this post, we offer up some ideas on creating a highly effective landing page for better results for your business. I’ll lay out what to do and what not to do, so you can be sure you’re getting it just right!
Now, let’s get into it!
What is a landing page?
A landing page is a designated page created solely to capture the attention of potential customers and encourage them to take action. The current digital landscape is mighty vast and regardless of how people are coming across your latest business campaign (whether it’s through social media, Google search or an online ad), your landing page needs to be the first place they… yes, you guessed it… land!
The action taken by visitors on your campaign landing page (whether that’s through entering an email address or signing up for a free trial) is where the value lies. Whether it’s leads, clicks or sales, your landing page is specifically designed to create these conversions. Converting individuals from passive bystander to active participant is the aim of the game, and the rules are really quite simple…
Landing pages are no-nonsense
It may seem like a great idea to have new folks congregate on a homepage that’s full to the brim with information about your product/service. But whilst youthink showing off the best of your brand is a sure-fire way to get attention, the information overload is likely to turn people off. The chances are that most visitors to your site will have a quick browse, show a little curiosity and then simply carry on window shopping the web. Remember, we’re looking for tangible results in the form of conversions. So, with that said…
Keep things simple and to the point.
Be clear and concise with your content. Stick to the important points and have a clear end goal – i.e. what is your offer and what do visitors need to do to get that offer? No flowery language or unnecessary detail here, thank you very much!
Eliminate all distractions.
Keep the layout clean and clutter-free. This means no excess information, promotional material, internal or external links, overuse of imagery, etc. Save the bells and whistles for your website and social media platforms.
Don’t ask for too much.
The more that is asked of people, the higher the rate at which they will leave without engaging. For example, rather than the call-to-action (CTA) involving a long and intimidating form, simply requesting a name and email address is sufficient for cultivating a new lead. Use your follow-up methodologies to nurture the lead and get more information down the road.
Landing pages are highly-focused
Tailor to your audience.
Design with your target group in mind. Your landing page needs to be customized and suited specifically to those you are aiming to engage with.
Offer something relevant.
Your offer must be both appropriate to your business and persuasive to your target market.
Offer something beneficial.
There is no point having a catchy headline, beautifully written content and captivating imagery if the offer is just a bit rubbish! You will only get visitors to convert if you offer something of value.
Offer something unique.
To really get people’s attention, try to come up with something different that other similar companies don’t already offer. Find your Unique Selling Point.
Landing pages are exclusive & considered
Use a single CTA (Call To Action).
To increase conversions, limit yourself to one overall CTA per landing page. For multiple campaigns with individual conversion purposes, use a separate landing page for each. This doesn’t mean you can only include one CTA button, but make sure the overall action is the same across all.
Take it slow and steady.
Treat your online communication just as you would your face-to-face interactions. It’s sometimes easy for subtleties to go out the window when trying to attract potential customers from behind a computer screen!
Play it cool.
Give potential customers the chance to get to know your brand. Consider it a bit like dating, if you will! Overselling yourself or coming on too strong is… let’s face it… a guaranteed turn-off. Just like you wouldn’t expect someone to commit to you on a first date, you can’t really expect a premature CTA of “Buy now!” to be super successful. Instead… offer a taster. This could be in the form of free content, a 30 day trial or a “sign up to our newsletter”.
Of course, this depends on your overall strategy and insights. If you know your product is often an impulse buy, then calling for purchasing right away may be the best way to go! Or, if you’re sending warm traffic to the page then calling for a more committal action is probably a good move.
Nuture to grow.
Establishing trust in the first instance is key. In many cases, we suggest you focus on creating leads with your initial landing page. Then, at a later date, you can follow up with a landing page dedicated to securing sales for warm or middle of the funnel traffic. Optimizing your landing pages in this way makes for more organic introductions and longer-lasting connections.
The must-have components for your landing page
Headline
The headline must grab the visitor’s attention and tell them, in just a small number of words, exactly what they can expect as the end goal. It’s key here to focus on value and benefits, rather than features and product descriptions.
There’s a lot of truth behind the saying, “Features tell, benefits sell.”
Call to Action
Your CTA is the most important element to your landing page, as it is where the conversions are created. So, to ensure you get the clicks here are some tips:
Make it stand out.
Draw the eye by making the CTA button big enough (but not too big) and in a contrasting color.
Make it action-oriented.
Limit your words and use action verbs to provoke immediate reaction e.g. “Click”, “Sign Up”, “Subscribe”. Be thoughtful with these action verbs, too. In many cases, it’ll make more sense to pack the action with value, too.
For example if your newsletter provides tips on leadership, your CTA may read: “Become a Leader.”
Make it visible.
Don’t crowd your call to action with other words or design. Allow plenty of surrounding negative space to avoid distraction and create a clear flow towards your CTA.
Place it well.
Research shows that people tend to scan online content in an F-pattern, from upper left to lower right. So for best practice, consider placing your CTA on the lower right hand side of the page.
This isn’t always the case, however, so we always recommend using solutions like heat-mapping and video recording to see how your users are really engaging.
Keep it above the fold.
Keeping your primary call to action above the fold basically means it can be seen straight away without having to scroll down the page. The jury is out on this one, with some experts saying to keep the CTA above the fold and others suggesting that placing the CTA lower down, many scrolls away, actually increases conversions!
At BedaBeda Growth, we’re big fans of testing and following the data, so we suggest trying both out to find out where you see better results.
Image
The image you use on your landing page is one of the first things visitors notice and so it serves an important purpose. When choosing an image, you’ll want to consider the following:
- What image appeals to your target audience?
- What image will reinforce your message and add value?
- How can you use image placement to your benefit? Think about where on your landing page you want people to focus and consider using an image to steer their attention there.
Content
Here are some suggestions for creating informative and engaging copy:
Problem & Solution
Identify the problem that your audience might be facing or that ‘thing’ they might be missing, then identify the solution in the form of your offer. Highlight the predicament and provide the remedy.
Features & Benefits
Essentially, you need to answer the question all visitors to your landing page will be asking: “What’s in it for me?”. How will their lives be improved by converting? Shortlist what is included in your offer (features) and vividly illustrate what they will get out of it (benefits).
Social Proof/Credibility
Social proof is shown to be highly effective in persuading people to commit to action. Build trust by highlighting customer reviews of products or previous client testimonials. Provide logos of brands you have collaborated with. Including these things will provide the validation visitors need to convert on your page.
Now get experimenting!
There are many different variations of one landing page that could work very nicely. Some versions will see better results than others so it’s important to do rigorous testing before you settle on the finished article! See what versions get the higher response rates, then focus on developing and enhancing those particular ones. Keep testing and improving to achieve the most successful landing page possible for your business and you are guaranteed to get the optimal rate of conversions!
So, there you have it! You now have the basic principles behind what makes a high-converting landing page. Now get designing, testing and see the results for yourself!