First things first: What’s a landing page? A landing page is a page a visitor is directed to after clicking on an ad. It shouldn’t be your company’s home page. Instead, it should exist as a separate webpage with one clear message and purpose, leading visitors seamlessly from the initial ad to a clear call to action, and ideally – to conversions.
Whether creating a new landing page from scratch or trying to rework an existing one for better results, here are a few tactics you can use that have been proven to ramp up landing page conversions:
1) Write a clear, eye-catching headline. Make sure it’s easily identifiable, has prominent page placement and is straight to the point. To ensure consistency and avoid confusion, headline copy should match the link visitors clicked on to get to the page.
2) Highlight your call-to-actions. Use contrasting colors to ensure these buttons stand out and use straightforward copy to indicate a specific action. Whether you’re looking for downloads or form submissions, all CTAs on your landing page should share the same goal.
3) Inspire confidence and build trust by featuring client testimonials, brands you’ve worked with, and/or 3rd party verifications. Let your previous clients speak for your work – visitors are more likely to trust reviews they read from others than from a company itself. Making it clear upon first glance that your site is authentic and legitimate is of the utmost importance when pitching your brand to new visitors.
4) Streamline navigation links and buttons. Take the time to really think about what is most relevant to the goal of the landing page, then organize and downsize as needed. Minimizing the amount of links that lead visitors elsewhere will help keep them focused and moving toward your CTA.
5) Add or revamp featured images. Personal, high-quality photos tell your story much faster and more effectively than a chunk of text. Videos have also been shown to increase conversion rates by up to 80%. A word of warning: Do not add stock photos for the sake of including photos; doing so just cheapens your brand image.
6) Feature your product benefits in short bullet points. Pull out the most important and enticing points and present them succinctly. Don’t make your visitors wade through a paragraph of information when all the info they need to know to can be presented in a couple great lines.
7) Present your most important information above the fold. Without scrolling, landing page visitors should be able the grasp an idea of what your brand is about and what you want them to do. Provide all the highest priority information up top and if you need them to scroll down, provide a clear CTA to do so.
8) Implement A/B testing to find the most effective version of your page. All products get tested before their release – your landing page should too!
By keeping your specific conversion goals in mind and minimizing the extras, the potential for an effective, high-converting landing page is not far off. If you’re unsure of how to make the best use of your landing page real estate, let us help! That’s what our designers are here for.