Though your website isn’t always your first point of contact, it’s probably your most important. It’s the home base for your brand, your internet presence’s headquarters, and where your customers will inevitably end up when they make a purchase.
This is why you want a high converting landing page. While your landing page isn’t the only aspect of your digital marketing strategy which will generate and increase conversions, it’s a big one, and a poorly designed web page could result in numerous leads falling off their customer journey. A professional, well-constructed web page assures customers you’re a reputable, respectable business, but a high converting home page does even more.
With careful planning, well-written copy, and some effective links, your landing page will become an indispensable resource for making sales.
The Basics
From what we’ve already discussed, you’ve probably figured out that a landing page is often your website’s home page, but the terms aren’t quite synonymous. While your home page is the storefront of your online presence, the landing page is where your external links lead. It’s the page people access from your banner ads, the link you put in your social media profiles, and the URL you write on posters.
Technically, your landing page and your home page aren’t definitionally the same, and it’s actually more common to make them separate. But take note: having a different landing page shouldn’t create too much more work for your web developers or confuse your audience. It’s critically important your landing page is a positive user experience since a negative experience will lead to fewer clicks, fewer purchases, and a lower conversion rate.
In fact, if you’re running a specific ad campaign or promotion, trying to get people to sign up for an event, trying to capture email leads, or sell a specific product, a separate landing page is usually the better option.
Why You Need a Landing Page
Though we’ve already discussed the primary benefit of a good landing page (more conversions), allow us to briefly point out some additional benefits.
A Positive First Impression
The average user only spends fifteen seconds on a webpage. It only takes people one-twentieth of a second to decide whether or not they’ll stay on your webpage. This means you need to catch their eye right away, and,once you’ve got their attention,you need to hold it with well-written copy, clear calls to action, and professional web design.
Developing Trust
Speaking of professional design, it’s important to remember just how much professionalism affects perceived trustworthiness. If your landing page looks like a Craigslist ad, you’ll have no social proof and people will immediately assume it’s a scam.
Besides being professional, there are other ways you can use your landing page to develop trust. By utilizing unique images and graphics, you can help your users retain information and pick up on your brand’s tone. This gives your audience a better feel for who you are and,as a result,understand why they should trust you.
Collecting Information
When a lead converts through your landing page, you’re collecting valuable information about those leads. Utilizing Google Analytics or another analytics software, you can gather information about your audience’s preferences and demographics. Based on this and traffic data, you can narrow down what kinds of people are buying your product. This will allow you to better market to them and/or figure out why you might not be successful amongst other markets.
The How-To
If you’ve been reading thoughtfully, you’ve probably already picked up on certain necessary elements. Still, just knowing your page needs to be clear and professional doesn’t mean you’re ready to go out and craft your own. Let’s get into the steps to crafting the ideal landing page.
Step One: Deciding the Style
By “style,” we don’t mean your brand image. You should have that ready to go before you create a landing page. Here, we use “style” to refer to the type of landing page you’ll have. Which style you utilize for your campaign depends on myriad factors. Are you selling something or advertising an event? Are you trying to generate leads or close sales?
For example, if you’re advertising a specific event, need to optimize load times, and want to convey information quickly, you might utilize a text-only landing page. If you want to collect emails, then you’ll need a field for the user to input that information and a quick message about why they should.
You should also consider whether you want to use long copy or short copy, whether or not to include a video and other factors. Also note that these decisions may change as you learn more about the landing page you’re going for, and that’s okay!
Step Two: Deciding the Call to Action
The call to action (CTA) is the most important aspect of your landing page. Once you’ve captured the visitor’s attention, you want them to do something specific. This is the part where you tell them “Sign up now!” or “Click here to purchase!”
A call to action button is a great way to provide both a call to action and an immediate avenue for a response. Your CTA button should have clear instructions and a concise description of what the button does. Something like “Start Your Free Trial” or “Click Here to Sign Up.”
Step Three: Write Copy and Design Graphics
As we mentioned previously, you should already have a clear brand image planned out. Using that brand identity, you should have a solid idea of your graphics’ art style and your copy’s tone. Design the necessary graphics and write out the information you need to entice people to follow your CTA. Also, remember to optimize SEO with your written copy.
Step Four: Build Your Landing Page
Now that you have all your elements prepared, all that’s left is to assemble them on your landing page. Before you publish it, however, you want to edit and make sure everything is laid out in an appealing, easy-to-read manner.
Mistakes to Avoid
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of common mistakes when building a landing page. Here’s a few of the most common pitfalls people fall into.
- Being Too Long-Winded. Whether you’re using short copy or long copy, get to the point. Remember: you have less than a second to form an impression. If a sentence doesn’t convey the point, delete it. If a graphic doesn’t impart information, cut it.
- Frustrating the Customer. Don’t use pop-ups or scroll hijacking. Optimize your loading speeds, quickly squash any bugs, and make your UI simple and easy to read.
- Neglecting the Mobile Experience. You want your mobile experience to have all the qualities of your desktop experience, but the way you go about it may look a little different. Mobile screens have different dimensions, so you’ll need to make sure the mobile version of your landing page accounts for that.
- Weak CTAs. Your CTA needs to have clear wording and stand out. After all, the CTA is the entire point! Utilize color contrast and other bold elements to help draw the user’s eye to the CTA button. Remember that your CTA should be clear and concise.
In Conclusion
Ideally, your landing page should be a critical aspect of your sales process. While that seems like a lot of pressure, you only need to keep things simple and straightforward. Plan carefully and execute accordingly, and you’ll be on the path to conversion rate optimization.
