Google Ads. Paid traffic. A/B testing. HTML. Service pages. CRO. Landing pages.
The list of unique terminology in the realms of digital marketing and web design seems to be a mile long. And while these two industries have highly diverse objectives and processes, the two seem to collide quite often when making plans and designing strategies.
One of the most frequent collisions you’ll find between these two worlds are landing pages.
These highly engaging pages are established as a separate piece of your website and are created with one key purpose in mind. Potential customers and clients typically end up on these pages via Google searches, social media ads, email marketing links, and other fine-tuned marketing tactics.
10 Tips for Making a Landing Page that Converts
The point is to get the viewer to read through or watch the content on the page and follow through with a specific action, such as providing contact details or subscribing to a newsletter.
But before you can get them to simply give you their information or a designated spot in their inbox, you must provide them with a valuable reason to do so.
In this guide, we share the key steps that will teach you what should be on each and every landing page associated with your website.
From using proper headlines to integrating customer reviews, you’ll learn exactly what should be included to make it a powerful source for conversions to your marketing funnel.
1. Determine the Type of Landing Page
What is the goal of your landing page? Who is your target audience?
The answer to these questions will help you decide on a specific design for the first screen that potential customers see on your site.
Maybe you want the visitor to purchase a product or service from you.
Or, if your main intention is to get them to supply you with their personal contact information, you will likely want to create a squeeze page.
This type of page provides just enough details and specifics about your service or project to convince (or “squeeze”) them into sharing their most vital piece of contact data with you: their email address.
Lead generation is one of the most common and important aspects of digital marketing and remarketing.
Whether you plan on designing a squeeze page, webinar signup, or simply want to get them started at the first step of your sales funnel, it is crucial to figure out how to create a landing page that converts.
In order to increase conversions (or the amount of people who take action), you need to increase your conversion rate.
2. Use an Attention Grabbing Headline
Once you’ve figured out the purpose of the landing page and have started writing out the content, the next step will be making sure it’s properly formatted.
This typically starts with a solid headline, also known as a Heading1 or H1 to web developers. The headline will usually be at the top of the page as the title of your content.
You do not want this to be a bland or boring mess of words. Instead, make it engaging so it captures the reader’s full attention from the very first line.
You will almost always want to include at least one keyword that has a high search volume within this H1 to see added SEO benefits.
3. Address Visitor Issues & Objections
What problems or concerns might a visitor have with your product, service or offer? You need to address whatever issues or objections your user might have to reassure them that you are the solution to their problems.
Your marketing campaigns will generally be designed around a certain goal. Your site visitors came to your site with a certain goal as well.
You need to be thinking about what your visitors have come to you looking for, preferably with data to back up your reasoning.
4. Sprinkle in Focused Subheadings
Equally important to the H1 are the H2s that you decide to use throughout your website landing page.
On average, people only read between 20%-30% of any website they visit.
Subheadings are a key way to break up the content on your page, making it easier for viewers to scan through the information and find details they care about.
Think of them as chapters in a novel. Keep them brief, with a simple one-liner about what the reader can expect to learn from the paragraphs to follow. This direct and simple approach will prepare you for the next point.
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5. Share Clear, Concise Information
If you’re racking your brain and spending days or even weeks trying to determine what content should be on a landing page, you may be making it more complicated than it needs to be and may want to consider seeking outside assistance.
Everything from the wording and statistics to the landing page design should be kept as simple and clear as possible. Don’t let the content get so wordy to the point where you lose their interest within the first few scrolls of the page.
Only include the details they absolutely need to know and then use links to other pages on your website if they want to know more.
6. Include Appealing Photos & Graphics
There’s a reason parents usually start off by reading picture books to their kids.
The images are colorful, enticing, and immensely more engaging than plain, black words on a white page.
And even though your landing page may not be marketing to kids, you should still follow the example of authors like Dr. Seuss by using graphics and pictures to capture the viewer’s eyes.
Things like statistical images, infographics, and even stock photos can be enough to stop a person from scrolling right by important information they may not see otherwise.
A compelling graphic will make them more likely to read the written content both immediately before, as well as right after.
Conversion rate optimization has a lot to do specifically with the copy, images and call to action buttons, and the placements of those elements on the page.
What resonates the most with the user? Use your analytic data to discover what works best for your site visitors.
7. Embed or Link to a Video
And what is the one thing more powerful than an image on your website landing page?
Two words: marketing video.
Nothing in the digital world gets more hits than video, whether you’re on social media, news sites, or a Google search.
A staggering 92% of mobile users share videos with family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, and beyond.
The magic of adding a well-constructed video into your landing page design can’t be overstated. You will remain relevant in your industry and online as long as you maintain up-to-date videos on your website.
Conveniently, when you add videos to your web pages (as long as they’re interesting and relevant), the visitor will spend more time on your page.
When thinking of an area to work on your landing page optimization, think about adding a great video to the page.
8. Add Testimonials, Reviews and Social Proof
Did you know most people consider online reviews in the same regard as they do a recommendation from a friend or relative?
Naturally, you have to be a bit more established and spend the time to get reviews from your customers. But once you have them, adding these customer comments to a landing page can pay major dividends to its results.
Testimonials and social proof can be shared in a variety of different ways throughout the content.
You can simply place highlighted reviews among the paragraphs as you see fit or go one step further and get video reviews you can embed onto the page for an even stronger impact.
9. Establish at Least One Call-to-Action
This rule is quite simple: a landing page doesn’t exist without a strong and clear CTA, or call-to-action. The CTA button is one of the most important elements on your landing page.
Without it, you are doing nothing more than throwing information at the reader and hoping they find their way to the next piece of the puzzle.
This blind approach will lead to little more than confusion and a poor bounce rate on your site.
Give the viewer all the tools they need to know exactly what steps they should take next.
When coming up with call-to-action ideas, make sure you avoid using the word “submit”.
Think about what that word means in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. If someone submits, then they lose.
Instead, use strong, convincing words like sign up for free, join us, free trial, get started, give us a try, and many others.
10. Promise Specific Results
“I guarantee you will be satisfied with our services.”
Few things are as convincing to a sales pitch as a guarantee or a promise.
These assurances can be as big and broad or as small and simple as you want them to be.
As you determine what the potential customer wants to get out of your landing page, it will be easier to come up with these ideas.
You can offer a money back guarantee, a promise of reaching a deadline, or even a list of your commitments as the service provider.
Do what is necessary to make it worth their while.
BONUS. List Your Contact Options
People want to know they are working with a real company or organization.
With so many scams online and otherwise it is often intimidating to consumers when they come across something that sounds like a good deal.
One of the greatest ways to convince them that you’re a legitimate and trustworthy business is by including a wide variety of contact options.
Anyone can have an email address, but not everyone is willing to share their phone number with potential buyers.
Make sure to include multiple ways they can reach you from a phone number and email address to social media profiles and a live chat service on your website.
Old, ugly or outdated website? Check out these 10 signs to see if your website could use a redesign.
Need Help Designing Your Landing Page?
Services like Wix, GoDaddy, and Shopify have greatly streamlined the process for creating websites.
But they also have their limits and aren’t always as easy to use as they seem.
Especially when it comes to designing a landing page that converts, it is often a better idea to work with a professional.
Instead of creating cookie cutter-style websites from templates on page builders, a web designer is able to make fully customized looks that fit your exact criteria while matching your business brand and identity.
They know all the proper web development techniques and can also ensure everything is formatted with responsive features for both mobile devices and computers.
Here at AWEBCO, we do far more than simply design websites and build landing pages.
Along with top-tier creativity, our services also include key analytics, routine security scans, social media integration, monthly reports, and much more!
Whether you need help optimizing your landing page or need someone to make one from scratch, our team is here for you!
Get in touch with us today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation.
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