This action is normally related to lead generation or sales. A landing page can be used to encourage prospective customers to sign up for a product demo, download an ebook, get a free trial or sign up for a webinar.
It’s called a landing page because visitors land on the page after clicking a link in a paid ad (like Facebook or Instagram) or a marketing campaign. Whether you’re trying to collect leads or drive sales, a landing page unlike a website will keep your audience focused, which means they are more likely to convert.
Key elements of a landing page
Message match
Make sure ad copy and ad creative matches your landing page. Strong message match increases conversions because it reassures people they’ve come to the right place. By matching the copy of your ads with your landing page, you increase the chances that your visitors will continue with your call to action and won’t just exit your page.
Headlines should be above the fold
Above the fold is the first spot that people see when they visit your landing page. As people have a very short attention span it’s important to have a compelling headline, sales proposition and call to action above the fold. If people have to scroll, they might miss this important information.
Showcase products and services
Use images and product demo videos to showcase your product or service. People are time poor and they want to quickly scan your page to find out what you have to offer. Videos allow you to quickly and effectively communicate what problem your product or service solves.
Keep it simple
A landing page should include all the necessary information, but not so much as to overwhelm (and as a result, drive away) the visitor.
Provide the essential information that will spark interest in your audience and nothing more. A good landing page will focus on ONE conversion goal only. Don’t confuse customers or try to get them to do too many things.
Social proof
When it comes to landing pages, social proof refers to any evidence that other people in similar situations have purchased or used a product/service and gotten value out of it.
So you need to stop talking about how great your product or service is and show it. There are lots of different types of social proof you can include on your landing page, such as:
- case studies
- customer testimonials
- Snippets from customer reviews from social media
- Influencer endorsement
Copy
Use clear and compelling copy that inspires your audience to download/sign up/book a demo. Copy should be written to directly speak to your target audience and their pain points.
Speed
Keep it fast- a slow loading page could result in losing customers. To check your page speed, check out Google Page Speed Insights or Pingdom.
Hero Image
A hero image also known as a hero shot is an image or video that is the first thing someone sees when they visit your landing page. This image is your first chance to convey exactly what your page is about.
It’s important to ensure your hero image is:
- relevant – for example if you are selling apples you wouldn’t have a image of bananas
- Where possible use an original image or video instead of stock images
- Use real people where possible as real people will generally result in higher conversion rates
Call to action
Your CTA is the action you want your website visitor to take. It doesn’t matter if your landing page objective is increasing sales, generating email leads or developing customer relationships, you ultimately want conversions.
- Make it super clear regarding what action you want someone to take, eg, download, sign up, book a demo
- Make sure the location of your CTA is prominently displayed (don’t hide it below the fold)
- Ensure the CTA button has a lot of white space or has a contrasting colour to the rest of the page (you want it to stand out)
Include a USP
A unique selling point is the thing that differentiates you from the competition
- It states what’s unique or different about you
- The thing that’s unique or different is DESIRABLE to your prospective customer
- It is specific, not a watered-down summary
- It is succinct
Only ask for the information you really need.
The more you ask people to do the less likely they are to do it. People are time poor and do not have time to fill out a form with lots of fields.
Normally name and email address would suffice however it depends on your offer. Just remember less is more.
Creating optimized landing pages doesn’t have to be overwhelming . If you apply these tips then your conversion rates will reflect this.
To get more tips or to have a quick chat about a landing page get in touch today.
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