If you’re developing a dedicated standalone landing page, it’s likely you have just one thing in mind: conversions.
A landing page is any page on your website that a visitor is directed to with the intention of them completing a specific action. This page is likely to only feature key information about a particular product, service or desired action. Whether you’re encouraging someone to subscribe to your service, make a purchase or sign up to your e-newsletter, you will want to design a landing page that is effective at generating conversions.
If you want your landing page to lead customers towards a specific action, here’s 6 key things your business can start doing now!
Match your messages
Ensure that the copy and design of your landing page is representative of the advert, email or marketing material that has directed the visitor to arrive on this page. This is important as it will reassure the visitor that the landing page is credible. Ensure your headline, body copy, tag lines, images and colour scheme are similar so the visitor knows they have arrived in the correct place. The smoother the transition, the more likely the visitor is to convert.
Give just one option
It can be tempting to provide engaged visitors with multiple options for conversion. You don’t want to miss out on other opportunities to convert or make a sale. However, this can be counter-intuitive. Your landing page will be much more effective if you offer just one option. Limit potential distraction and give the visitor less to think about before converting.
Focus your design
Design your landing page around your ultimate goal. When the visitor clicks through to the landing page it should be immediately clear what they’re looking at and the steps you would like them to take. For example, if the page is designed to encourage subscriptions to a particular service or email newsletter, it should contain only key information about what they’re signing up to and provide a simple subscription form. Ask only for the vital information you require as the more details you ask for, the more likely the user is to become disinterested and click away.
Clear call to action
From the font and design to its positioning on the page, how you use your call to action (CTA) button is vital. Your landing page should be designed around how your CTA will appear on the page. This button ultimately leads the visitor to take the next steps towards conversion. Therefore, the button or link needs to be clear, distinctive, easy to locate and brief. You may also choose to use words that instil urgency, although this is not always necessary.
The design of your landing page should help your CTA to stand out. This could be as simple as leaving lots of empty space around a prominently coloured button. You could even use arrows or other visual cues. Whatever you choose to do, make sure your call to action doesn’t blend in!
Social proof
It’s easy to tell your visitors that you’re great, but why should they believe you? Social proof is all about giving credibility to your brand. It’s essential if you’re trying to persuade a potential customer to do something as people will assign higher value to something that they have been recommended or others have approved of. Try featuring testimonials on your landing page with the name and, if possible, photo of who provided it. Alternative social proof could be the number of people who have already joined your service or the number of social media followers you have.
Communicate the value
Although the landing page should be clutter free and designed for limited text, it’s important that you communicate the value that the visitor will get if they complete the desired action. Don’t focus on what the product or service does, but rather how it will benefit the reader. Let them know what’s in it for them and what they will gain from completing your call to action. You could make it more irresistible by offering a free trial or discount. However, don’t overwhelm the visitor. Keep it clear, succinct and to the point. You don’t need to list every single benefit to keep the user’s interest, just the key ones!
If you follow these top tips you’re well on your way to creating a landing page that will get those conversions rolling in.