Technically, any page on a website where visitors can arrive or "land" is a "landing page." However, when marketers use the term, they are typically referring to a page that is distinct from the rest of a site and created for a specific purpose—to generate leads by enticing visitors to supply contact information, to give visitors details about a company’s offerings before sending them to a "shopping cart" page, etc.
Whatever the goal, there are some time-tested and proven design strategies for increasing the likelihood that a visitor will "convert," meaning they will complete the desired action. And while there are many elements of marketing that are more of an art, the tips below are based on science. Put them into practice on your landing pages, and your results will improve.
- Use a Minimalist Design — Nobody likes to admit that they are easily distracted, but the fact is that most humans are. Give them too much to look at, and they may never notice the Learn More button. Or even if they do notice it, they may not click it. Instead, they bounce around to different elements on the page until their phone rings and they leave your site to move on to other tasks. Put only as much information on your landing page as is absolutely necessary. And be sure your call-to-action stands out.
- Use a Bold Headline — Your headline should be bold, both visually and intellectually. It should catch the eye and engage the mind. Studies show you’ve got just seconds to get a visitor’s attention and their interest. If you fail, they "bounce" from the page and you’ve lost them. Use your headline to inform them, challenge them, make them laugh, make them cry… just don’t let it bore them.
- Keep a Tight Focus — The best landing pages are those that apply to a very specific target persona with a very specific want or need. Your landing page should not be "all things to all people." Instead, it should be laser-focused so that when the visitor arrives, they feel like the page was written just for them.
- Establish Trust — One of the first questions our subconscious asks when we visit a website is, "Is this company for real?" Anything you can do to quickly answer that question will help keep the visitor on the page. If you have earned any type of "seal of approval" or have a brief, compelling quote from a trusted source, give it prominent positioning.
- Mirror Your Ads — If visitors are being driven to your page from an ad, be sure that the verbiage on the page is similar to the verbiage in the ad. The same with visuals—colors and graphics should be like those of the ad. These similarities reassure the visitor that they are in the right place.
- Don’t Make It Easy to Leave — The longer prospects stay on a page, the more likely they are to convert. Remove top and side navigation from landing pages to help you maintain a "captive audience."
- Test and Tweak — One of the beauties of working with landing pages is that their results are so easily measured, especially with a marketing automation tool (we’re partial to HubSpot here at 30dps). Before going all out with your campaign, run a number of small tests or perform A/B testing on your landing pages or calls-to-action to find what converts the best.
So, don’t lose another lead to a poorly-designed landing page. Follow these tips to greatly increase your chances of getting the desired results. Need some guidance? As a leading Colorado Springs inbound marketing firm, we’ve helped companies throughout Colorado and nationwide get great results. Let’s talk.
