A Landing page is a stand-alone page meant to capture contact information from visitors who are interested in your offering. Its secondary but key purpose is to convert visitors into leads. Statistics strongly support that a landing page can significantly increase your conversions.

A landing page is one marketing tactic that flows from your Strategic Marketing Plan and directly from your Tactical Marketing Plan we discussed in this previous blog post.

Whether you are promoting a webinar or workshop or selling a product or service, having a well-designed page is crucial to driving traffic where you want them to go.

Designing a landing page requires a different approach than designing a website or newsletter.

We’re providing some guidelines which should ensure that you have a high-converting landing page.

Determine the Goal of Your Landing Page

It sounds obvious, but taking the time to determine what you’re trying to accomplish with the landing page will put you ahead of the game.

What are you really trying to accomplish with the landing page? Don’t think about what they’ll get (like a newsletter or product sample) but focus on defining the point of the whole process. Is it to:

• Create brand awareness?
• Foster credibility and trust?
• Capture email addresses?
• Get more visitors to your website?
• Make more sales?

If you’re clear on the end goal, then a clear design will follow.

Still, every page should have only one clear path which takes each visitor to the right destination.

Provide a Lead Magnet

An attractive, compelling offer is what drives the visitor to give up their email address – it could be a free eBook, instructional video, blog, checklist, or template.  You must provide a lead magnet that is of relevance and value to your target audience.

Best Elements of a Landing Page

To create a compelling and converting landing page, ensure that:

• Your Copy is Concise and Clear

Copy on a landing page should be minimal – a few sentences at most. Save the longer copy for emails and blogs. Be short and persuasive. Get straight to the point.

All the sentences need to have one purpose – for the user to act immediately.

• Don’t Ask For Extras

Your landing page “form” should only for vital data such as name and email address. Asking for any other info will significantly decrease the chances to get users to enter their info and click that button.  Best practice: Ask just for first name, and only if you plan to use that data immediately (such as in an email campaign.)

If you are selling a product or service in your landing page, make the process as simple as possible. Only ask for information that is absolutely mandatory. After their order is placed, you can ask for all the information you need.

• Write a Call-to-Action That Works

In any landing page, the verbiage in your call-to-action button is crucial. Avoid the generic “Click Here” and use strong words and compelling phrases like:

“Get a free WORK SMART, NOT HARD checklist”

“Subscribe to the Savvy Business Newsletter”

“Grab my free marketing video package”

Employ a clear and direct call-to-action that makes the user want to act immediately.

Designing a Landing Page

As already mentioned, designing a landing page is completely different than creating a regular web page.  While one part of the difference is related to short, simple copy, the other part relates to its design.

A good design should support the call-to-action. That means being concise on your landing pages and getting straight to the point. So, your design should be simple. Keep these major aspects in mind:

• Simplicity. Your landing page should be a “No Distractions Zone.”  Keep the user focused on clicking that call-to-action button. Do this by not including any other clickable elements like logos, icons, or hyperlinks.
• Branding. You want the user to recognize your branding elements (fonts, colors, layout, logos, etc.). Keep the look consistent from emails to landing pages to yourwebsite. Carrying your brand forward avoids confusing the visitor and gives them confidence in your offer.
• Copy Length. While some use a landing page to further elaborate on their business or offerings, the most successful ones will contain only the basic elements:
  • An explanatory or motivational heading
  • Two to three short paragraphs
  • Field for email address
  • A call-to-action button to get the offering promised
• Imitate What Already Works. A good practice is to find and capture a landing page to use as a model. If you thought that their page was simple yet effective, then your visitors will like yours, too.
• Imagery. You can add an image or photo on a landing page, but don’t over‑do it. The user just wants to get what’s being offered in the quickest way possible.
• The Fold. If the user has to scroll down to see the call-to-action (falls below the “fold”), then you will lose out on your conversions.

For such a simple and temporary page, there’s much to consider when driving visitors to give up their precious email. We know that clicking not only means we get some freebie, but it also means we’ve signed up for the offerer’s future emails. Making it easy and quick to use, worthwhile, and professional will give them the trust to accept us and what we’re offering.

What are your thoughts about creating your own landing page? Do you think this marketing tactic could help you grow your business? Let us know your thoughts below.

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