Landing pages are distinct, standalone pages on your website that serve as a tool to convert your visitors into leads. What distinguishes them from other pages is that they drive user action via a lead-capture form. In exchange, users gain access to exclusive content or marketing offers.

In other words, your landing page is a way for you to compel your target audience to convert. That’s why it’s extremely important that you incorporate effective copy and design aesthetics.

Apart from generating leads, landing pages are also an efficient way to collect information about which of your visitors are converting or engaging with you. With this information in hand, you can gain a deeper insight into your audience to help your brand nurture them along the sales process.

Due to the importance of landing pages to your B2B marketing campaign, you’ll want to make the most of the traffic to this page and maximize the number of conversions. That being said, optimizing conversion rates on your landing pages becomes much easier if you keep these fundamental principles in mind:

1. Focus on Your Offer Instead of Your Brand

It’s understandable that you to want to grow your company but, keep in mind that landing pages are meant to direct your prospects to a particular offer and not toward your organization in general.

As soon as your prospects reach your landing page, they should instantly see the same content they have been offered in the ad or call-to-action button that they clicked. Resist the urge to include a lengthy list of your company’s achievements in your niche market.

Apart from matching the content on your CTA and landing page, you can also use similar design elements on the two as a way to indicate that your prospects are on the correct landing page.

2. Get Rid of Distractions

Your landing page should be free of clutter such as multiple CTAs or top/side navigation bars, as these can confuse your prospective customers and drive them away from converting.

A proper landing page should look quite simple, offering a single, easy way for your visitors to perform the action they need to do to access their offer.

3. Use Simple Conversion Forms

The lead-capture or conversion form on your landing page should be easy and fast to fill out. A good rule of thumb is to ask for only the basic information, enough for your sales or marketing team to qualify them as a legitimate lead.

If you have to ask for more than their personal information, like their company affiliation or what their annual revenue is, be ready to match the amount of time and effort they put in with something really useful for them, such as exclusive content or extremely well-targeted content.

Conversion forms should also be easily submitted on mobile devices, so you have to ensure that the text is visible on mobile screens and the buttons are large enough for touchscreens.

4. Create Compelling Copy

From the headline to your CTA, the text on your landing page should be clear and concise. Including straightforward descriptions of what your landing page visitors will receive when they complete the registration process.

For SEO purposes, include keywords that are commonly used in relevant search queries as well. But your copy should focus on explaining what the offer is and how it will benefit the user.

5. Avoid Too Many Links

The Kaizen Principle, “A place for everything, and everything in its place” can be applied when choosing where to put your links, and it’s certainly not on your landing pages.

You want your prospects to click your CTA button and nothing else, especially not an external link as that might mean a lost opportunity to convert someone.

6. Enable Social Sharing

Your landing page message is a great opportunity to create something shareable on social media. Including social buttons makes it easy for your visitors to spread the word about your offer.

Social shares of your landing page serve as a trust indicator, highlighting your status as an industry expert or authority among your visitors.

7. Enhance Your Page with Images

You can add a touch of creativity and personality to your landing pages through videos and images that help you connect with your audience on a more personal level. Images capture a user’s attention and increase the chances that they’ll linger on the page longer, giving you more time to deliver your message to your prospective customers.

Adding images or videos is also a practical way of showing snippets of the actual content that you’re giving your visitors. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

8. Keep It Above the Fold

The space “above the fold” is simply the content that a visitor sees as they land on your page. So, it’s important that you include everything you need to immediately convince a reader of the value of your offering in that space.

Make sure you’ve got a compelling headline that catches the user’s attention and that your CTA button is clearly visible. You’ve got short amount of time to convince a visitor to stick around, so make sure you knock their socks off as soon as they arrive on your landing page.

Landing Pages Need to be Tested

As tried and true as these principles may be, remember that they’re just guidelines for establishing your landing page design. The work doesn’t stop there!

At this point, you need to collect performance data on your landing page by gathering feedback or using an analytics tool. Proper analysis should indicate where potential improvements can be made, and allow you to make educated decisions on what to A/B test.

Think about it as a continuous process that you’ll have to continue over time. For optimal results, keep gathering and analyzing your landing page data, making improvements one step at a time.

Once your landing page starts generating quality leads, check out our FREE whitepaper on Lead Management 101 to find out how to convert those prospects into paying customers!

The post 8 Principles of High-Converting Landing Pages appeared first on PureB2B.