8 Keys to Successful Landing Pages
To follow up from our previous post covering the importance of landing pages, we wanted to give 8 keys for effective landing pages.
Keep these items in mind when creating your own landing pages and you will convert more of those page visitors to new leads.
Here we go:
1. Define your target prospect
Who is the ideal prospect for your landing page? To whom is your offer aimed?
When you start creating your landing page, keep your target audience in mind. Think of what the challenges for this buyer...what are they experiencing that would motivate them to buy or take action. How does the offer in your landing page solve these challenges and touch these motivations for the target buyer? Making sure that you have defined who your target prospect is, what problems they are experiencing, and how your lading page creates the solution will ensure your landing page will convert at the highest possible rate.
2. Keep it above the fold
You want to make sure that visitors can immediately identify what the offer of your landing page is when they enter the page. Above the fold simply means that the user can see all of the content without having to scroll down the page. When visitors have to scroll down the page to find information, you run the risk of NEVER SEEING YOUR CALL TO ACTION.
3. The blink test
Your landing page must pass “the blink test”, making it as easy as possible for the user to scan the information on the landing page and get the basic idea of the offer. Keep your sentences short, using three to five bullet points at max, to quickly and efficiently tell the reader what they will get from giving you their information. Passing the blink test will help visitors quickly understand why they should accept your offer and minimize friction or anxiety.
4. Keep Your Headlines Simple
Your landing page's headline will be the first thing a visitor will see. This is why it is so important, because a well written headline makes the user continue to read the rest of the page. If your headline is not clear, many people will simply hit the “back” button and leave the page. Keep your headline simple, but make it action oriented. Using an action verb in your headline that clearly states what you want readers to do is an effective way to keep users engaged with your page.
5. Include an image that relates to your offer
Using good imagery can be a powerful key for successful landing pages because we tend to associate an image with an emotion. Having an image that correlates with the offer of the landing page will help you appeal to the users emotions. Humans are more likely to take action on something based on emotion, and using an image will help you decrease anxiety of filling out your landing page. If you followed the second tip of defining your target audience, then selecting an image to associate with your offer will be even easier.
6. Size Matters (with your forms)
The form on your landing page is often overlooked, but it is arguably the most important part of your landing page. This is the where the user is going to take action and convert, so you need to give the form on your landing page its just importance. Keep the form fields to a minimum.
Anxiety increases as you add fields and if you don't need the information up front, skip it. Otherwise, it could cost you the entire lead. Require the most basic information you need to engage the visitor and begin to nurture your lead.
7. Limit the navigation options
Keep the navigation options to a minimum on your landing pages. You want the visitor on your landing page to do one thing and one thing only: CONVERT.
You want visitors to fill out the form and click the submit button so that you can start to nurture them as a lead. Don't give the visitor opportunities to leave the page by giving them options to other pages on your site. Clear the clutter and keep it simple.
8. Button Up the Lead
The wording on the button that the user has to click to submit their information gives you another opportunity to appeal to their emotions. Try to avoid labels like “Submit” or “Click Here”. Instead, use action verbs or words that express urgency. Action terms like “YES! Sign Me Up” or urgency terms like "Get Started Now" are excellent emotive examples to use for your buttons. Bigger buttons are better and definitely test different button colors.
A Rule of thumb: Your button should stand out more than any other element on the landing page.
Make sure to implement these eight tips when creating your landing pages and enjoy the increase in conversion rates!