An effective landing page can make or break your business.
Expert online marketers design highly optimized landing pages that generate conversions and drive leads. Whether your goal is to increase sales or build an email list, landing pages can help you achieve it.
The science of landing page design changes as online trends shift and marketers better understand buyer behavior. That’s why you need to stay ahead of the game.
This handy guide will walk you through how to build the best landing pages for your business and boost conversions.
What Are Landing Pages?
A landing page is a digital marketing term that refers to a standalone online web page that is designed for a single purpose, called a ‘call to action’ (CTA).
Let’s say you’re advertising a product using Facebook ads. The user sees your ad and is interested in your offer. They click on your ad to learn more and are taken to a landing page. The goal of this landing page is to provide the user with more information about your product and get them to buy.
Landing pages are separate from your main website. They are designed to only receive traffic from your email or advertising campaigns.
Well-crafted landing pages are an important part of any digital marketing strategy. Having a landing page that incorporates beautiful design with persuasive copy is sure to increase your chances of making a sale.
One of the most important aspects of a good landing page is keeping it focused. If the purpose of your page is to close a deal, then you don’t want your users to be distracted or even worse, put off, by other content.
For example, your website homepage likely has dozens of links to other pages and areas of your site. This is normal, and it’s what people expect. However, a landing page should only have one.
This one link is often the call to action which encourages your user to “Buy Now” or “Sign Up”. That’s because landing pages should be designed purely to generate conversions.
Why Do You Need Landing Pages?
You need landing pages because they are a proven way to increase conversions. In fact, businesses that have 10-15 landing pages get more leads than businesses with fewer than 10.
Landing pages can improve your digital marketing performance. Are you aiming to make sales? Buil an email list? Sell memberships? Landing pages can help!
Think of a landing page as a direct link between a user and your brand. Your landing page is an opportunity to build a connection with your readers and turn them into loyal customers.
Regular website pages are not designed to convert. Websites are loaded with links and menus that direct users to other pages. The purpose of a website is to give your business an online presence.
Often web pages include SEO content, social media feeds, blog feeds, and pop-ups. But all this extra content can distract your users and ruin your chance of making a sale.
That’s where landing pages come in.
In contrast, a landing page is designed to generate conversions. A good landing page eliminates all other distractions and focuses on this one, simple goal.
Different Types of Landing Pages
It shouldn’t surprise you to learn that there are different types of landing pages that fulfill different purposes.
One of the main things you’ll need to decide is whether to use a short-form landing page or a long-form landing page. So, what’s the difference?
Short-form pages are designed to include less copy and content overall. Long-form pages incorporate lots more copy while maintaining equal focus.
Both kinds of landing pages can be effective, but which one performs best depends on your offer. Are you selling a relatively inexpensive item? You might consider using short-form copy.
On the other hand, if your product is more expensive and comes with a higher risk to the buyer, long-form copy is a better choice.
Researchers at MECLABS found that short copy works better when customers perceive little risk and require less commitment. However, longer copy is better for items that require scrutiny on the part of the customer.
Another thing to consider when building a landing page is whether its purpose is to generate sales or sign-ups.
Pages built to generate sales are called ‘click through’ landing pages. The sole purpose of this kind of landing page is to provide the user with benefit-focused product information and direct them to buy.
A page built for generating sign-ups is called a ‘lead capture’ landing page. The purpose of a lead capture page is to gather users’ personal information (such as their name and email address). Sometimes an incentive is offered in exchange for the user’s data.
Choosing the Right Software
If you’re looking to incorporate landing pages into your digital marketing strategy then choosing the best landing page builder software is important.
Using landing page software gives you the ability to create custom pages with images, forms, and funnels. That makes it quick and easy to update and extend your marketing offers.
A good landing page builder should:
- Be easy to use
- Include features such as lead capture
- Be affordable
Before you can decide on which software to use, you need to set a budget. Most landing page builders will charge you a monthly fee. Contrast the features it includes with the price to make sure you’re getting the best deal.
Are you wondering how to make a good landing page? Keep reading to find out.
Tips for Building the Best Landing Pages
Remember, an effective landing page is the foundation of successful online marketing. You may have great ads and an amazing product, but without a well-optimized landing page, you’re hurting your business.
That’s why your landing page needs to be flawless. Here are some tips and tricks for building high-converting landing pages.
1. Research Your Target Audience
A landing page is going to be more effective if it’s designed to appeal to your target audience. That’s why, before you begin building your page, you should do some market research.
Based on your research, construct a detailed persona of your ideal customer. This is also known as a ‘buyer persona’.
Marketers construct buyer personas to learn more about their target audience and design campaigns that appeal to them. By designing ads and landing pages for your ideal customer, you’ll be able to attract more high-quality leads and visitors to your brand.
Understanding buyer personas also helps you develop a more effective content creation strategy.
2. Powerful Headline
A clever headline is one of the most crucial aspects of a successful landing page. Think about it—the headline is the first thing your visitors will see. If it doesn’t spark their interest, they’ll leave your page and you’ll miss out on potential sales.
You should write a headline that generates interest and curiosity. But don’t be too vague! The headline should also tell your visitors what your product or service is.
Also, a long headline will lose your visitors’ attention, so keep it short. That means a maximum of 20 words.
3. Copy That Converts
At the end of the day, your landing page has to convince your visitors to buy. So, writing effective sales copy is extremely important.
Your headline should have captured your visitors’ attention and made them scroll down the page. The next thing they see is more copy—this is your chance to lock them in.
The goal of the first few paragraphs is to establish a connection with the reader. Let them know what they’re going to learn as they scroll down the page. Build excitement!
The paragraphs that follow should be more detailed and focused on product benefits. Establish credibility by sharing a story about how you developed the product. And use compelling subheadings that entice the visitor to keep reading.
Everything you write should be building up to the final call to action.
4. Include Attractive Visuals
Did you know that different colors have different effects on the brain?
Choosing the right colors for your landing page will help to boost conversions. One of the most important choices to make is which background color to use. Make sure you choose a color that doesn’t interfere with the readability of your page.
If the background color doesn’t contrast well with the text color, you’re going to lose potential prospects. Minimalist design using white backgrounds can be very effective.
The color of your CTA can either encourage people to click or repel them. when choosing which color to use, think about your target audience. If you’re selling grooming kits for men, you probably shouldn’t use a pink CTA.
5. Add Video
Incorporating videos into your page is a great way to help visitors understand your offer and connect with your brand.
Thanks to the growth of YouTube, Vimeo, and other video sites, people online are consuming more video content than ever. Many expert marketers are using videos to increase their conversions.
Videos increase retention by inspiring visitors to stay longer on your page. They also help build trust in your product and brand. Finally, many people prefer watching videos than reading text.
6. Include Testimonials and Customer Reviews
The best way to convince visitors to buy your product is to show them testimonials and reviews from other buyers.
Before visitors click the “buy” button their mind is going to be racing with questions such as “Is this right for me?” Customer testimonials can ease buyer anxiety by providing valuable information about your product.
7. Think About the User Experience
The overall look and feel of your page are going to affect your conversion rate. That’s why it’s important to design a clean, organized page.
You can do this by thinking about the user experience. When a user lands on your page, it should be super easy for them to find the “buy” button. For example, ensure a strong contrast between your CTA and your background so that it stands out.
Don’t be afraid to test different variations of your design. Try out different colors, placements, and sizes to discover which layout is most effective at driving sales.
8. Responsive Design
Responsive design is a term used in web development. It refers to a website that automatically adjusts its layout and scales its content for display on different screen sizes.
These days millions of people choose to browse the web on their mobile phone or tablet. If your landing page isn’t responsive, it’s going to look funny on these smaller screen sizes. Visitors may have to zoom or pan just to read the content.
Customers quickly become frustrated trying to navigate a page that wasn’t built for mobile viewing. That’s why responsive design is so important.
Designing a landing page that’s responsive improves the user experience and helps you generate more conversions.
9. Call to Action
Your entire landing page is set up to do one thing and one thing only—drive visitors to your call to action!
An effective call to action can make or break your landing page. If your call to action isn’t appealing and doesn’t stand out, you’re missing out on leads. It’s as simple as that.
If you’re selling an item your call to action will include text and a button that visitors click to be taken to the next stage of the payment process. Summarise the benefits of your offer once more and invite the visitor to click.
Be creative with your button text. Nobody is inspired to click a button that says ‘Confirm’. Try something like ‘Buy Now and Change Your Life’. Sounds a little better, right?
Design Landing Pages That Convert
By following these basic principles, you can create effective landing pages that generate leads and boost your sales.
Craft a killer headline that grabs your visitors’ attention, write compelling copy, and include customer testimonials for social proof. Remember to create a mobile-friendly page and incorporate colors that resonate with your target audience.
Now you know how to create the best landing pages for your business. If you found this post helpful, be sure to share it with your friends and check out more of our website.
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