Landing Pages 101
Landing pages are key to increasing conversion rates, but what makes them different from standard websites?
Although it’s important to start with a great website as a foundation, it needs to be built upon with digital marketing techniques like successful landing pages.
What Is a Landing Page?
A landing page is a web page with a single objective.
Imagine you are flying a helicopter over a variety of landing pads, where each of the pads represents an attractive website offering. When you choose the one you like and land your helicopter on it, this is like clicking through to a landing page.
“They want to take action, so make it easy.”
It exists outside of the evergreen pages of your website and includes one or more clear calls to action (CTA). Once on the page, the user may be asked to subscribe to a list or buy a product. If the user interacts with this CTA, then you have a successful landing page because it has achieved a conversion.
They also work to boost your credibility, reinforce your brand, and convert interested visitors into paying customers.
Landing Page Inclusions
-
Call to Action
It should be clear, concise, and persuasive. This might be a tempting big button to click or a link within a paragraph, as long as it is obviously there. Why else would they have clicked through to the landing page? They want to take action, so make it easy.
-
Simplicity
A landing page isn’t about overloading the user with information. Consider your goal for the page, and ask yourself if everything on it is pertaining to that goal. Think about how much you are asking from your client, and remember, the fewer decisions they have to make, the better.
-
Persuasive Copy
When writing copy you want people to click on, be sure to use enticing language. They’re most likely interested in what you’re offering as they have already clicked on an ad or a link to get to the landing page. This is the clincher, so make it strong.
-
Appealing Design
The design of the page should allow for easy understanding and navigation. Use arrows and pictures to direct the user. Put the CTA above the fold, which is the portion of the webpage visible without needing to scroll. The design should politely scream, “click me!”
-
Social Proof
Social proof is an example of others doing what you want your user to do. It might be in the form of a case study, other brands you have worked with, customer reviews, or even a plugin like Proven that shows when customers make a purchase real-time. It builds trust as people are more likely to emulate the actions of others.
-
Distinctive Pages
Each landing page should target a different demographic, have different CTAs, and a unique selling point. These pages should create must-click destinations with distinctive goals and target audiences. This will also mean increased conversion as the different pages aren’t competing for traffic.
Landing pages can be grouped into two main categories: lead generating and click-through.
Lead Generating
Lead generating captures information about your customer. It’s less sales-focused and invaluable to businesses that are not product-based.
“The fewer choices they need to make, the more likely they are to take action.”
The CTA is typically a form. It asks its users for data in exchange for a service or further information. This might mean registering an email to get a free trial or an e-book.
It’s possible to ask users for more information such as their name, age, or where they heard about your business. This helps with audience analytics so you can tailor your marketing efforts and increase your ROI (Return on Investment).
However, you need to remember that the more you ask of the user, the more likely they are to not fill out the form. This relates to the Paradox of Choice which stipulates that eliminating customer choices reduces anxiety for shoppers. The fewer choices they need to make, the more likely they are to take action.
Click-through
Once arriving on this type of landing page, your goal is for the user to click through to the next page.
The CTA might be a download button, an offer to redeem, or as simple as purchasing a product. Clicking this might take the user to a shopping cart or download page.
Click-through landing pages can be particularly advantageous when linking from social media ads. In this way, your business can best serve a social media audience that has a specific purpose. Linking to click-through landing pages from social media ads also further solidifies your brand across multiple platforms.
Landing pages are a critical part of your digital marketing strategy. They help convert leads into customers. The more pages you have, and the more specific to their target market they are, the greater the increase in conversion.