Landing pages are made up of clearly definable elements, that when crafted properly can achieve high performing conversion rates for your business. But before I talk about what exactly a landing page should include, let’s clarify exactly what it is:
A landing page is a web page which serves as the entry point for a website or a particular section of a website.
A well-designed landing page can greatly increase conversions from your Google Adwords, social media marketing or email marketing campaigns, so it is important that they are optimised in order to maximise the conversions of leads.
Here are 7 core elements that a well optimised landing page should have:
1. Clear branding
There should be a clear correlation between the landing page and the advert that the visitor clicked on. This can be achieved by using the same message or image as the advert. The page should be prominently branded and incorporate a ‘hero’ image to communicate the product or service at a glance.
2. Engaging visuals
A good landing page should contain a visually compelling and engaging image that drives attention. However, be careful that any images you use don’t take up too much space, as priority needs to be given to a benefit statement and a call-to-action.
Simple colour contrast has been said to increase conversions, so experiment with the colour of your call-to-action button, as well as the background of the page to see which provides you with the highest number of conversions.
3. Powerful headline and body copy
Use a powerful headline that matches what was originally clicked on from the advert. Keep the copy short and snappy, but include the following:
- Features – a list of cool things about your product or service
- Benefits – how the features will help your visitor
- Pain points – identify your visitors’ pain points and how the product and service can help them
4. An easy to complete form
A form is one of the most important elements of a landing page – and can often mean the difference between a bounce and a conversion. Only ask for information that you really need; a name, company (B2B), telephone and email are often the only fields you’ll need, but it does depend on the offer. Remind the visitor what they are getting at the top of the form if they complete it, such as: ‘Claim your free offer’ or ‘Sign up for the Ebook’ to reiterate what they will get. Don’t forget a link to your privacy policy so the visitor feels secure parting with their information.
5. Clear call-to-action
The call to action is what you want your visitors to do (sign up, watch video, shop now, try it). It should be placed in a visually distinct place on the page so it’s clear to see and it’s easy for the visitor to take the desired action.
Don’t tempt your visitors with other requests; one call-to-action is enough for an optimised landing page, but on longer pages, you may want to use the same call-to-action twice on the page.
6. Prove credibility
Once a visitor has landed on your page, how are you going to prove yourself so that they trust and eventually buy from you? Credibility provides the visitor with evidence that you are accepted by others, and is a simple and powerful way to improve the initial value judgement of your landing pages and your brand.
Credibility can be achieved through:
- Social proof (evidence of likes, shares or retweets on the page)
- Customer testimonials
- Press coverage or third party site endorsement (such as “….as featured in….”)
- Case studies that show proven results of how your product or service has helped others
7. A/B Testing
A/B testing is a way to compare two versions of a web page to see which one performs better. They don’t need to vary dramatically, just one element may be different, such as the form, the headline or the call-to-action. If you change too many things on Version B, you will never know exactly what it is that’s improved the conversion rate.
If you know what works and what doesn’t, and have evidence to back it up, it’s easier to make decisions, and you can often create more effective marketing materials based on what you know works best.
So there you have it – the perfect landing page. Now go ahead and create yours and if you need help, contact me at clare@moorhousedigital.com.