When used correctly landing pages can generate plenty of conversions for your business. Sadly, when used incorrectly they can fail to convert and subsequently are a business cost. The idea behind this post is to provide advice to improve your landing pages turning them into conversion machines. Landing pages are dedicated pages designed to drive conversions. They normally work in tandem with a dedicated traffic driver such as an ad.
Mobile First
Mobile users are rising in number across the world especially to view social media pages. If your ad is on a social media network such as Facebook or Twitter it is highly important that your landing pages work on a mobile phone. This goes beyond being responsive to actually presenting your offering in an inspiring, creative way. Regardless of what your traffic driver is, having a fully responsive website is the only way to avoid Google penalties.
With this in mind design your landing page for mobiles first and pay close attention to the call to action (CTA). Is it suitable for a mobile user? For example, downloading a document on a mobile is not particularly practical. Try and formulate a CTA that is usable on a mobile phone.
Call to Action
The call to action is a very important part of your landing page. It should make it clear what you want the visitor to do and support your offering.
Normally, the CTA is a form or a button of some kind. Forms should collect the bare minimum of information to avoid annoying your visitor and be a contrasting colour to the rest of the site. Ideally they should be visible above the fold.
Button size and shape is important and what you choose should stand out and be a contrasting colour to the rest of the landing page or form. The button copy should be enticing and beg to be pushed.
If you’re thinking ‘Add to bag’ rather than ‘Pay now’ or Buy now’ you’re on the right lines. Similarly ‘Brief us’ rather than ‘Contact’ is also a winner. Buttons are a far better choice than standard text links. They are clearer and we humans are programmed to push them.
Hot tip: You can use your CTA button to open a lightbox containing a form to complete. This is a good way to capture leads as the lightbox focuses their attention on the form and it is clear what you want your user to do next.
Many marketers use sticky bars on mobile phones to ensure the CTA is visible at all times.
Link Ratios
Link ratios are the amount of links on the page to the ratio of your call to action. In theory, the ideal ratio is 1:1. One call to action to one link for your user to click. The reality is that you will need other links on the page especially if you are using Google Adwords. Google penalises ‘squeeze pages’. With this in mind you need a link to ‘T&Cs’ and ‘Privacy Policy’, and a link to the homepage of your site.
You can make your logo a link to the homepage, and you can make the other links small. You may want to link to your blog to ensure you avoid the squeeze page scenario. Again, keep this link small and ensure it does not interfere with your sales message.
The idea here is to minimise distractions.
Landing Page Hero Image
Most landing pages have a nice big and appealing hero image at the top of the page. This catches the eye and when used well supports your offering’s selling points. Use genuine original pictures of your product or service in action, avoiding stock images where possible. This builds authenticity and trust with potential customer and clients.
A good alternative to a hero image is a video. Videos are being used increasingly by marketers. If you can use a high quality video to sell your offering so much the better. They are particularly effective on mobile devices.
Unique Selling Points
Your unique selling points should sell your offering to your visitor, highlighting the benefits rather than the features. Keep the copy succinct and to the point. Use big eye catching headlines that are easy to read going into more detail if necessary. The idea is to entice your reader making your offering more and more appealing.
Think what they would like or need to know and give it to them.
Social Proofing on your Landing Pages
Social proofing such as testimonials are proven to get results. They can be inserted anywhere to fit your design and most importantly they are trusted. Think of them as authentication that your offering is a good and satisfying one.
Split Testing
To make your landing page a conversion machine you will need to split test. This involves comparing one page to another with one containing a subtle change. A different button colour for example. After a period of testing, you can determine which landing page is performing better.
Landing Page Advice
If you have any questions about landing pages and web design talk to us. We can help you make your landing pages conversion machines.