What is a Landing Page Used For?
When you browse the internet, you visit landing pages all the time. Landing pages may be a specific page that you are directed to when you click through on an ad online, or it might be the page following a call-to-action you’ve clicked on in an email or on a website homepage.
However, no matter how you end up on a landing page, the main purpose of these pages is to encourage you to convert either to a hot lead or a paying customer. Because of this, a landing page is a very unique, highly powerful component of any company’s digital marketing strategy.
What is a Landing Page?
Landing pages are websites that serve a specific purpose. The main objective of a landing page is to convert visitors to leads. Although there are different types and designs when it comes to landing pages, the main aim of converting visitors to leads that is behind them is always the same. Typically, a landing page will contain a lead form, which is used to request contact information for visitors in return for something of value.
Consider how protective most people are when it comes to their personal information – chances are, if you are like most people, then you wouldn’t want to give out your contact information online if there is nothing in it for you. This is where a landing page that’s designed to best practices is useful. When you are using a landing page that has a solid format and is well thought-out, along with solid and compelling copy, visitors will be encouraged to submit their information in return for what you have to offer.
Why Is Creating a Landing Page Necessary?
Why are landing pages necessary when you could use your homepage or another page on your website to encourage visitors to fill out a form with their contact information? Simply put, a landing page works because it removes all other distractions and keeps the visitor focused on your offer and providing their contact information. A good landing page should be void of any navigation, other links, or alternative options so that as a result, you have the undivided attention of your visitor. When you have the visitor’s complete attention, this allows you to better guide them through the steps that you’d like them to take – filling out your lead form and providing their contact information. Ultimately, landing pages are designed specifically to generate conversions.
How to Create a Landing Page – Best Practices
If you’re ready to get started with creating a landing page, then there are several best practices that you should follow in order to help you ensure that you’re getting the best results. These are:
1 – Focus on The Benefits in the Headline
At least seven in every ten people that end up on your landing page are going to bounce right off it. To grab the attention of visitors and keep your bounce rate low, it’s important that anybody visiting the page can instantly see what’s in it for them as soon as they arrive. The best way to do this is by focusing on the benefits of staying on the page and providing contact information in your headline. Since this is the first thing that your visitors are going to read, it will grab their attention and hopefully, get them interested in learning more straight away.
2 – Use Relevant Imagery
It’s important to add an image to your landing page. Not only does it help with visual appeal to grab the attention of your visitors, but it can also convey a feeling, which is why you should take the time to choose a relevant image that represents your target audience. With the right image, you can effectively demonstrate how your visitors are going to feel once they have provided their information using your lead form and have received your offer.
3 – Focus on Compelling Copy
Once you’ve come up with the perfect, attention-grabbing headline and an image that accurately conveys to your visitors how they are going to feel once they have received your offer, the words that follow and sell your call-to-action should be top-notch. It’s important to spend time and effort crafting clear and concise copy that effectively guides your visitor to the action you want them to take.
4 – Place the Lead Form Above the Fold
Should your visitor want to convert right away after reading your compelling headline and copy, the last thing that you want is to put them off by having them scroll, search, and scan the landing page to figure out what they need to do to get your offer. Including the lead form ‘above the fold’ means that you should place it in an area where visitors don’t have to scroll to get to it. Make sure that it is in view as soon as a visitor lands on the page so that they know exactly where they need to enter information.
5 – Make Sure Your Call to Action Stands Out
When it comes to making an impact on your landing page and converting visitors into leads, your call to action is one of the most crucial elements. The button that you use for the call to action needs to stand out as much as possible. To achieve this, there are lots of options to consider, including using a colour that contrasts with the other aspects of the page, using a different font, or using design elements such as shadows to make it jump out of the page and be as obvious as possible. When writing the text for your CTA button, it’s important to be as clear as possible to make sure that visitors have no doubt when it comes to what you want them to do.
6 – Offer Something Relevant
A landing page can be considered to be just a part of the journey of the visitor to a lead and ultimately becoming a customer. The offer on the landing page is the first thing that you are providing in exchange for them giving you their contact information. Because of this, you will need to ensure that the offer is relevant and compelling enough for the visitor to be interested and willing to provide their contact information in return.
7 – Don’t Ask for More Than You Need
While you want to gather as much information on your lead as you can, this is an area where it is important to be careful. Asking for too much personal information too early can put many visitors off, no matter how compelling your offer might be to them. It is important to consider how well acquainted the visitor is with your brand, how much they trust your business, and where they currently are in the buyer’s journey before deciding how much information to request from them. Ideally, you should not ask for any more information than what you need at this point, such as a name and email address. Don’t forget that once you have the lead, there are lots of ways that you can get more information from them later.
8 – Eliminate Navigation
The only objective of a landing page is to convert page visitors into leads and get their information. Because of this, navigation on the landing page, even if it is a part of your main business website, isn’t necessary as it will only be a distraction. Your landing page should not have any competing links and should be as simple as possible to ensure that the visitor’s full attention is on your call to action.
9 – Ensure Responsive Design
Like any other page on your website, it’s essential for landing pages to be mobile-friendly. Bear in mind that lots of people today are viewing webpages and completing lead forms on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, so if your landing page doesn’t look great or is terrible to navigate on them, forms can fall out of view or be a pain to fill in, which means you’ll lose out on leads. And it’s not a good look – with over half of internet users today browsing on their phones, a responsive design is one of the main expectations that we have from modern businesses.
10 – Finish with a Thank You Page
Once your lead has completed the form, it’s important to show gratitude – after all, this is the beginning of your relationship with them. There are simple options like showing a thank you message after they have signed up, however, this doesn’t always work as well. A thank you page has a lot of benefits, including the chance to deliver the offer that the visitor has been promised, especially if it’s an instant downloadable file. Plus, it gives you the chance to show your new lead further relevant content that they might be interested in.
How to Create a Landing Page without a Website
You don’t need a website to create a landing page. Simply create a standalone web page that grabs a visitor’s attention and converts them into a lead.
Landing pages are powerful tools for converting visitors into leads and building relationships with them. Put these best practices in motion to create landing pages that help you achieve your marketing goals.
Landing Page Creation: 11 Common Mistakes to Avoid
Landing pages are a crucial component of online marketing campaigns. A well-designed landing page can significantly improve lead generation and sales. However, many businesses make critical mistakes when creating landing pages. Here are 11 common errors you should avoid for a more effective landing page experience.
1. Lack of a Dedicated Landing Page for Each Marketing Campaign
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is not creating a dedicated landing page for each marketing campaign. Using generic web pages or sales pages for multiple marketing campaigns can dilute your message and reduce conversion rates. Always create dedicated landing pages that are highly targeted to the specific marketing campaign you are running.
2. Ignoring Search Engines in Landing Page Content
While landing pages are primarily designed for human visitors, ignoring search engines is a mistake. A well-optimized landing page should include keywords and meta descriptions to attract organic traffic. This is especially important for lead generation landing pages, which aim to attract a large volume of prospective customers.
3. Overloading with Multiple Landing Pages
While it’s good to have separate landing pages for different campaigns, having too many landing pages can be counterproductive. The question of how many landing pages to have should be strategically considered. Overloading can confuse direct users and make it difficult to manage your landing pages effectively.
4. Using Inadequate Landing Page Builders
Not all landing page builders are created equal. Using a subpar landing page builder can result in a poorly designed landing page that fails to convert. Always opt for reputable landing page builders that offer a range of features for creating high converting landing pages.
5. Failure to Test Different Types of Landing Pages
There are various types of landing pages, including click-through landing pages, squeeze pages, and long-form sales pages. Failing to test different landing page types to see what works best for your audience is a missed opportunity for optimization.
6. Neglecting Mobile Users
In today’s digital age, a significant amount of traffic comes from mobile devices. Not optimizing your landing pages for mobile users can result in a poor user experience and lost potential customers.
7. Inconsistent Marketing Messages Across Landing Pages
Consistency is key in any marketing funnel. If your social media posts, advertising campaigns, and landing pages are not aligned, you risk confusing your potential customers. Make sure that the marketing messages are consistent across all platforms.
8. Poorly Designed Lead Capture Pages
Lead capture pages or lead gen pages are designed to collect information from visitors. A poorly designed lead capture page can deter visitors from filling out forms, thus reducing your lead generation efforts.
9. Lack of Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
A landing page without a clear CTA is like a sales pitch without a close. Whether it’s to generate leads, direct users to other pages, or make a sale, the CTA should be clear and compelling.
10. Ignoring the Importance of Bullet Points and Content Structure
Bullet points help break down information into digestible chunks. Ignoring the importance of well-structured content with bullet points can overwhelm visitors and reduce the effectiveness of your landing page.
11. Not Tracking and Analyzing Performance
Creating landing pages is not a set-it-and-forget-it task. Regularly tracking and analyzing the performance of your landing pages can provide insights into what’s working and what needs improvement.
By avoiding these common mistakes, you can create more effective landing pages that not only look good but also perform well. Whether you’re building your own landing pages or using landing page builders, these tips can help you create a well-designed, high-converting landing page that aligns with your marketing campaigns and business objectives.