Landing pages exists for one reason alone: to convert an interested prospective client or customer into a lead.
But how?
Think of each landing page as a sales person, positioned to represent your agency in a clear and succinct manner.
By showcasing the benefits of your agency, this “salesperson” should entice viewers to view your products or provide their information to you. Ideally your landing page will capture that lead and turn them into a customer or client.
What content should – and should not – be on your landing page?
Never fear. We have outlined all the parts and pieces that you should include on your landing page in order to successfully capture leads and generate more business. But first…
Identify Your Unique Selling Proposition
Before you get started on your landing page, be sure you have clearly identified what makes your business great and sets you apart from the competition.
Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is an opportunity to explain what makes your company different. What does your product or service have that will be enticing to potential leads?
Tread carefully, however. You don’t want to sell your business by comparing it to the competition but rather by highlighting that which makes it unique.
Don’t: Our Diapers Keep Babies Dryer Than Other Leading Brands
Do: You and Your Baby Will Enjoy a Good Night’s Sleep
A strong USP doesn’t focus on the features of your business or product. Instead, it highlights the benefit your offering brings to your potential lead.
Don’t: Our Diapers Have 3 Layers of Moisture Wicking Material
Do: You and Your Baby Will Enjoy a Good Night’s Sleep
4 Must-Have Elements for a Winning Landing Page
Now that you’ve identified your USP, it’s time to create a winning landing page. Here are 4 elements that most successful landing pages have in common:
1. Page Headline
A concise, attention grabbing headline that clearly communicates your main value. Your headline should complement the wording used in your ad copy. There should be a seamless transition from the ad that a visitor clicked on in Adwords or Facebook and the landing page they arrive on.
2. Secondary Headline
A continuation of the the main headline, this either acts as a completion of the “Main Headline” sentence or adds more information or ideas that support the main value.
3. Convincing Copy
Your landing page copy has one purpose only: to convert. Your landing page copy should address the needs and pain points of your ideal customer. Address them directly, demonstrate empathy for their specific problem, and then showcase the benefit of your offering as THE solution to their problem.
- Keep it simple.
- Don’t overcomplicate language.
- Use bullet points for easy reading.
- Make white space your friend.
Remember to include your USP in your copy. What makes you different than the competitor? What are the benefits that only you can offer?
4. A Strong Call-to-Action
What is the goal of your landing page? What is it that you’re hoping to achieve?
Your Call-To-Action (CTA) is where you realize that goal.
CTAs can be used to:
- Solicit a sale: Buy Now, Apply Now, Get Yours
- Capture a Lead: Join Our List, Get Instant Access
- Nurture a Relationship: Get the Story
CTA buttons, banners, and form fields should stand out through contrasting colors. Remove unnecessary steps and keep the navigation path simple. You want to get your prospect to the desired goal easily and simply.
Traditional wisdom states that CTAs should live above the fold, in the upper right corner of the landing page. But that may not always be the best location for your CTA. Test your CTA placement. You may find that visitors to your landing page need to learn more about the benefits of your offer before they’re willing to take action on your page.
You may have better conversion rates for CTAs placed in alternative locations, such as:
- At the end of the page
- Within the content itself
- In a sidebar
The Secret Sauce: Try These to Maximize Landing Page Conversions
Once you’ve got the basic elements of a landing page in place, consider adding some of the following elements to really increase conversions.
Images or Video
When it comes to the photo or video displayed on your landing page, remember to choose imagery that will show context of use. This means you shouldn’t just feature an image of your product but, rather, show a photo or video of your product in use. Doing this helps potential customers or clients imagine themselves using your products or services and increases the likelihood that you will capture them as a lead.
Use images to provide visual cues for visitors. Direct your prospect’s attention to a CTA button or form with an image, for example. An easy way to do this is to use a face that’s appears to “look” in the same direction as your CTA. Or place product images around a high-contrast button.
Use images that evoke emotions that will connect with your prospects. They can be photos or graphics that capture the frustration of the current moment or a glimpse into the future - show them the serenity, happiness, or peace of mind that will come after your product offering solves their biggest challenges.
While a well chosen photo can work wonders for your landing page, don’t underestimate the power of video to engage viewers and highlight attributes of your business or product, either
Provide Social Proof
You know the expression “the proof is in the pudding?” Never has this been more true than when trying to appeal to a potential lead.
Testimonials showcase clients or customers who’ve used your services or products and are glad that they did.
High-converting testimonials include the following:
- Specifics on how your offering helped solve their problem
- Photo of the real-life person providing the testimony, or
- Recommendation from a trusted, relevant authority
Trust signals are another way to provide proof that your business is legitimate.
Build trust by including trust signals such as security certifications (such as Better Business Bureau), guarantee seals, and press mentions.
Providing proof that yours is a trusted and accredited business will increase the likelihood of a potential lead providing their information.
Things NOT to Include on Your Landing Page
The most successful landing pages are simple, uncluttered, and have one purpose: to guide a prospect into completing the one desired action. To keep your pages effective and converting, here are some things to avoid.
2. Website Navigation
It may seem counterintuitive to intentionally keep potential leads away from the many resources available to them on your website, but it makes sense if you keep the purpose of a landing page in focus.
Think of it this way: your landing page in a funnel for leads. Links on this page act as holes they will fall out of.
If a prospective lead is drawn to your landing page by a post on your Facebook page, the only button or link they should see on that page is the one that accomplishes your conversion goal.
If you include navigation and they click on a link to your contact page, you’ve lost them. If they click on a link to your twitter feed, you’ve lost them.
The only outgoing links that should be present on a landing page are the CTA and social sharing buttons that make it possible for them to share your page out on their social channels with ease.
Clutter
Keep all of the information on your landing page clean, organized, and concise. The easier it is to read, the more likely potential leads will.
Request Too Much Info
The less you ask from people, the more they will be willing to give it. Not only do people want to maintain their privacy, they’re busy and don’t want to take the time to fill out lengthy forms.
Make Generic Claims
Provide readers with specific information about your services, products, and successes, and your claims are read as much more credible.
The Final Element: Don’t Forget a Thank You Page
Once you’ve captured that lead, you need to nurture it.
Not only is a thank you page an opportunity to warmly thank someone for taking an interest in your business and providing you with their information, it is a great opportunity to lead them back to your website.
Express gratitude and then offer them a link to web content, such as a blog post, that they would find interesting, thereby giving them an opportunity to learn more about your product or services.
Thank you pages are also important for conversion tracking. Because a thank you page is only shown after a customer converts, it’s ideal for measuring the success of your landing pages in Google Analytics.
Get Ready, Get Set, Go Test
When it comes to landing pages, don’t forget your “A,B,T’s”… Always Be Testing. The best landing page is one that resonates with your particular audience. A/B tests are the best way to find out if adding an image, changing a button color, or moving the placement of a CTA will help.
Landing pages are critical to turning website visitors into prospects and customers. Clearly state the benefits of your products or services, keep your page streamlined and uncluttered, provide social proof, use strong and relevant imagery, and employ strong CTAs, and you will have landing page that captures leads and generates business.
