A lot of brands complain about low conversion rates. What these people fail to realize is that capturing targeted leads all boils down to designing a landing page that conveys...
A lot of brands complain about low conversion rates. What these people fail to realize is that capturing targeted leads all boils down to designing a landing page that conveys their message well.
Landing pages are so important, in fact, that businesses of all sizes are using them to move people through every stage of the buyer’s journey.
The ugly truth: most brands fail to include the elements that a top-notch landing page needs.
But making a good landing page doesn’t simply “look good.” Instead, you need a relevant landing page with killer copy and a compelling CTA to reel more customers in. So how do you design a landing page that works?
Our guide will explain the basics so you can create an awesome landing page that’ll drive your conversion rates off the charts.
A landing page is where a visitor arrives on your site after clicking an ad (a Google ad or display ad, for instance). It exists for a single purpose: to increase conversion rates. A landing page could be your home page, another page on your site, or a standalone page created for a specific product or campaign.
People often get confused about the difference between landing pages and a homepage.
Distinguishing the two all comes down to how people find your page and why it exists in the first place. For instance, homepages are often found through social media or word of mouth. Landing pages, on the other hand, are found organically using keywords.
With that said, a landing page can be any page in your taxonomy, including your homepage.
Keep in mind that you can’t employ a “one size fits all” approach to designing an effective landing page. Landing pages that convert are relative to the people viewing them.
For instance, a landing page inviting in-house marketers to attend a conference in New York doesn’t work in the same way as a landing page that shows a live demo for a project management tool.
There’s a world of difference between their audience, product, angle, industry, and value proposition. So before you get started, it pays to ask yourself these questions:
But even though there’s no cookie-cutter approach to designing a good landing page, there are unifying elements that make up a successful one.
The best landing pages include all of the necessary elements on a single page. If visitors have to navigate from one page to another to learn more about your offer, there’s a high chance that they’ll move on to something else.
So when crafting a landing page, structure your elements as logically and organically as possible. Start with an explanation, introduce the benefits, then top it off with your CTA.
Now that you know what the flow of your landing page should be like, let’s take a closer look at each design element in detail.
A headline is where it all begins. A good headline grabs customer attention and compels them to stay to learn more about your offer. This means your headline should clearly state what your product or service is all about.
When it comes to crafting headlines, shorter is always better. So as much as possible, limit it to around 10 words.
Source: https://www.wix.com/
Consider Wix’s headline. At a glance, it’s clear that they’re offering a website builder. This headline works because it emphasizes a key benefit: it gives people the freedom to build a website they’re proud to own.
If your headline makes visitors look, a subheadline should encourage them to stay.
Positioned below the headline, your subheadline should provide context. Since it works hand-in-hand in with your headline, it’ll need an element of persuasiveness.
Source: https://slack.com/
Take a look at Slack’s homepage. The main headline talks about bringing teams closer together. The subheadline delves into details, explaining how it offers a full suite of workplace communication tools from a single platform. From the headline and subheadline alone, visitors will feel compelled to click on the CTA button.
No landing page is complete without visuals.
Our brains process images faster than text, so this means that any photo you put on your landing page will carry a significant impact. Some factors to consider when choosing an image:
Source: https://www.flickr.com/
Flicker is an online image hosting service, so it makes sense that they have a landing page with a large, professional-quality image. And they should settle for nothing less—after all, who would want to access photos from a company that doesn’t have a great one on their site?
When people are directed to your landing page, your offer should be as clear as day.
But don’t lose your customers by spouting off industry jargon or technobabble. When you provide context, keep it as simple and straightforward as possible.
Source: https://asana.com/
Asana, a work management platform, uses the power of video to demonstrate the benefits of its software on its landing page. This approach works because it provides a visual walkthrough of its platform, which is easier to understand than a text-based explanation.
We’ll let you in on a secret: pain is one of the most powerful motivators in the universe. But what’s the logic behind pain as a psychological motivator, you may ask?
The thing is, humans are hardwired to avoid pain. If you can create a landing page that’ll cause visitors to think about their pain, they’ll subconsciously seek relief and see your offer as a way to alleviate that pain in some way.
But don’t make the mistake of providing false hope. Instead, focus on a pain point then present your product or service as a solution to the problem.
Source: https://reputation.com/
Take a look at how Reputation incorporates a pain point in the above example. The company provides a reputation management platform and presents its offer by tapping into the customers’ fear of missing out. It shows the importance of being in the know and presents a solution by turning customer data into actionable insights.
Humans may be pain-averse creature, but you could also call us pleasure-seeking animals. Every person is motivated by the desire to gain pleasure, and this is why it should play a prominent role in your landing page design.
To incorporate a pleasure point into your landing page, you’ll need to show how your product or services meet an emotional need beyond its functional role.
Source: https://www.benadryl.com/
Here’s a landing page from Benadryl, a brand that offers prescription medicine for allergies and coughs. It strikes at the heart of what most people complain about when they land on the page: nasal allergies. And it provides a solution to prevent these asthma attacks, stat.
The bold headline is accompanied by a quirky graphic showing how effective Benadryl is at nipping asthma attacks in the bud. It’s subtle but it works.
For maximum impact, get into the heads of your customers and figure out what their emotional cravings are, then connect it to your offer.
Including a method/s of contact on your landing page can go a long way in eliminating friction in the conversion funnel. It also helps cement your authority to make your business look legit.
Your method of contact can come in the form of a physical address, phone number, email address, or contact form. Including a chatbot is also helpful because it lets you address customer queries in real-time and push people further down the conversion funnel.
The whole point of including a point of contact is to make conversion easy. The simpler it is, the more likely visitors will take action.
Source: https://placester.com/
Placester helps real estate professionals increase sales and profits with a personalized website. When you land on their homepage, you’ll find a contact form on the right side of the page. Since the method of contact is located above the fold, it’s a lot easier for real estate agents to fill out the form without having to scroll down.
The CTA is by far the most important part of your landing page. After all, it’s the element that the rest of your content is designed to drive attention to.
Here are some tips to help you create an effective CTA:
Source: https://flock.com/
Flock is an app that facilitates communication among co-workers. The color of the CTA is green, which reflects Flock’s brand color scheme and contrasts perfectly with the dark background. Instead of simply encouraging visitors to “Get Started,” it adds some pizazz by encouraging people to “Get Flocking.”
A well-optimized landing page has the power to turn prospects into leads. The idea is for you to understand customer needs and delight visitors who land on your page. Since they’re crucial for conversions, they’ll need to be designed and executed well.
Need help optimizing your site for conversions? Partner with Growth Rocket for your web design needs. Get in touch with us.
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