As mentioned in our previous blog post, An Effective Landing Page Begins with Result-Driven Web Copy, a landing page is a single web page that is used to encourage prospects to take one specific action. Whether that desired action is to purchase from you or register for an event you only need one call to action.
Landing page design should complement the copy and facilitate action from the visitor. If the design is haphazard, compromising the message you’re trying to convey, or unclear about the action you want visitors to take, then your the web page will not be effective.
Below are 8 tips to keep in mind when creating an effective landing page:
1. Be Upfront: Get to the point at the very beginning of your landing page since many visitors will not scroll down further than what’s visible on their screen. Be sure to put your juiciest and most valuable content at the top of your page and don’t forget to inject your call to action within the message. This will help to encourage prospects to scroll further down your page for information and take your desired action.
2. Create Scannable Copy: Your web copy needs to be as easy to read and digestible as possible. Many people will scan your copy rather than take the time to read every word. If they can’t scan it quickly and get to the benefits your providing them, they’ll leave—and probably won’t return. Therefore, write in short paragraphs (2 – 4 sentences), keep sentences short, make sure you use commas and periods when necessary, and eliminate extra words. The more focused your copy, the more focused your prospects will be.
3. Help Your Prospect Along: If your landing page is designed in a way that breaks down each benefit your prospect will receive, then help your reader through the steps by bolding your headings and calls to action. Put a heading above each benefit, letting the reader know exactly what’s in it for them. If your reader can quickly and easily visualize the benefits you’re providing, then he or she will be more inclined to take your desired action immediately before reading the entire page. The quicker you can get your readers to take your desired action, the quicker you convert.
4. Build a Simple Layout: Your web page should not be equipped with bells and whistles—these extra elements can distract readers from taking your desired action. Keep your design simple with a one column layout. Also, the colors you use in your design should complement your brand image. In other words, the colors should be those that are also found in your logo or on your website. This will allow readers to immediately associate your landing page with your brand.
5. Make Your Calls to Action Obvious: Since the whole point of your web page is to encourage prospects to take a desired action, you want to be sure that your calls to action are as clear and obvious as possible. To make the actions pop, you might consider underlining and bolding them. The more you can catch your readers’ eyes with the calls to action, the more likely they will take action.
6. Ensure a Quick Sign-Up or Purchasing Process: Make sure your sign-up or purchasing process on your landing page is simple and quick—you don’t want to force prospects into a complicated or drawn-out process. It only takes a click of a button for website visitors to move on to a competitor’s website. If you’re asking people to sign up for free a teleclass or webinar, just ask for key information: name and email. If you ask for too much, they might leave.
7. Relax on the Images: Don’t go crazy with adding images to your landing page. The image should illustrate the value you’re providing to readers and connect with their emotional needs and desires, or it should be a photo of you.
8. Test your Landing Page: Once you have created your page, be sure to test it on friends and colleagues to see if your message is being portrayed accurately. You may find after showing it to others that you’re missing a crucial element.
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