30 Tips for Building a Successful Landing Page

Jan. 31, 2011 - PRLog -- What is a landing page?

A landing page is any page on a website where traffic is sent specifically to prompt a certain action or result. Whether the goal is to have visitors make a purchase, sign up for subscription product or service or enter their email address, your landing page is there to make you money.

Landing pages are common in internet marketing campaigns, especially email and PPC marketing management. They are an important tool in any internet marketing campaign (read more at http://www.bococreative.com/internet-marketing-seo.html).

While a great looking website can grab the attention of your visitors, a strong landing page will keep them involved and get them to buy your products/services. It is therefore very important to get it right.

Unfortunately getting it right is easier said than done.
30 Tips for Building a Successful Landing Page

There have been countless articles, e-books and guides written on the subject. I’ve boiled it down to what I think are the most crucial steps to building successful landing pages.
“Keep it Simple, Stupid” Applies to Your Landing Pages, Too!

   * Focus on one objective for each page. Don’t offer multiple choices and throw in optional extras. Don’t talk about other products or services – you can use a different landing page and ad source for those. Define your objective and drive everything on the page to it.
   * Less confusion and decision making for your visitor means better conversion rate for your landing page (to read more on website conversion go to http://www.bococreative.com/internet-marketing-seo.html).
   * Don’t make your visitors guess. Be clear and direct! Keep things short, simple, and to the point.

Don’t Dismiss The Importance of Good Design!

   * Web is a visual medium where the overall look, feel, and formatting matter strongly. Good design helps support the content, leading the visitor’s eye through your message and directing them towards the goal.
   * Make sure your landing page design matches the look, feel and tone of the original ad your visitors are coming from.
   * Place the most important landing page element in the upper 300 pixels of your page – usability research show that only over half of your site visitors will not scroll “below the fold.”
   * Eliminate elements that may distract the visitor away from the goal. Whether it’s graphic elements or content that does not aid the visitor in their decision making process, get rid of it. This includes navigation bars, visual clutter, and links to other sections. You want the reader focused solely on your offer without being tempted to wander around the site.
   * Use visual elements (size, motion, color, position, and shape) to draw attention toward the call to action. Don’t guess. Test it all (through A/B split testing) to find what works best for you.
   * Classic colors for buttons include blue (link color) and orange. However, the most important thing is that it stands out clearly from the rest of the page.
   * Use a single color (with a variety of tones) for your entire landing page – except for the CTA (Call To Action). Make it jump off the page.
   * Give your CTA  or lead gen form some breathing room to allow it to stand out from the rest of your design.
   * Keep the conversion path in mind when using images. You want to be sure that your imagery enhances the experience, and does not detract from the optimal path.

It’s All About the Copy, Baby!

   * Think simple! Get right to the point.
   * Make sure the primary headline of your landing page matches the copy on your original ad your visitors landed from.
   * Open the page with a strong, benefit-rich headline that speaks directly to the reader’s self-interest. Remember, split-testing different headlines is relatively painless, and can bring you much higher conversions compared with multiple other tweaks.
   * Write in the second person – You and Your. Your visitor only cares about how taking that step will benefit him or her. Make the copy personable but most importantly, make it about them!
   * Focus on the benefits of your products/services, not the features.
   * Provide a clear call to action. Tell your visitor what they need to do.
   * Shorten your lead form. Think about what you truly need from your customers in order to consider them a lead. The shorter your lead form, the more likely a potential customer is to fill it out.
   * Use clear language. If your landing page is full of industry jargon and computer-speak, there’s a good chance you’ll lose your audience.
   * Make your copy easy to read with short paragraphs (no more than 5 lines each), lists & bullet points. Most visitors are skimming and skipping through your copy. Make it easier on them to get your message without getting lost.
   * Use plenty of white space to increase reading comprehension.
   * If you go long and have visitors scroll downward, make sure to repeat essential calls to action so no matter where your visitor is it will be clearly visible.

Monitor, Test and Improve!

   * Use your analytics! Your site analytics package offers a lot of useful data that you can leverage to improve the performance of your landing pages.
   * Closely monitor the conversion rate, bounce rate, and other useful page visitor metrics (for more on website metrics go to http://joannaciolek.com/wordpress/measuring-the-success-o...). Using these metrics you can easily figure out which version will be your optimal page, one that maximizes the results.
   * Use Google Website Optimizer or similar tool to split test various versions of your page. Testing various text, call to action forms, layouts will give you true idea what produces the best result.
   * Your landing page can always be better; it needs ongoing attention for best results.

Leverage Post-Conversion Marketing!

Post-conversion marketing is one of the most overlooked stages of the conversion funnel. The confirmation page from your lead gen form, ecommerce checkout, or registration form is the perfect place to start capitalizing on the positive mood of a newly qualified customer.

   * Go beyond a simple “Thank you” on your confirmation pages.
   * Send your newly converted visitors to other content they may find interesting, ask them to follow you on Twitter or fan your Facebook page.
   * Leverage the fact that you’ve got their attention and freshly earned trust and continue to keep your brand in front of them.

If you are looking to boost your conversion rates, work to better convert the traffic you’re already getting. Improving your landing pages will help you do exactly that.

Have I missed anything important? Please share your experiences and tips that have helped you make the most out of your landing pages.

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