How To Create A High-Converting Landing Page [That Converts Like Crazy]

What Actually Is A Landing Page?

In the purest sense, a landing page is any web page that a visitor can arrive at or “land” on.

However, when discussing landing pages within the realm of marketing and advertising, it’s more common to refer to a landing page as being a standalone web page distinct from your main website that has been designed for a single focused objective.

This means that your landing page should have no global navigation to tie it to your primary website. The main reason for this is to limit the options available to your visitors, helping to guide them toward your intended conversion goal.

Types of Landing Pages

There are two basic types of landing page, "Click Through" and "Lead Generation" (also referred to as Lead Generation or Lead Capture pages).

Click Through Landing Pages (as the name implies) have the goal of persuading the visitor to click through to another page. Typically used in ecommerce funnels, they can be used to describe a product or offer in sufficient detail so as to “warm up” a visitor to the point where they are closer to making a purchasing decision.

There are many uses for lead generation or landing pages. Here are some examples:

• eBook or white paper

• Webinar registration

• Consultation for professional services

• Discount coupon/voucher

• Contest entry

• Free trial

• A physical gift (via direct mail)

• Notification of a future product launch

All too often, inbound advertising traffic is directed at shopping cart or registration pages. This leads to poor conversions as the ad doesn’t provide sufficient information for someone to make an informed decision.

This is where the click through page comes in. As a result, the destination page from a click through page is typically the shopping cart or registration page – now with a much higher chance of conversion having passed through the details of the landing page.

Lead Generation Landing Pages are used to capture user data, such as a name and email address. The sole purpose of the page is to collect information that will allow you to market to and connect with the prospect at a subsequent time. As such, a lead capture page will contain a form along with a description of what you’ll get in return for submitting your personal data.

 

PAGE HEADLINES AND AD COPY

For great landing page design, landing page headlines and advertisement wording should complement each other.

Since your Google Ads quality score is determined by the quality of the content on your ads and landing pages, make sure your ad content closely matches your landing page.

Your score will improve by having consistent content between the ad message and the landing page.

 

CLEAR AND CONCISE HEADLINES

Since they are the first things a visitor will read, landing page headlines should not confuse or bore, but compel a visitor to take a closer look.

Addressing a specific point that is related to the content of the website will catch a reader's attention more than having a vague and uninteresting headline.

 

IMPECCABLE GRAMMAR

Good landing page designs have flawless grammar. Always double and triple check your copy, and have someone else read it through. In the example of an online retailer who is asking for visitors to purchase goods and provide personal and billing information, the trust of the customer can be risked if there are spelling errors and sloppy grammar.

 

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF TRUST INDICATORS

For an effective way of building trust, incorporate testimonials, reviews, press mentions, guarantee seals, and third party trust and security certification (Better Business Bureau, VeriSign, etc.) into your landing page design.

When ACLens, an eye glass and lens company, began using VeriSign, they saw a 41% increase in conversions and a 58% increase in revenue per transaction. The same can happen with any online landing page.

 

USE A STRONG CALL-TO-ACTION

After a visitor reads the landing page headline, it is crucial that they know what to do next. Use a strong call-to-action to lead them to the next step.

 

BUTTONS SHOULD STAND OUT

Identify the keywords people interested in your service might be searching for and use words such as Get started, new, buy, or download now.

A conversion button should stand out and be placed right below a call-to-action or have the call-to-action as the button. However you choose to do it, the button should be big, bright, and easy to see.

PRO-TIP: Be really specific with the CTA button copy on your online forms. Just adding one word after "Submit" can increase conversion rates by as much as 320%.

 

KEEP IT ABOVE THE FOLD

 The space a visitor sees without having to scroll is where the most important parts of the landing page should be.

Place the call-to-action above the fold and in a location where the viewer's eye will scan too. Never have the button or form in a place where it has to be searched for.

 

ALWAYS BE TESTING

Optimise a landing page for conversions over time. Run A/B tests and change copy, images, and call-to-actions to see what resonates most with users.

In addition to A/B testing, testing two completely different landing page designs against each other can be beneficial in the long run.

PRO-TIP: A/B testing is where two versions of a landing page or form are tested against each to see what gets more conversions.

 

USE IMAGES AND VIDEOS THAT RELATE TO COPY

The best landing page designs use imagery to draw in viewers.

Implementing videos of user testimonials and product images in a landing page can have a positive impact on viewers, as well as give shoppers an extra push to look further into a product.

 

GO EASY ON THE LINKS

Links connecting the user to a bunch of other sites or pages will distract them and have a negative impact on conversions.

Lots of links may make sense on a regular home page, but on a landing page, simplicity is key.