But how do you create a landing page that works? How do you optimize it for conversions and avoid common pitfalls? In this article, we will share some landing page best practices that will help you design and write effective landing pages that drive conversions.
What is a landing page?
A landing page is a website page that visitors land on after clicking on an ad, a link, a call-to-action, or a search result. It is different from a homepage or a regular website page because it has a clear and singular goal: to get visitors to take a specific action.
A landing page can have different types of actions, depending on your marketing objective. For example, you can use a landing page to:
- Generate leads by asking visitors to fill out a form and provide their contact information in exchange for something of value, such as an ebook, a webinar, a free trial, or a coupon.
- Sell products or services by showcasing their benefits and features and persuading visitors to buy them or sign up for them.
- Register attendees for an event by providing details and incentives and asking visitors to sign up or RSVP.
- Collect feedback or data by asking visitors to answer questions or surveys.
The key to creating a successful landing page is to align it with your marketing campaign and your target audience. You want to make sure that your landing page matches the message and the offer that brought visitors there, and that it speaks to their needs, pain points, and interests.
The anatomy of a landing page
A landing page typically consists of four main elements: above the fold elements, content, conversion elements, and footer.
Above the fold elements
Above the fold refers to the part of the landing page that is visible without scrolling. It is the most important part of your landing page because it determines whether visitors will stay on your page or bounce. Therefore, you want to make sure that your above the fold elements are clear, concise, and compelling.
The above the fold elements include:
- A benefit-focused headline that captures the attention of visitors and summarizes the main value proposition of your offer.
- A supporting subheadline that expands on the headline and provides more details or context.
- A relevant image or video that illustrates your offer and shows how it works or what it looks like.
- A clear and standout call-to-action (CTA) button that tells visitors what action you want them to take and why they should take it.
Content
The content of your landing page is the part that provides more information about your offer and persuades visitors to take action. It can include text, images, icons, bullet points, testimonials, social proof, statistics, or any other element that supports your value proposition and builds trust.
The content of your landing page should:
- Be concise and scannable. Use short paragraphs, headings, subheadings, lists, and white space to make your content easy to read and digest.
- Be relevant and focused. Only include information that is necessary and helpful for visitors to make a decision. Avoid distractions and irrelevant details that might confuse or overwhelm visitors.
- Be benefit-oriented and customer-centric. Highlight how your offer can solve your visitors’ problems or improve their situation. Use words like “you” and “your” instead of “we” and “our” to show empathy and personalization.
- Be persuasive and emotional. Use power words, storytelling techniques, social proof, urgency, or scarcity to appeal to your visitors’ emotions and motivate them to act.
Conversion elements
The conversion elements are the part of your landing page that enable visitors to take action. They include:
- A lead form that asks visitors for their contact information in exchange for your offer. Your lead form should be simple and easy to fill out. Only ask for the information that you need and explain why you need it. You can also use trust signals like privacy statements or security badges to reassure visitors that their data is safe.
- A CTA button that triggers the conversion. Your CTA button should be prominent and visible. Use contrasting colors, whitespace, directional cues, or animations to draw attention to it. Your CTA button should also use clear and action-oriented language that tells visitors what they will get when they click on it.
Footer
The footer is the part of your landing page that appears at the bottom of the page. It can include:
- A navigation menu that links to other pages on your website. However, you should avoid adding too many links or options that might distract visitors from your main goal. You can also use a sticky or floating navigation bar that stays on the screen as visitors scroll.
- A logo that links to your homepage. This can help visitors recognize your brand and navigate to your website if they want to learn more about you.
- A contact information section that provides your phone number, email address, social media icons, or live chat option. This can help visitors reach out to you if they have any questions or concerns.
- A disclaimer or legal information section that includes your terms and conditions, privacy policy, or cookie policy. This can help visitors understand your policies and comply with any legal requirements.
Landing page best practices
Now that you know the basic structure of a landing page, let’s look at some landing page best practices that will help you optimize each element for conversions.
1. Ensure your messaging matches your ads
One of the most important landing page best practices is to ensure that your messaging matches your ads. This means that your headline, subheadline, image, and CTA should be consistent with the message and the offer that brought visitors to your landing page.
This is also known as message match or ad scent. It helps visitors confirm that they are in the right place and that they will get what they expected when they clicked on your ad. It also reduces confusion and friction and increases trust and relevance.
For example, if your ad says “Get a Free Trial of Our Software”, your landing page headline should say something like “Start Your Free Trial Today” or “Claim Your Free Trial Now”. If your ad shows a picture of a product, your landing page image should show the same product.
2. Write compelling headlines and subheadlines
Your headline and subheadline are the first things that visitors see when they land on your page. They have the power to capture their attention and interest or make them bounce.
Therefore, you want to make sure that your headlines and subheadlines are clear, concise, and compelling. They should communicate the main benefit of your offer and answer the question “What’s in it for me?” for your visitors.
Some tips for writing effective headlines and subheadlines are:
- Use numbers, statistics, or questions to make your headlines more specific and engaging.
- Use power words, emotional triggers, or value propositions to make your headlines more persuasive and appealing.
- Use keywords, modifiers, or qualifiers to make your headlines more relevant and targeted to your audience.
- Use contrast, curiosity, or urgency to make your headlines more intriguing and captivating.
For example, instead of saying “Learn How to Grow Your Business”, you could say “How to Grow Your Business by 300% in 90 Days”.
3. Choose an image or video that illustrates your offer
An image or video can be a powerful way to showcase your offer and demonstrate how it works or what it looks like. It can also help visitors visualize themselves using or benefiting from your offer and create an emotional connection with them.
However, not all images or videos are created equal. You want to choose an image or video that is relevant, high-quality, and appealing. It should also support your headline and subheadline and match your brand identity and tone.
Some tips for choosing an effective image or video are:
- Use original images or videos instead of stock photos or generic clips. This can help you stand out from the competition and show authenticity and credibility.
- Use images or videos that show real people, testimonials, or case studies. This can help you build trust and social proof with your visitors.
- Use images or videos that show action, emotion, or results. This can help you create a positive impression and inspire visitors to take action.
- Use images or videos that are optimized for speed, size, and format. This can help you improve your page loading time and user experience.
For example, instead of using a static image of a book cover, you could use a video of someone reading the book and enjoying it.
4. Optimize your CTAs
Your CTA is the most important element of your landing page because it is the final step before conversion. It is the button that visitors click on to take action on your offer.
Therefore, you want to make sure that your CTA is prominent, visible, and enticing. It should stand out from the rest of the page and draw attention to itself.
Some tips for optimizing your CTAs are:
- Use contrasting colors, whitespace, directional cues, or animations to make your CTA button more noticeable and clickable.
- Use clear and action-oriented language that tells visitors what they will get when they click on your CTA button.
- Use personalization, urgency, or scarcity to make your CTA button more appealing and persuasive.
- Use A/B testing to experiment with different CTA variations and find out what works best for your audience.
Conclusion
A landing page is a powerful tool to convert visitors into leads or customers. However, creating a landing page that works requires careful planning, design, and optimization.
In this article, we have shared some landing page best practices that will help you create effective landing pages that drive conversions. These include:
- Ensuring your messaging matches your ads
- Writing compelling headlines and subheadlines
- Choosing an image or video that illustrates your offer
- Optimizing your CTAs
- Keeping your landing page simple
- Showing your customers that you can be trusted
- Building forms with user experience in mind
- Using contrasting colors and legible fonts
By following these landing page best practices, you can improve your landing page performance and achieve your marketing goals. Remember to test and experiment with different elements and variations to find out what works best for your audience and offer.
We hope you found this article helpful and informative. If you want to learn more about landing pages or get some inspiration, check out our landing page templates