How to Build an Effective Landing Page [Complete Guide]
Construct a landing page that captivates and converts. Follow our step-by-step guide to integrate compelling content, design, and user experience elements.
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The number of live websites on the internet right now is at a staggering 1.8 billion and counting. It really is a wide world out there. That’s why business owners need creative ways to attract potential customers.
A valuable marketing tool that does this is the landing page. In fact, it’s a must for every online business.
Keep reading for tips you can use to build your own high-converting landing page.
What is a landing page?
Essentially, a landing page is any webpage a visitor lands on after clicking on an ad or a link. It could be your homepage, another page on your website, or a standalone page created for a specific offer, product, or campaign.
The goal of building a landing page is to compel a visitor to take action—whether it’s to make a purchase, join a webinar, or give you their information for email marketing. It’s important that each landing page has a single purpose to help guide users toward the action you want them to take and generate higher conversion rates.
3 ways a landing page can help your business
Here are some ways an effective landing page can help your bottom line:
- It has a better chance to rank in search results. When you craft your landing page using keywords and promote it through paid ads, the combined effect can move your landing page to rank high on search engine results pages (SERPs). This gets your promotion or offers in front of a broader set of potential customers.
- It can be targeted to launch a specific product, offer, or campaign. Since a landing page is the first page users land on when clicking a link, you can use it for any specific goal you have in mind. You can use a landing page to launch a single product or a marketing campaign, all of which allow you to track conversion and sales of a particular product or the performance of a marketing campaign.
- It makes lead generation or conversion more efficient. If you design your landing page right, it can help deliver the results whether your visitors are at the top of the marketing funnel or at the bottom. An effective landing page can compel more people to become subscribers or click “buy.”
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7 tips to create an effective landing page
Before you sit down to build a landing page, think about your end game. What do you want to achieve? Is it to grow your email list, sell a particular service or product, or promote an event?
From there, define how you’ll attract the attention of your target audience? Get clear on your messaging. What are you offering—an immediate solution to a problem, a free product, or a discount?
While there are tools out there to help you build your own landing page, it might be worth your while to ensure you’ve got a good one. Getting it right the first time is key, and the little details matter. For something as important as a landing page, hiring a freelancer who knows what they’re doing is one option.
However, there are some best practices when building your own landing page. Below are seven steps you should follow to craft a high-converting landing page.
1. Begin with a strong headline
Hook potential clients with a catchy headline. It will be the most viewed element of your landing page.
You have less than 15 seconds to capture a visitor’s attention and get them to keep reading or viewing elements of the page. The headline should explain what you’re offering to the reader. It should be clear and concise—at most, keep it under 20 words, although less than 10 is preferable.
2. Use an effective subheading
The headline’s purpose is to grab a visitor’s attention. Now, add a subheading that will make them stay. For the best results, position the subheading directly underneath the headline. Your subheading should complement the header and give more depth and detail about your offer. Use persuasive words.
If the reader has doubts or objections about taking the action you want them to take, use the subheading to erase those doubts.
3. Add strong visual elements
One of the easiest ways to create a better user experience is to pair concepts with meaningful images. Visuals also make people retain information. In fact, people remember 65% more information when it’s paired with relevant images because the brain processes image 60,000 times faster than text.
Use the following guidelines when choosing an image for your landing page:
- If the purpose of your landing page is to sell a specific product, add a picture of the product.
- If you’re offering a service, add a picture most relevant to what you’re promoting.
- If you’re offering access to you, your time, or your expertise, include a picture of yourself.
- Invest in clear, high-quality, and tastefully staged photos.
- You want to stand out, so try not to use stock photos that other businesses or creators might also use.
4. Have informative body copy
Informative body copy expands on the strong headline and effective subheading. It also complements the strong visual elements you included in the landing page.
Informative body copy doesn’t mean listing the features of your product or service. Most of the time, customers already know the solution to their problem, what features they’re looking for, and the general price for the product or service they need or want.
So, your copy is more likely to engage and convert by pitching the benefits customers can get out of your product or service. Answer these questions in your copy:
- How does your product or service benefit the customer?
- What sets your product or service apart from the competition?
- How will your product or service change an aspect of their lives or the way they do business?
Follow these guidelines for an easy-to-read copy:
- Use short sentences. This makes for clear and succinct copy.
- Use simple words. Avoid fancy words like “ambivalent.”
- Write the way you speak. Use contractions or expressions if applicable.
5. Include trust indicators
Web users are constantly inundated with online advertisements and offers. Because of this, consumers have become less trusting and wary. They’re likely to stay away if your site looks unprofessional or scammy.
So, how do you establish trust within 15 seconds? Add trust indicators to serve as endorsements of your reputation and expertise.
This might include:
- Testimonials or customer reviews. These are social proof that you are the “real deal” and you can deliver what you say you can.
- Trust badges. These are logos and trademarks of prominent or popular brands you’ve worked with or are affiliated with.
- Awards or recognition. Add logos or links to awards you’ve received if they demonstrate your authority and can help build confidence in your ability.
- Statistics/data. Use numbers to back up your claims. For instance, you can mention the number of customers served or how many years you’ve been in the industry. If you’re promoting a digital product, indicating the number of downloads or subscribers you have can serve as proof that your product is better than competing ones.
6. Provide a strong call to action
The most important element of your landing page is the call-to-action (CTA). The ultimate goal of your landing page is to get the person reading it to click the button, banner or link.
Here are some of the best practices to get the best conversion rate possible out of your CTA:
- Use a CTA button. Make it obvious where your potential customers should click so they can’t miss it.
- Make your CTA stand out. Use high-contrast colors and make it big.
- Position your CTA prominently. Your prospect should not have to scroll down the page or look closely to find it.
- Use persuasive copy. Ideally, you’ll create different landing pages for several purposes as you meet potential customers in their journey to discovering your products or services. In general, your CTA should make people feel they’re getting something instead of giving something up. But that will depend on how close they are to buying. If your landing page’s purpose is to get people to sign up to a webinar or your newsletter, you can use words like “Get,” “Discover,” or “Learn More.” If you’re using the landing page to close the deal, “Buy Now” and “Sign Up” create excitement and may lead to conversion.
7. Run A/B testing
After you’ve created your landing page, send it out to the world. But make sure to check on metrics, such as Google Analytics, to evaluate if it’s working. Then, use A/B testing to test different versions to see which one performs best.
Start creating your next landing page
Landing pages are essential to your success and longevity in the online business world. They’re one the best way to capture leads and move potential customers down the sales funnel. That’s why building an effective landing page needs strategy and a targeted, goal-oriented focus.