3 Steps For Creating High-Converting Landing Pages
A landing page is an indispensable part of inbound marketing — it aims to capture information from prospects in exchange for something of value.
By definition, it is any standalone web page that visitors are brought to from various marketing channels, whether that be an email, advertisement, or other digital location. A great landing page, however, is one that clearly defines its value to the audience, differentiates its brand from competitors, and presents a singular, focused call to action.
Landing pages exist for one reason, and one reason only: to increase conversions — and nothing should come between the visitor and the conversion. In this article, we will discuss the 3 most important steps in creating a successful landing page.
Optimize your lead capture form
Your lead capture form is your ticket to gathering personal data about your website visitors.
You can collect a range of information, but keep your form fields to a minimum to avoid overwhelming your prospects. Not to mention, people are increasingly hyper-protective of their personal information and prioritize data privacy. Even if a piece of information, like their profession or company name, would be helpful to you, you can find this information out later.
Here are our top tips for optimizing your lead capture form:
Place It Above The Fold: Above the fold refers to the space on a webpage a visitor sees without having to scroll. People spend 80% of their time above the fold, so it’s important to house your most important elements here.
Make Your Form Feel Less Like A Form: No one likes filling out forms. Elements like large clickable images and toggle sliders can improve the user experience.
Include A Progress Bar: If you’re asking for more information, consider breaking up your form into multiple steps with progress indicators.
Strengthen your CTA
Every landing page should be built around one focused conversion goal: your call to action.
We’ve all seen the go-to CTAs: sign up, register, subscribe, download — the list goes on and on. The problem with these words? They cause friction, suggesting that your visitors have to give something up to get something — not to mention, they’re extremely vague and overused.
To help you craft the perfect CTA, we’ve compiled some of our favorites below:
Netflix: Watch free for 30 days. People fear committing to purchases, so Netflix offers a free trial eliminates this fear up front.
Grey Goose: Discover a cocktail tailored to your taste. A little on the lengthy side, but Grey Goose personalized the CTA invoking curiosity.
Whale and Dolphin Conservation: I wish to end whaling. This first-person CTA pulls on the heartstrings and creates a sense of urgency to join WDC in their fight.
Uber Eats: Click for Queso. Instead of saying “order now,” Uber Eats put a fun spin on their CTA.
Your CTA’s copy is only half the battle, though. If a button shape is too big or too small, the color too bright or too dull, you risk missing out on potential conversions. Make sure your CTA is proportionate to the other elements on your page and that it is a color that contrasts well — consulting the color theory can help you choose the most appropriate shade.
Focus on a particular stream of traffic
Some people confuse a website’s homepage with a landing page.
Don’t get us wrong — your homepage can most certainly function as a landing page. But while the homepage is essentially an overview of your brand and core values, a landing page is generally a dedicated, campaign-specific webpage that drives specific visitors to complete an action.
Here are a few of our favorite landing pages that focus on targeting a particular audience segment:
Airbnb: To convert website visitors into hosts, Airbnb makes use of an enticing headline, contrasting color scheme, and most importantly, an incredible element of personalization — they provide you an estimated average earnings projection based on your location.
Uber: This ride-sharing company is known to accommodate passengers, but its business operation relies on its drivers for success. To persuade visitors to drive with Uber, its landing page tells drivers to “earn on their own time” and includes estimated earnings based on their location as well.
Dropbox: With the headline, “Everything teams need, all in one place,” Dropbox Business clearly defines its unique value proposition to businesses. It calls out the 450,000+ teams that use the product and includes their logos for social proof.
Final thoughts
Because the landing page falls at the very bottom of the sales funnel, it plays a key role in customer acquisition. It should immediately familiarize users with your brand, inform them about your offering, and get them excited to take action.