The eBiz Blog

When you want visitors to your website to take a specific action, such as watch a video or apply for a special offer, directing them to a specific landing page focused exclusively on that action is the way to go. A landing page is the page visitors land on after clicking a link contained in an email marketing message, a social media post, an advertisement, a search result or even another page on your site. Unlike your home page, which serves as an introduction to your company, a landing page should be devoted to a single offer or action. When it’s properly planned and arranged, a landing page is the key to meeting or exceeding your conversion goals.

However, too many website designers drop the ball when it comes to creating effective landing pages. As a result, the actions the website owner wants to see fail to occur. When you are working with your website development service to build your site, keep these tips in mind so your landing pages attract the right customers and spur the right actions.

Know What You Want

One of the biggest mistakes website designers make is not knowing or having a clear idea of the goals for the website and what constitutes success. When planning a landing page, consider what you want people to do after reading your message. Do you want them to make a purchase, subscribe to a newsletter, request more information or sign up for an event? Once you know what you want, design your page around that goal. Remember, a landing page is not a home page. Keep the copy laser-focused on your goal. You can direct visitors back to your home page after they complete that task.

Keep It Simple

One last time, a landing page is not a home page and shouldn't be setup to tell a broad story, so keep it simple. You need a catchy headline that grabs attention and focuses the visitor's mind on the purpose of the page. The page also needs a clear call to action and concise information that a visitor needs to make a decision. Don’t clutter the page with too much information or irrelevant information. Benefit oriented bullet points are best. Testimonials and guarantees add value and can entice people to follow through, but those items need to be compelling and concise.

Use Images Wisely

Research has shown users are often intimidated or put off by photos of people looking directly at the camera, and by extension, them. If you are going to use photos of people on your page, choose images of people looking at the product, or better yet, toward the call to action button or form. Those images draw the visitor's eyes to the things you want them to look at. Don’t include too many images or options on the landing page because that can create clutter and confusion.

Also, be extra careful to use images that are sized appropriately in both dimension and file size. An image that is too large in width or height can make a page appear out of proportion and that will subconsciously turn off your prospective customer. An image that is too large in file size will cause the page to load slowly, which is also a turn off. You literally have just seconds to hold the visitor's attention. Don't make them have to wait for an image to load.

Test Different Options

Landing pages are an ideal place to engage in A/B split testing to optimize for conversions. Test different variations of your page, changing the wording, images, layout or multimedia options. However, test only one change at a time and use the results to tweak your landing page accordingly.

Designing an effective landing page will make a significant difference in your conversions. Spend some time making it the best it can be and the results will speak for themselves.

eBizWebpages