How to design successful Landing Pages

Intro

Think of landing pages as the first impression a customer has of your site. They likely would have clicked on a link that directed them to a screen YOU want them to interact with. How does one design a successful landing page? Read on to find out!

Elements of a Successful Landing Page

1. Headline

Headlines are the first thing you see on a landing page. Good headlines result in conversions. Research has shown that 5 times as many people read the headline as the body copy of your landing page. Make it count!

The main purpose of a headline is to capture their attention and entice them to stay on the page. The best headlines are 1. Clear, 2. Relevant, and 3. Empathetic. Headlines can be clear by getting straight to the point and not vague or ambiguous. Headlines can be relevant by tying in well with the Google Ad (or another link) that led the visitor there. For example, if your ad mentions “Click for 20% off” and the headline doesn’t tell visitors how to get 20% off, your headline is irrelevant. Headlines can be empathetic by acknowledging the problem(s) your visitors face and stating how your product/service solves them.

Here’s an example from Disruptive Advertising that demonstrates an effective headline that ties in well with the Google Ad leading to it.

2. Copy

Copies are the landing page content that converts people and delivers sales. Copywriters are people who you can pay to write landing page content for you. Learning how to write effective copies can save you a lot of money.

Landing page copies should familiarize visitors with your offer. Here are a few tips to write a great copy:

1. Use customer testimonials
2. Emphasize the benefits you provide rather than just stating the problem you solve
3. Sound like a human, not a robot
4. Use specific statistics (numbers)
5. Have a Call-To-Action (CTA)

Here’s an example from Unbounce that includes a testimonial, statistics, states a benefit, and includes a clear CTA, all while sounding human:

3. Testimonial

Testimonials serve as a means of reassuring visitors of the success of your product or service. They can be included anywhere on the landing page, sometimes even as a headline! When figuring out who to feature a testimonial from trying to find someone who is likely facing the same problems the majority of your clients have. Relatable testimonials tend to be the most effective.

Cater your testimonials to your target market. You can also use visual testimonials like videos or images with a quote at your discretion. If your testimonial isn’t from someone who is super well-known, ask for permission to include their LinkedIn as part of the testimonial. This way, their claims can be easily verified by curious visitors. Make sure your testimonials are positioned strategically, they shouldn’t detract significant focus from your CTA button.

Here’s an example of a designated video testimonial page from ChowNow:

4. Lead Capture Form

Lead Capture forms serve to collect visitor information. Lead capture forms can be included on general landing pages or can form their landing page. Designated “Lead Capture Pages” are different from other types of landing pages because they display an optimized lead capture form to collect leads from visitors. Make sure to only ask for relevant, necessary information on these pages, because forms that ask for unnecessary information often go unfilled leading to landing page abandonment.

Lead Capture Forms should be optimized by form position, form length, link to a privacy policy, and CTA button. The more information you require in a lead capture form, the more information you should provide about your product/service.

Here are examples of both long-form and short-form lead capture pages from Salesforce and Shopify:

5. CTA

Finally, you’re almost done designing a landing page. Don’t forget to include a CTA! CTA’s should be the first thing your viewer sees when they visit your page. Here’s what a good CTA should be.

1. Visually appealing: Use contrasting colors to make buttons stand out.
2. Actionable: Use short action words. i.e. For Sales: “Start your free trial”. For Lead Generation: “Download Now”. For Capturing Leads: “Send me info”.
3. Showcase Value: Clearly communicate what’s in it for your users.

Here are some examples of good CTA’s on landing pages from Hulu, GoPro, and Unbounce:

Conclusion

Landing page design can take time to master, but the benefits of having successfully designed landing pages far outweigh the costs. Hopefully, this article gave you some ideas that helped you get started with landing page design. Good luck!