Landing pages are often the first thing your visitors see when they visit your website. They’re also the first thing potential customers see when they visit your Facebook ads and other social media posts. Therefore, they should be designed to help convert browsers into buyers.
A landing page is an opportunity to tell visitors what you do and why they should care about what you say.
While it can be your homepage, a product or service detail page, or even a contact form, landing pages are often standalone website pages designed to do a specific job – to capture readers’ attention and drive them to take a desired action.
That’s why it’s essential to make landing pages an integral part of your marketing strategy rather than just another page on your site because the more thought and effort you put into them, the better they will perform.
What is a landing page?
As the name suggests, a landing page is where visitors to your website ‘land’ when they find it. If they are looking for your website in one of the search engines, your website homepage may be the page they land on. However, if you’re doing any form of marketing – such as paid ads or social media – to drive people to a specific page, the page you are promoting will usually be the landing page.
Blogs, product/service pages, explainers/infographics or data capture forms can all be used as for this purpose, but many businesses create standalone landing pages relating to a specific campaign or activity.
The main aim of a landing page is to drive your readers to take a specific action, such as getting them to purchase, subscribe, download or sign up.
The content – both written and visual – needs to be clean, concise, engaging and convincing, to maximise its chances of getting the reader to do what you want them to.
The most effective landing pages are hyper-focused and optimised to prompt readings into taking your desired action. The words, pictures, videos and navigation are all geared towards driving that outcome, whatever it may be, by taking the reader on a logical journey towards that conclusion.
It should also make the intention of the page clear. If you want the reader to hit the ‘buy’ button, fill out a form or give you a call, the page needs to be explicit about what you want the reader to do.
What do landing pages do?
Landing pages are designed to convert. They’re focused on one goal – to drive visitors to take a specific action, such as buying a product, filling out a lead form or downloading an ebook.
They are a valuable tool in online marketing, used to collect emails, promote a particular product or service, and generate leads.
If you sell products or services online, landing pages should be a crucial part of your digital toolbox.
They are designed to capture attention, funnel sales leads and, ultimately, drive conversions, so you make more sales.
When it comes to digital campaigns, landing pages are the gateway to your business.
When visitors see your digital ads, emails or social media posts, the call to action will often direct them to a landing page. When they get there, it must make the right impression.
Landing pages should be engaging, memorable and direct.
They don’t have to be text-heavy. They just have to get information across in a way your readers understand. They should be designed to convert with a clear call to action that speaks to the target market and emphasises the value of what you’re offering.
Landing pages provide an excellent opportunity for your business to share its story and build credibility. The bottom line is that landing pages can help you increase conversions and sales, which is why they should be an integral part of your marketing strategy.
What does a landing page look like?
While every landing page is unique and should reflect a business’ brand identity, messaging, values and products or services, the most effective landing pages share the same essential elements.
Every landing page is unique, but the successful ones usually contain the same key elements. Each of these elements plays a role in driving the reader to take a specific action:
Header
The header is usually the first thing people see when they land, so it’s vital it grabs attention and piques readers’ interest. A strong headline with a nice image or visual will make the idea of staying on the page and scrolling down irresistible, and that’s the point. It’s all about providing enough value to make the reader want to read more.
Sub-header
Creating a good sub-header is all about reinforcing the message in the header with engaging text that gives the reader even more reason to want to read on. With a bit more space to play with, you can give your readers some of the essential information that didn’t fit in the header.
Body content
The body content gets to the actual nuts and bolts of what you’re trying to achieve. You should use this to explain what you’re offering in more detail, build trust with the reader and demonstrate the value you’re providing. This can be a mix of storytelling, images, video content and any other interactive elements. The aim here is to explain the offer in more detail and convince your readers they need what you’re offering.
Benefits
As the old saying goes, sell the ‘sizzle, not the steak’. While features are important, they can also be boring. What your readers are really interested in are the benefits of what you’re offering and how it will make a difference to them. Here’s your chance to list the benefits and really reinforce the main message you’re trying to give.
Trust points
Trust points are elements built into your landing page that build credibility and trust with the reader. They are visual cues – such as client logos, statistics, accreditations or testimonials – that showcase your credentials and provide proof of customer satisfaction. People are more likely to buy from you if they know other people are happy with the product or service you provide.
Call to action
This is the main aim of any landing page and needs to be big, bold and prominent. Whatever action you want your readers to take, the call to action is the culmination of all the other elements of your landing page. It needs to be obvious what you want your readers to do and make it easy for them to do it. So, if you’re looking for them to leave their contact details, a simple online form should be included. If you want them to buy something, a button taking them straight to their shopping cart is the way to go. Whatever it is, be clear and explicit.
’Good’ vs ‘bad’ landing pages
While there’s no exact science to creating the ‘perfect’ landing page, there is an art.
It takes a careful blend of creativity, strategic thinking, and technical expertise to design, create and optimise a landing page that supports your campaign objectives and delivers the results you’re looking for.
As with everything in the online world, landing pages comprise mainly words and pictures (with a bit of video or audio content thrown in). To be most effective, here are some of the things your landing page must include and some of the things to avoid:
'Good' Landing Pages
- Relevant keywords
- Good SEO
- Uncluttered page layouts
- Clear messaging
- Striking visuals/imagery
- Simple forms
- Strong branding
- Clear calls to action
'Bad' Landing Pages
- No images/irrelevant imagery
- Poor SEO
- Slow load speed
- Boring text
- No clear calls to action
- Not optimised for mobile
Let QBD help you create the perfect landing page
Let's talk!
Whether you’re looking to make more sales, generate more leads, build your database, attract new clients or promote your content, a well-designed landing page can help you achieve your objectives.
We design bespoke landing pages with your users in mind to influence their behaviour, drive the outcome you’re looking for and deliver a memorable customer experience. They are based on the ‘Interrupt, Engage, Educate, Offer’ model to create a powerful sales and marketing success formula.
Our expert team will work with you to understand your business, products or services, and campaign goals before creating a bespoke landing page that delivers the results you need.
Every landing page we create is designed and developed with your audience in mind to capture their attention, engage them, reinforce your USPs and, ultimately, drive conversions.
To find out more, get in touch today.