Have you optimized your landing page for conversion? Having a great landing page isn't just about making a great first impression. It's also an opportunity to turn clicks into sales.
Too many businesses fail to utilize landing pages properly. Some don't even use them at all. Instead, they rely on marketing and promotion to drive sales. While these methods are great, they often reach out to an audience engaged in other activities.
Using a landing page capitalizes on the interest of an engaged audience. These viewers are already visiting your site, demonstrating their interest. Take advantage of that interest.
Keep reading to learn more about landing page optimization and the fundamentals to follow.
What is a Landing Page?
A landing page isn't to be confused with a home page. A home page is the primary page for your site, linking to all other content.
A landing page, on the other hand, is the first page visitors to your site encounter. It's designed to be a call to action that will drive sales. It offers the visitors the chance for a quick purchase of the goods or services your business provides.
How to Use a Landing Page
Landing pages are most effective when they target an audience's needs. If you're using paid advertising, the landing page that the ad links to should support the content of the ad.
For example, say your business sells HVAC servicing and repair. Ads should focus on specific areas you deal with, meaning one advertisement will focus on air conditioner servicing, another on furnace maintenance, and so on. The landing page these ads link to should focus on the service they're promoting.
If someone visits your site following a link for duct cleaning, it doesn't make sense to try and sell them on central AC installation. They're already showing their interest in one of your services, so it pays to convert on that.
How to Make a Landing Page
There are a few different options to develop a landing page. Which you take depends on your skill set and comfort level.
You can do it yourself, either in WordPress, if that's what your site is built from. There are also websites and apps that will allow you to quickly and easily make one without any coding needed.
Otherwise, reach out to your web developer or IT company to do it for you. That saves you the trouble if web development is outside of your abilities.
Optimizing Your Landing Page
A landing page only works if it converts clicks to sales. If it's not offering something of value to the visitor, it's just another obstacle between them and what they're looking for.
There are a few principles that will help you create landing pages that work. Thes principles offer a roadmap to follow.
1. Keep it Simple
A landing page shouldn't be considered a webpage. You're not looking to provide an in-depth understanding of a service or product. The more clutter, the less effective it'll be.
Instead, think of it as a billboard, our a flyer. It should be brief, letting them know what the offer is, why it's worth acting, and the risk of skipping the page.
The headline should be the main source of information. If visitors only read that, they should already understand what the offer is. Some supporting evidence in the copy below will help support it, but keep it straight-forward.
2. Include an Attention-Grabbing Graphic
People love visuals. Including an image helps fill in the context around the copy.
The image you choose should reinforce the product or service being sold. That's not to say it has to be a direct representation; instead, an environment of people working happily together can support the idea that your service creates a more harmonious workplace.
3. Include a Call to Action
The purpose of a landing page is to convert sales. This requires a call to action encouraging your audience to act on the offer you're making them.
Make the call to action bold and exciting. People are more likely to make a purchase if they feel excited about what they're buying. Make them feel like they're about to embark on an adventure.
Since you're encouraging visitors to act on your offer, you need to make it easy for them to make their purchase. Include an email form or direct link to a shopping cart. The less required from the buyer, the likelier the purchase.
4. Consider Testimonials
People love reviews from others. No matter how convincingly you market your products, a glowing review from another buyer may be what it takes to close a sale.
There are plugins and apps that will refresh with a new testimonial after a time. This is a great way to include a number of positive reviews without sacrificing too much space to include them.
5. Show Your Credentials
It took years for people to trust sharing their information with a website. While that's changed over the last few years, there's a renewed sense of awareness in regards to sharing personal information.
Showing your security credentials will help ease any concerns others may have. This includes having your SSL certification, as well as the logo of any security partner ensuring your site's security.
Test Your Page
Building a page doesn't guarantee its success. A/B testing is a quick way to check the effectiveness of your landing page and assess its strengths and weaknesses.
There are options available that will help understand what will and will not work. It's amazing the difference the color use, font choice, and call to action placement can have on a landing page's success.
Landing Page Optimization: In Conclusion
How can you tell when a marketing technique works? When everyone uses it.
Landing pages are becoming a ubiquitous part of the online experience because they work. Marketers understand that people respond to relevant offers asking for quick action.
The above fundamentals on landing page optimization are your path to greater conversion. They'll lead you to build the offers that result in sales.
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