Making a landing page is easy. There are tons of tools that will help you put together a basic, no-frills landing page. But making a landing page that will actually convert visitors into customers? That’s a little more challenging.
What are the components of a landing page that will result in conversions? How do you go beyond the basics? Let’s examine the anatomy of a truly effective landing page.
Here’s the thing: only 20% of people who read your headline will actually continue to read your content. If your headline doesn’t engage your audience immediately, you’re dead in the water. It’s the part of your landing page that determines whether or not the viewer wants to learn more about what you’re offering or if they move along to a more interesting prospect.
There are three things that a great headline will accomplish. It will:
Adhering to these guidelines will help you create a headline that will engage and encourage the reader to continue down the page.
If your headline brings the viewer to you, your sub-headline persuades them that they’re in the right place. Without the follow-up of a great sub-headline, you’ll lose the momentum you’ve created with your killer headline.
Here are the elements of a persuasive sub-headline:
You need at least one picture on your landing page— a visual element will draw the reader’s eye faster than anything else. After all, your brain can process visual information 60,000x faster than plain old text.
Whether you show a picture of the product or service you provide or a video of your product or service in action, your landing page won’t be nearly as effective without a visual element.
A great image will be:
This is the spot to place a quick, scannable list of a handful of the advantages related to using your product or service. Keep it short and sweet— the typical visitor to a website is a scanner, not a reader. They don’t have the time (or the inclination) to read through paragraph after paragraph of content.
A few bulleted points should do the trick; clearly describe the value you offer and move on.
Here, use a button or large text to differentiate from the rest of the page and call attention to your copy. What do you want the reader to do? Download an ebook? Sign up for your newsletter? Schedule a consultation? Whatever the action might be, make it clear what they need to do to and how they can do it.
Sure, your headline and sub-headline were great, but your reader probably needs a little bit more information about what you have to offer.
This is where you get the opportunity to share what sets you and your product or service apart from the rest. Clearly state the key benefits that your product or service will offer clients. What will the reader get if they take the action you want them to take, whether it’s offer up their email or download your ebook.
Be sure to point out what they’ll lose if they DON’T take advantage of what you’ve got to offer. People are averse to pain— in fact, they feel the pain of loss more keenly than the pleasure of gaining something. But remember, be sure to offer a remedy for this pain— you don’t want to leave them with contemplating the problem without a solution. While people hate the thought of pain, they love the idea of pleasure. Show how your product or service can enhance their pleasure, meeting an emotional need as well as its intended purpose.
What better way to boost your profile than some glowing testimonials from happy, real-life customers. People value online reviews almost as much as they value the opinions of trusted friends and family; in fact, 88% of consumers trust online reviews when they’re considering working with a business.
The addition of testimonials to your landing page will lend you credibility. If a prospect is teetering between you and a competitor, this could be the push they need to land on your side of the fence.
How do you ensure that your testimonials are trustworthy?
You’re at the end of the page. What’s left? If a reader has made it this far, they’re probably ready to get on board with what you’ve got to offer. Now’s the time to clinch it. One way to further build trust between you and the consumer is to show them the other businesses that you’ve served in the past. Additionally, if your site is set up for e-commerce, security seals like Verisign or TRUSTe are a signal that you value your customers’ safety.
Last but not least, be sure to prominently display your phone numbers, email addresses, and any social sharing links as well as your company’s privacy policy. A final CTA in the form of a button or bold text would also give the reader the last push they need to take the action you want them to take.
Need a hand creating an effective landing page of your own? We can help.