Here is a presentation of some landing pages.
The whole point of the online ad is to get your reader to click on the link and go to your landing page.
- They need to look truly professional
- They need to offer the reader what he is looking for in the first place.
- Never leave the reader hanging: you need to do everything you can to keep them in the buyer mindset.
Once a person comes to your site, you want him to DO something. Your site is unsuccessful if that does not happen. Basically, when a visitor takes the action you want them to, that is called a conversion.
Landing pages are what your users see after clicking on your ad. It has to convince them to do whatever would be the desired action.
Think about your visitor. People don’t click on ads in order to carefully inspect your design. They click in order to find clues as to what to do. They want to know if they’re in the right place and to have the following questions answered:
- Does this site look trustworthy?
- Will this transaction take long?
- Is this site and offer what I imagined it would be?
- Should I stay or should I go?
Your landing page needs to answer these questions as soon as the user gets there. Once their questions seem answered, the visitors will ask themselves the big whopper:
- Should I accept this offer?
This is where your copy and pitch come into play. Visitors look over your design, copy and offer, and decide whether or not to convert. Even after a customer decides to convert, you can lose her due to bad design, interactivity, or functionality.
Tips to improve your landing page
- Define your conversion goal
Clearly state what it is you want people to do on this landing page - Do a little research about the targeted demographic
- What is the visitor looking for?
- What offers work with this group?
- Build a profile of your ideal user (a persona) and keep this person in mind as you make every decision. Stay on target!
- Visitors expect a targeted message, so tailor the pages to them.
- Eliminate unneeded details
Distractions kill conversions, so strip away any extraneous details. Thisi snot your homepage. - Match the creative
The landing page and the ad should match in message and look so the user knows she is in the right place. - Remove Navigation
Remove any unnecessary links—NO DISTRACTIONS, remember? - Stay focused
Don’t link to other places on your site. The whole point is to funnel your visitor to your goal. - Important elements above the “fold”
Pay attention to the virtual fold. If a visitor has to scroll in order to find out what you are offering, he will leave. - Provide conversion exits
Make it easy for your visitor to convert. Place conversion exits (the link that leads the user to the conversion point) above the fold and at every scroll-and-a-half point of screen space. - Lead the eye
Use the design to lead to your conversion exits. The design can add or detract from the process. Never distract your user from the focal point. - Optimize your forms
Optimize your forms—remove all unneeded fields, focus on the essentials. Get rid of the reset button. - TEST, TEST, TEST
Test your landing pages on a small user group. Make sure you answer all of these questions to the best of your ability:- Is it focused?
- Does the method match the ad?
- Have you gotten rid of the distractions?
- Is critical information above the fold?
- Are there enough conversion exits?
- Does the page enhance your brand?
Articles used to write this lesson:
11 Ways to Improve Landing Pages | Michael Nguyen | May 25, 2005
