Keep Your Brand Flying High with a Smooth Landing (Page)
Landing pages are the unsung heroes of digital marketing. These purposefully-built, single-page websites do the heavy lifting for successful campaigns.
But all too often, landing pages are overlooked as marketers plan out their campaign strategies.
Whether it’s an email blast, a paid advertising campaign, or an organic social media push, every campaign needs a place to send prospective customers. And all the research shows that the best place to send them is to a dedicated landing page.
According to a research company specializing in the data science behind website and landing page optimization, 44% of clicks for B2B companies send users to the seller’s homepage rather than a dedicated landing page. The unfortunate truth is that most of those clicks will not end up converting. In fact, the average website conversion rate is under 2%. By contrast, dedicated landing pages have an average conversion rate of 26%.
Why do landing pages tend to convert better than company websites?
To put it simply, dedicated landing pages are laser-focused—with no complex pages or navigation, lengthy copy, or other potentially distracting features. Landing pages are purposefully-built to deliver information quickly and concisely and help your prospects take the next step toward becoming a customer.
Of course, not all landing pages are created equally. The best-performing landing pages are chock full of features and design elements that help nudge your potential customers toward a conversion.
Let’s take a look at the anatomy of a successful landing page and the pieces that make it a campaign conversion powerhouse…
Holding Out for a Hero
While each landing page offers a unique experience, there are some elements that highly effective landing pages have in common. The first—and arguably the most important—element of a successful landing page is focus.
A truly strategic landing page starts with a clearly defined goal that guides every design decision. And the most prominent aspect of your landing page’s design is the large section at the top that immediately grabs the attention of your audience and instantly communicates the message you’re hoping to get across. This is called the hero section.
The hero area should always include a strong visual element like a strong image, animated graphic, or captivating video. Whatever you choose to feature here must clearly communicate your unique selling proposition—that is, the reason a prospective customer should choose your product or service over the competition.
It’s also crucial that every image, graphic, or video element on your landing page is top quality. The “wow factor” can make all the difference here.
Less is More When It Comes to Copy
Copy is an important part of communicating and selling your brand. But it’s also important not to go overboard. You can quickly overwhelm customers with too much detail, leading them to bounce off the page. Remember, the goal is get your prospects to take action and make contact to get their questions answered.
A strong headline is essential. The reader should immediately understand why this product matters to them. It’s critically important that the landing page delivers on the promise the link made to the user.
In other words, your landing headlines need to align with the link the user clicked to get there.
You want to focus on the benefits in your headlines and supporting copy. Explain how your product solves a particular problem for your customers or why your widget is essential to every home or business. The value proposition should be loud and clear in these few blocks of text.
Ready… Set… Action: The Importance of CTAs
Of course, the best landing page in the world is pretty much useless if there’s no way for a visitor to take action. Every landing page needs a clear, captivating call to action (CTA) and an easy way for the visitor to respond.
If the goal of the campaign is to get potential customers in touch with a salesperson, then your call to action should prompt the prospect to share contact information—and it needs to be clear about what the next step in the process will be.
If the landing page offers potential customers a special discount for signing up, the call to action should reinforce the offer and help them quickly complete the purchase and onboarding process.
Whatever the campaign goal, your landing page will always focus on the desired outcome; you’ll use that goal to inform the call to action you include.
Don’t Make Them Take Your Word for It
Another essential element of a high-performing landing page is a section called Social Proof. This section offers user or customer testimonials, reviews, brand logos for prominent existing customers, or other proof that your product is reliable, trusted, and highly sought after.
This section is an invaluable selling tool. It allows you to build credibility with your potential customers by sharing your references. You’re saying, “Don’t take our word for it. Ask these satisfied customers instead!”
This section may include one or more types of social proof depending on your product and the growth stage of your business.
Remember: You’re Not Alone
Building a landing page that converts isn’t easy. It takes strategy, design expertise, and technical know-how to create a page that outperforms the competition.
Fortunately, team Asen brings all those skills to the table with seasoned marketers and experienced designers, developers, and copywriters who understand the importance of creating an enticing landing page based on your unique brand goals.
Learn more about our process here or get in touch to kickstart a landing page that serves as your brand’s runway to real results.
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