This article will explain what a landing page is and gives 5 useful tips on how to get the best out of your page for your targeted online marketing campaigns.

What is a Landing Page?

A landing page (sometimes referred to as a Squeeze Page) is precisely what it sounds like. It is the page within your website that a user ‘lands’ on when they are transferred from another online source. Or more explicitly, it’s the next page an Internet user will see after clicking on a link related to your business. This link could be from, a Google search, a link on Twitter, a Facebook Ad a link within your blog, etc…
The simple goal of any landing page should be to encourage conversion within your sales funnel and it should tell a visitor to the page how to act on their interest in your business. To stand any chance of achieving this you need to consider the following tips.

1. Provide calls to action

There’s a lot of debate about how many calls to action a landing page should have, as too much choice can sometimes put a visitor off. However, our recommendation is to choose one Primary call to action and focus on this. It could be for example:
  a.   Proceeding to checkout
  b.   Submitting an email in exchange for a download – ebook
  c.   Make a phone call – Call Now!
  d.   Request a call back
  e.   Creating an account
  f.    etc, etc, etc.

Having further calls to action is okay as secondary but we’d advise to have no more than three in total. The more you can make your call-to-action stand out from its surroundings, the easier it will be for your visitors to see. Ideally, you should use a colourful element, especially if the page is primarily black on white or white on black. However, if your page is already colourful then a black or white call to action can be quite dramatic.

2. Present a clear and obvious USP (unique selling point)

This is what sets your product or service apart from your online competition. Your landing page needs to communicate this point immediately and importantly, constantly from the origin of the clickthrough. Your USP can be communicated in multiple ways:
  a.   The headline
  b.   A supporting headline
  c.   A value proposition

Your landing page’s USP, along with an image (see next tip) is what grabs the attention of a visitor. You have approximately 5 seconds to convince them the page (and your business) is worth looking into, and communicating the value of that investigation is how you do it

3. Use an appealing Image or Graphic

Images grab the attention of your landing page traffic. They also communicate ideas much easier than text. Imagery can create a strong connection between you and the photo, and therefore, the page. Human images are very powerful and when it comes to the types of effective human images to use, babies and attractive people are well known to have an impact. Of the two, the most universal in persuasion are babies. Attractive women have also proven to be a persuasive human element on a landing page. Facial images with clear eyes often create a powerful personal connection which creates a good way to increase a visitor’s time on page, providing valuable extra seconds for your USP to sink in.

Furthermore, if it’s a product or a service you’re promoting, showcasing contextual imagery on your landing page increases conversions because it helps the visitor visualize what it would be like to use your product.

4. Add an urgency or scarcity

Common psychological motivators are the use of a limited time or limited supply offer. These are very simple concepts that can be applied in a number of ways.

“Buy now!” or “Don’t hesitate” are good uses of urgency and can go some way to tempt your visitor into making a decision to purchase straight away. Stating that your visitor needs to buy now before say a product runs out, i.e. “only 3 left, everything must go!” is a good use of scarcity, which increases the fear of missing out on the desired opportunity.

5. Showcasing testimonials

Testimonials help provide a feeling of authenticity on your landing pages. However, not every testimonial is equal. To be powerful a testimonial must be more than a line or two proclaiming how amazing your product or service is. They need to tell your potential customers how your existing customers were able to solve a particular problem using your service. The testimonial has even more power if it is written by someone well known in your industry. Show your visitors the clear benefit other customers have had with your service with your testimonials, and watch your conversions increase.

We know there are many more factors that can affect the performance of a landing page. Why don’t you let us know what has worked well, or not so well for your business.

Do you want the best out of your page from your targeted online marketing campaigns? Why not give us a call for an informal chat on 0161 941 4615 or email us at info@theagencycreative.co.uk