When you build an ad on Google, or create a banner for a special you’ll be running soon, where do you send the person who clicks?
If you’ve been in this game for any length of time, you know you need a landing page. And not just any landing page; one that converts and motivates the clicker to take the next step.
Landing pages are designed as standalone web pages built for a specific purpose. They should have a single objective in mind – a call to action, or CTA.
The reason landing pages do well is that they get right to the point. If you’re selling a toaster, for instance, the landing page should be exclusively about the toaster promised in the ad. If you bring them to your home page filled with different types of appliances, they’ll be confused. If you bring them to a web page filled with different types of toasters, they still may be agitated enough to back away, looking for something more specific from someone else.
How well does your company create landing pages for the things you promote online?
Not sure? Let’s take a look at several practices you can start today to improve how well your landing pages attract attention.
Solidify Your Goal
Let’s be clear; your goal isn’t to “attract new customers” or “get everyone to sign up for a newsletter”. If you’re thinking this broadly, it’s time to narrow your focus.
Before you ever start designing your landing page, it’s important to ask yourself why. Why am I creating this landing page? Why should people come here? What should they do when they get here?
If your goal is to get people to sign up for a free report, that is the goal of the landing page. It’s not an introduction to your company. It’s not an introduction to your products or services. It’s just about motivating people to get the free report.
In this case, the landing page should put the focus on the report. Highlight the title. Tell what’s inside. Get to the heart of the problem your visitor is facing, and make them desire your report. Then provide one call to action – a signup box for them to get the free report. That’s it. No other options should be highlighted. That can come later, after you get them to take this first step.
Highlight Your Headline
Think headlines aren’t important? Think again.
Think of your headline as your first impression. It’s the dressing on what comes next. And depending on what you say with your first few words determines what will happen next.
When you develop a strong headline, you’re conveying a clear message to your reader about what comes next. You’re giving them direction. And as long as the ad matches that same feeling, they’ll help carry them to the next step.
What makes a great headline? One that invokes engagement. One that makes people think.
That’s why questions are good.
Are you tired of paying extra fees?
This plays into pain-points. If someone is searching for a solution and is tired of paying extra money on fees, this is a great way to draw them in.
And that’s the point. Your goal is to get into your prospects psyche, and determine what they want most. That should be highlighted in your headline.
Get To The Point
Once someone gets to your landing page and they are intrigued by the first few words, what’s left on the page better satisfy their curiosity. If it doesn’t, they’ll click back and look for something better.
How do you do that?
In most cases, your landing page will be the first interaction with this prospect. Unless you are a huge brand – think Google or Amazon – chances are you’ll be new to them. You have to prove you’re worth a second look.
Qualify yourself in some manner. This doesn’t mean your complete resume. But you should have clear branding, and make it easy for a person to see who you are and the name of your company. Are you trustworthy?
Your biggest focus will be on your call to action – what you want them to do. You should have your “why” and lead them to make that decision. A few benefits of what they will receive if they go to the next step is a nice touch.
Have More Than One Landing Page
Too many businesses build one landing page and expect it to be a catch-all for everything they do. That rarely works.
Instead, focus on each online marketing strategy, and create a special landing page for each.
If you’re targeting pet lovers, why not have a landing page filled with cats AND one filled with dogs?
If you’re selling based on color, try separate landing pages with different colors.
If you’re separating your offer based on age, different landing pages can be built with different photos, showcasing motivators in different ways.
When someone clicks thru from an ad and lands on your landing page, you want the visitor to think: They’re talking to me!
The closer you can get that feeling across, the better chance your visitor will take the next step.
Build In a Secondary Plan
What happens if someone doesn’t take action? What if they don’t buy your product or sign up for your free report?
Do you have another option?
While you shouldn’t give more than one call to action on your landing page, you can think about what will happen if they try to click away without moving forward.
Have you ever had an exit popup show up on a screen? They make you a better offer. They ask if you really want to click away. They point you in another direction.
This tactic can be useful to help you dive deeper into what makes your visitors click. For instance, it might help you realize you get more traction with a bigger discount. Or people prefer a more targeted message.
This helps you fine-tune your strategy, and continue to test your landing pages as you grow your following.
It’s Time To Get Started
With all of these best practices in mind, it’s time to move forward and give your landing pages and campaigns new life. Whether you’re a newbie just starting to learn about online marketing, or have been building landing pages for years, understand that this is something that will impact your business for a long time to come. The more you learn about your customers, the easier it will be to approach them with ideal landing pages, and give them exactly what they want.
