You have a great product or service. You’ve created an excellent newsletter or email to promote it, but you’re not seeing results? That can often be because you’re missing a (functioning) landing page on your website. Read this landing page tutorial to learn the principles behind creating a page that truly works.
Content page vs. landing page
A website generally has the following sections:
- Homepage
- Services/Products
- About the company
- Blog
- Contacts
Each section can contain dozens of content pages.
The purpose of a content page is to tell the visitors about everything your business can solve for them and direct them where you want on your website.
A landing page is a webpage with one specific goal.
The goal of having a landing page for a targeted campaign or a specific product/service is CONVERSION – directing the visitor towards a specific action (same as for an ad, which the visitor clicked to get to your page).
You should never drive traffic from your newsletter/promotional email to your site’s homepage. These usually have too much information and too many choices, plus the visitor might not do what you want them to do.
Main differences
Consider using landing pages instead of regular e-commerce product pages as well. Several studies prove that well-structured landing pages convert better.
The goal of a landing page
A landing page is generally created for a particular goal. For example:
- Registering (subscribing to a newsletter);
- downloading materials (such as manuals);
- collecting data (such as email addresses);
- selling products/services.
One effective strategy is to utilize the sign-up form in conjunction with lead nurturing techniques. A high-quality online course software can guide potential clients from the landing page to a download, followed by a brief introduction in the form of one or two lessons. Alternatively, a quick training session or checklist can be used to initiate the sales pitch.
A person who reaches your landing page often doesn’t know you or your company. That person may have clicked on a Facebook or a Google Ads ad, which took them to that page. Or perhaps they received your newsletter.
To that end, do not offer your visitor too many choices or too much new information. Your goal is to get their undivided attention and direct them toward your desired action, not have them leave the landing page.
Structure of a landing page
There are several options. In some cases, the structure below may have too many components. However, in most cases, all of the following five components are essential for converting the visitor.
Concerned about high costs and web agency waiting times? No need. You can easily create a landing page using most email automation programs (such as Smaily) and use them on your website.
1. Capturing attention
Heading (1A)
The heading should tell the visitors what you are offering. They should understand that they’ve come to the right place and feel that they have enough of a reason to stay on the page.
Write a heading that focuses on the final goal of the visitor who clicked on the ad or a link in the newsletter – getting that solution they need. Don’t forget that the heading has to be attractive. Avoid complicated wordplay, but do make it a memorable one.
The heading has to match the text from your newsletter/ad – the visitor should recognize that they are in the right place.
Subheading (1B)
You might opt to include a subheading under the main heading. It is important to make sure that it supplements the headline as if it were completing it. This might be where you insert the most special sales argument of your product/service, if appropriate.
Visual (1C)
Visuals should help the visitor understand your offer better.
If possible, position the product/service into a context in which it is normally used. That way, the visitor can identify with the consumer of the product/service and imagine themselves in the same situation.
You can find free photos and icons on image stocks such as Unsplash, LittleVisuals, IcoMoon, Pixabay.
Benefits (1D)
Make a very brief overview of the most important benefits that your product/service provides.
Use a bullet point list with 3–5 items. Express yourself clearly, don’t use empty words.
2. Call to Action
Once you have the visitor’s attention and you’ve convinced them that your product/service is special, the next thing they should notice is a call to action.
You can present the call to action as a form and/or a button – what matters is that it catches the eye. It can even be flashy.
Pick a color that stands out to highlight it from the rest of the text.
Form (2)
When creating a form (if you need one for your landing page), don’t focus only on making it as short as possible.
Instead, think about how to make it as relevant as possible.
The form should be as simple as possible.
What is your goal? Is it collecting visitors’ email addresses in order to sell them your online video course later? In that case, do not ask for the visitor’s phone number and give them something in return for the email address right away.
Button (2)
In the text for the button, mention the benefit to the client one more time. Keep it short and simple.
3. Product features + benefits
Here you can elaborate a bit on the benefits mentioned in 1D. To do this, tie in the features of the product with its benefits.
For example: This video course will increase the effectiveness of your e-marketing right away – watch the best experts in Europe share their tips.
Remember – always talk about both the benefit of the offer/product/service and its features.
4. Social proof
People are skeptical. They will doubt whether you will deliver what you promise.
You have to convince them, and create trust in the fact that you are indeed running an honest business and that what you advertise is true in reality. That is why you should show that other people also use your product/service.
To do so, follow these points:
- Add user feedback/testimonials (4A)
The testimonials should be short and sweet.
Here you can use the testimonials as a reference to highlight those qualities of your products that you might not be able to point out yourself.
- Get more proof/authority
Do a lot of people use your product? How many?
Has your product received awards? Show it and prove it.
- References for credibility (4B)
Display the well-known brands and names of clients that have established some kind of connection with your product.
5. Closing argument
At the end of your landing page (5), you have one last opportunity to convince the visitor of the benefit and value of your product.
If it is suitable and if you wish, add more arguments here that would strengthen the value of your offer.
As an alternative or an addition, you can add one more button to the end of the page that will take the visitor back to the form or complete an action that you desire.
Make sure that the calls to actions on different buttons remain identical!
If the landing page is short, adding another button doesn’t make sense and may prove to be a distraction instead.
One possibility to make sure the visitor takes action is to add a countdown timer to the end of your landing page (or elsewhere on the page).
6. Don’t forget to test your landing pages
You should always create at least two alternative versions of a landing page.
Test their effectiveness based on your previously determined goal by measuring the main KPI. Then make them better. Repeat the same process again and again.
In summary
Your website might have dozens and dozens of content pages. Probably none of them will qualify as a landing page.
The goal of a landing page is to direct the visitor towards a specific action.
It’s important to make one specific offer to the visitor, give them clear information about how they will benefit from the product/service, and prove it.
NB! The landing page should most definitely be optimized for mobile screens!
PS! The landing page should also have a link to your privacy policy (it’s good to load it on a pop-up to keep people on the landing page).
Article was written by Kaarel Talvoja from Eiffel Copy & Translation agency.