The 6 Most Important Elements of an Effective Landing Page

Landing pages are responsible for turning traffic into conversions, so they’re arguably the most important aspect of any digital campaign. 

When a customer clicks through from one of your campaigns, your landing page is the first thing they see – and you only get one chance to make a first impression. As such, it is vital to fully optimise your landing page to create a positive user experience that drives conversions. 

While there are certain elements that all landing pages should contain and some good design practices that businesses should follow, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ answer to the perfect landing page.  Remember that what works for one business and its audience may not necessarily work for another due to different products and services, varying audience characteristics and the nuances of the industry the business operates in.

That being said, the following provides a guide to some of the necessary elements that should be on a typical landing page.

1. Attention-Grabbing Headline

Only 77% of marketers who conduct landing page tests are testing headlines. This is a huge oversight of the other 23% as the headline is the first thing a visitor sees when they come to your page. An interesting headline will grab the visitor’s attention and convince them to look around your page to find out more, which prevents a high bounce rate. The headline should be clear, relevant, and address how you can solve the visitor’s problem. If your landing page is relatively long, you should also consider adding subheadings that support and reinforce the main headline.

2. Engaging Copy

Landing pages should supplement the attention-grabbing headline with engaging copy. Your landing page copy is how you get your message to the audience, ultimately persuading them to convert.

Most digital consumers only scan web pages. This is an important thing to bear in mind when you are considering the layout of the page.  Long paragraphs of text can be overwhelming and cause users to bounce as they don’t want to put in the effort to read through all the content. Instead, using formatting techniques that break up chunks of text into bullet points, icons, lists and bold copy can ensure the most important pieces of information will stand out to the reader.

3. Use Engaging Media

As mentioned above, website visitors don’t want to read loads of web page copy.  They do, however, like visually engaging content such as images and video. In fact, 96% of consumers find videos helpful when they are making online buying decisions. In addition, 58% of consumers consider brands that produce videos more trustworthy than those without.

Images are another great way of making your landing page more visually appealing. Users are 80% more likely to read content that is combined with bold, attention-getting imagery. Any images on your landing page should be relevant and help with the conversion process. Some useful ways images can be incorporated include showcasing products or product features, featuring employees or customers, telling a story about the brand and directing attention towards an important element on the page, such as a CTA button.

4. Call to Action

This is one of the most important parts of your landing page and should be given due consideration. In order to get visitors to convert, you have to tell them exactly what you want them to do and how they should do it. There should be no confusion as to where prospects need to go to convert.

The Call to Action on your site will typically be on a button, for example, ‘Buy Now’ “Sign Up for Our Newsletter’. The following are some of the factors to consider when designing your CTA button.

• Position: The position of your CTA button can significantly affect your conversion rate. If it’s too high up on the page, it may put people off. Instead, it can be effective to put your CTA button slightly lower down on the page (but still above the fold) after you’ve clearly introduced and explained your offer through your heading and initial content. 
• Placement: Having white space around your CTA button can help to isolate it and draw attention to it. You can also consider placing the button based on the ‘F-Pattern’ or ‘Z-Pattern’, which identify where to place a button based on the way that a visitor’s eyes will generally move when they land on your page.
• Size: Ensure your CTA button isn’t too small.  It doesn’t have to take over the entire page, but make sure it’s big enough to stand out to visitors.
• Colour: Your CTA button should stand out on your landing page. The most effective way of doing this is to make the button a colour that contrasts (but compliments) the rest of the page. To really make your CTA button “pop,” try using the Colour Theory.
• Text: The text on your CTA button can make all the difference between a visitor converting or not. Don’t use vague, generic, or overused statements like “Submit,” “Subscribe,” or “Download.” Instead, be specific about exactly what you want the user to do and use words that are tailored to your offer. 

5. Lead Capture Form

Lead capture forms are your way to get information from a visitor.  In some cases, they will be the ultimate conversion, eg. ‘sign up for a webinar’. Other times, the lead capture form will collect personal information on the prospect, such as an email address or phone number so that the business can follow up with them.

In order to get a customer to part with their information, the form has to be designed well and only ask for essential information from the prospect. The ideal length of a form is a topic that has been much researched and debated. Generally speaking, people don’t want to waste time filling out long, comprehensive forms and the more fields you have, the less likely they are to complete it. That being said, you need to obtain the required information. If the customer is further through the buying funnel and closer to sale, they are more likely to give more details.  The form should also be well organised and placed strategically on the page.

Another method for designing lead capture forms that gather more information from the prospect is known as the ‘two-step’ opt-in This allows marketers to simplify the landing page by removing the form and just having a Call to Action. When the visitor clicks the CTA button, a pop-up box opens with the form. In doing this, you are only showing the form to interested prospects, which increases the chance of success. 

6. Indicators of Trust 

In order to buy from you, potential customers have to trust your business.  There are a number of ways that you can use your landing page to build trust in your brand and add credibility to your offering. 

• Evidence: Provide a few statistics or examples that demonstrate past successes for your business. This information should be ‘above the fold’ on the page and can be included in the copy or an image. Remember to include a source, otherwise, your claims will appear unsubstantiated.
• Trust Badges: Trust badges can be in the form of industry awards that you’ve won, accreditations you’ve achieved or logos of the customers that you have worked with.
• Customer Testimonials: 88% of consumers trust testimonials and reviews. A recommendation from a happy customer is one of the most powerful ways to build trust with prospects. If you have customer reviews, you should make the most of them on your landing page as well as any other digital assets. Make sure you provide as much information as possible on who the testimonial has come from, such as their name, business, title and headshot to add more credibility to other viewers. 
• Third-Party Seals: Having a third-party seal on your website acts as an indication to visitors that doing business with your company is safe, and their data will not be shared or compromised. There are a number of seals of approval available, but the most recognizable logos to customers are Paypal, Verisign, and McAfee.
• Privacy Policy: Your privacy policy and terms of service should be included on any landing page. These documents help build trust as they tell visitors how their information will be used. Transparency is vital for building trust.

Remember the key to maximising your landing page performance is to A/B test. A/B testing is both an art and a science, with most digital marketers using a combination of experience, gut instinct and opinion when trying to work out what will convert their clients.  It’s important to take a methodical, step-by-step approach to testing your landing page and ensure you are measuring one element at a time. 

If you want more information on optimising your landing page, or for other digital marketing advice, get in touch with the experts at Digital Squad.

If you’re ready to take the next step to improve your digital strategy, talk to the experts at Digital squad, your digital marketing agency Auckland. Whether that be social media marketing Auckland, Google Shopping Auckland, and Google display network ads, we are here to help you out. Contact us and find out how you can improve your conversions.