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Top 10 Best Practices for Building Effective Landing Pages

November 15, 2016   /   by  Diane Callihan

Landing Pages Convert Traffic into Leads

As marketers, we spend a lot of time working to drive traffic to our websites. And while it is great to have huge numbers of site visitors, it doesn’t matter very much if you can’t turn that traffic into sales.

That’s where landing pages can make a big difference. If you send your traffic to a specific landing page with an offer and a simple form to fill out, you can capture the information you need to turn anonymous site traffic into actionable leads.

There are a number of best practices for landing page creation that have been proven to increase conversion rates. Learn all the Secrets to a Successful Landing Page by downloading our free eBook. Here are some proven techniques:

  • 1.Remove or minimize the navigation on your landing page. The idea here is simple. Your goal is to drive as much traffic to this page as possible. Once people land there, you don’t want them going anywhere else until they’ve filled out your form and you’ve captured a lead. Now is no time for browsing your site.
  • 2. Have a clean, simple design. Your landing page should have a nice header, a compelling image, minimal copy, a short form, a call-to-action (CTA) button and ample white space. Also make sure the page is responsive so that it can be easily accessed across all devices. Note: you may want to move your CTA to the top of the mobile version of your page, so it doesn’t get pushed below the fold.
  • 3. Create compelling copy. You should include:
    • A headline and sub-head that make it clear what your offer is about.
    • Long-tail keywords and metadata to improve SEO performance.
    • Brief copy (include bullet points) that clearly:
      • Addresses your customer’s pain points
      • Paints a picture of what it would be like if you removed your customer’s pain (Consider “What if” statements)
      • Explains the offer and how it will solve their key concerns
      • Provides 3rd-party support (testimonials, stats, etc.)
      • Provides a strong Call to Action (CTA)
  • 4. Build a short, easy-to-use form.
    • Collect only the information you need. If you want to add a few more fields to help qualify your leads, know that you may get fewer submissions. Typically, less fields to fill out equals more leads.
    • If you have a marketing automation system, make sure your form automatically submits new lead data directly into that system.
    • If possible, make your form dynamic so that people who have filled out forms with you before will have their information pre-populated automatically.
    • Consider adding a checkbox on your form that allows users to sign up for your e-newsletter or blog feed.
    • Include a privacy message or link to your privacy policy that assures users that their contact information won’t be shared or sold to third parties.
  • 5. Have a clear CTA button. Make sure it’s easy to see, looks clickable and specifically says what it will do. Instead of “Submit” say “Download Whitepaper” or “Get Your Free eBook.” Also, make sure you only have one offer – one CTA – per landing page.

Want to discover the final five best practices for creating an effective landing page? Download our eBook today and you’ll also learn how to create a compelling offer, receive a pre-launch checklist and uncover some great tips for promoting your landing page.

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Diane Callihan

Diane Callihan

With more than 20 years of experience writing for some of the country’s top brands, Diane helped to shape Roger West’s content strategy, lead generation, and PR efforts as Director of Marketing. She currently serves as President of Callihan Content Creation.