Cover Your Bases on Landing Pages
Time to Read: 3m 30s
Hint: Your Landing Page Is Home Plate
What is your definition of a successful landing page? What ‘conversion rate’ is satisfactory, good or great? Are you consistently seeing conversion rates for your landing pages in double digits? Do your landing pages compel your viewers to take positive action? All questions worthy of an answer. There is no reason you can’t accomplish good results with a systematic formula for ‘Landing Page’ content development based on three elements; ‘What’s Missing?’, ‘Clarity’ and ‘Tell Me How’.
What’s Missing?
Why does the viewer need your product or service? Tell them why they will benefit from your product or service over other solutions available on the market:- Why should they choose your product or service over your competitors? It may be quality, dependability, customer service or what your company does to stand behind your product or service that adds value. Convince them that your solution is worth pursuing as an answer to their search.
- Inform them of ‘what to expect’ when they choose to ‘click’ your ‘call-to-action’ and why they should click through. How is your product going to (specifically) help them?
- Information leads to action. The viewer is on your site, on that particular page for a specific purpose: information. If their curiosity is satisfied by your presentation, then a desired action will occur, such as a ‘click-through’ responding to a call-to-action or perhaps a purchase decision resulting in a click-through to your login page or cart.
Clarity
Why am I here? The viewer must immediately recognize what they are looking for on the landing page. The landing page must be dedicated to a specific product, service or solution removing any confusion about its purpose and focused subject matter. You must answer their question(s) visually and with an attention-getting Headline (H1) supported by a sub-head (H2) that explains the pages purpose a little more in-depth. An image or text that invokes an emotional response is a bonus.- Images – Bold and beautiful but with a purpose. You can make a wood screw* look interesting or clean and impressive with the use of a background, lighting and camera angle. Images with the product in use are a plus, demonstrating ‘ease of use’ or popular applications give the viewer a sense of involvement.
- Headlines - Strong, concise and an attention getter. Use a headline that includes the name of the product or service whenever possible as it is an element of the ‘on-page’ SEO hierarchy. If the subject matter cannot be made interesting use a headline that is descriptive of the product or service.
- Sub-heads – Explain or strengthen your appeal. The sub-head and subsequent body text should explain your value proposition in detail to the viewer. The use of numbered items, bullet points and tables to help explain the benefits of your product or service are informative and useful, especially for busy viewers interested in ‘scanning’ the page for pertinent, priority information.
- Don’t over-do it – Maintain an air of mystery and allure (Not always possible, see ‘wood screws’*). Let them know the substance of your offer while leaving a little information out of the mix to keep their curiosity in play. You want them to be compelled to click-through to your call-to-action page.