A landing page is the final stage of the sales funnel designed to persuade a user to complete the target action. Without it, all carefully calibrated previous stages will go up in smoke.
In this article, we will simplify the complicated, tricky process turning it into a thread of simple, clear, and achievable instructions anyone can follow. Make your landing page convert — starting now!
Universal Recommendation
Gotcha! There is no such thing as the ultimate recipe for a financially successful landing page. Webmasters should have a separate version (and not only one!) of the page for each audience segment to accurately match the interests and preferences of the users. Here are the aspects that should be taken into consideration when creating the landing page:
gender characteristics;
ethnicity;
offer specifics;
niche;
GEO;
traffic sources;
other factors such as seasonality or ad scheduling (day of week and time of day).
The approach to titles and creatives may vary depending on seasonal holidays, sports and cultural events. Webmasters can rely on A/B testing to choose the most effective option. Creatives should be regularly altered and updated not to annoy users.
Essential Components
There are no strict rules but landing pages typically consist of:
headline, revealing a unique selling offer;
call-to-action (Order or Download button);
benefits of your offer;
media components (images, video or audio showing the context of use);
design (composition, color scheme, readability);
social proof (direct quotes from customers, client companies logos, reviews).
Simplicity
According to Google research, web pages with simple structure and clear content are easier to comprehend and perceive. People process a landing page within the first 17-50 milliseconds of viewing mainly based on visual perception.
Let’s walk through each element and review best practices to make your landing page vivid and memorable.
Headline. It should reflect the essence of your offer to highlight the differences that make it unique. The headline will work best if it is:
placed “above the fold” and seen without scrolling;
emphasizes benefits of the product: feel healthy, belong to the community, get a free bonus, etc. The characteristics of the product should be mentioned later in the page body;
typed in a large or even giant font. It is one of the recent trends that perfectly matches minimalistic web page design (yes, we will dwell on it later);
typed in a font imitating handwriting or includes underlining or doodles, as if made with a pen. It adds a human-like effect that is also currently trending.
Here is the example from Shoelace with large font and “handwritten” underline beneath “all you do is approve”:
Call To Action. Marketing rule #1: one landing page equals one CTA, otherwise users will not understand what they are supposed to do.
The key to effective CTA:
Non-trivial wording for CTA buttons. Everyone has had enough of impersonal “Buy” or “Subscribe”, it is time to come up with something more original. For instance, “I want one!”, “Count me in!”, “How much?”, “Let’s try!” As you can see, there are plenty of options.
Tiny animated elements. People like cute and funny details, for example, a birdie pointing to the button (look at the example below, it's that cute).
“Above the fold” placement (top part of the page). It should be perfectly clear what to do and which button to click. As for longer landing pages, it is recommended to either place CTA buttons repeatedly throughout the page or pin one so it could always be visible even while scrolling.
Page content. No matter how catchy the headline is, it still can’t fully describe all the benefits of the offer. Supplementary texts are inevitable but they have to be concise, clear to the audience and typed in an easy-to-read font.
A good example is the home page of all-in-one marketing platform Mailchimp with well-defined advantages of their service.
Media components. 90% of information is perceived visually. Using media components, a webmaster can construct a whole new concept of a lifestyle that people will have once they get their hands on the promoted product. The main thing is to choose the visuals right.
Do not spare money and effort for creatives and use only high-quality materials. Avoid hackneyed images and videos that might seem outdated to the viewers.
As noted earlier, audience segmentation is very important when it comes to choosing appropriate multimedia. Only then your creatives will hit the target. For instance, if you promote dietary supplements, your best approach to the younger audience is an active lifestyle, while the older audience reacts to vigor, activity and well-being free of pain. The same applies to any other offer: understand what your audience needs and use it to your advantage.
Creatives must match the offer:
If you promote an online game, use its scenes to demonstrate the graphics and format.
Images of real people work better for dating offers compared to illustrations or animations as they are simply more relatable.
Video is a perfect visual support for e-commerce offers. Take Dyson as an example: videos are used as a background, in a checkout form (to show color options), in styling guides, and to demonstrate the way it was engineered. So. Many. Videos.
In the apps and services niche, it would be a good idea to use interface screenshots for a user to see what it is going to look like.
Visuals with real people can also be used even with the offers that do not imply direct interaction with a product. The purpose is to create a more human and customer-oriented image.
Design. The main relevant trend for any niche: less is more. The simpler the design of your landing page is, the better; it is especially true for crypto offers, various services and apps: the simplicity of the page automatically hints that the product is going to be user-friendly.
However, if you want your landing to stand out, add some zest:
monochrome (varying tones of one color) or saturated green that can be used outside of the nutra niche (e.g. online school home page):
gradients, color layering, bright elements in the background;
asymmetrical borders between page sections;
page zoning: this kind of design is relevant for the online reading behavior of the users as they look through the content like a zig-zag or in a lawn-mower pattern.
Social proof. Depending on a niche, it can either be text reviews, video testimonials or client companies logos, etc.
The main rule is that all reviews should look realistic, including amateur footage, “voice of the people” and so on, to exclude any doubt in their authenticity. Here is how the dog toy and treat service put that principle into practice:
More Recommendations
Engaging elements: animations, games, quizzes and various calculators (as in the example below) entertain and win over the users. In the finance, insurance and cryptocurrency niches or for subscription promotions, a cost calculator will be a smart decision: it will help users weigh their options. A short questionnaire suits the dating niche and makes the first contact with the user.
No payment checkout: if the offer allows it, highlight the fact that there is no need to enter card details… we all know how annoying it can be. This trick is possible mainly in nutra offers with cash on delivery or free trials when a customer gets a free sample and covers only the shipping fee.
Short and simple sign-up and subscription forms: ask for email or logging in with Google, Facebook, Apple or other accounts. Marketing experts also recommend using Yes Ladder forms where users are asked 2-3 questions to which they inevitably say “yes”. Here comes the last and most important question for conversion: the user can’t help but automatically press yes as well. The optimal number of points is 3 or 4.
Price: if people don’t see the price on the landing page, they will go and find it somewhere else anyway. Particularly brave webmasters may display competitor comparison, of course, as long as it is fair and shows the benefits of the promoted product.
Division into steps, stages and points: the less time you spend absorbing the information, the quicker you will make a decision, that’s why it is essential to keep your page content simple.
Anonymity and security: in sensitive offers such as slimming pills, hair loss, loan write-offs, cryptocurrencies, gambling or dating, people may be afraid of disclosure, financial or health risks. That’s why it is highly important to reassure the users that there is no risk involved.
Final Tips
Make sure that your landing page loads quickly, otherwise even a 3-10 second delay may have a negative impact on your conversion rate.
Check that it renders correctly on any device, including mobile, as most people use their smartphones to go online.
Minimize outbound links not to distract your visitors from completing the target action.
Best Option
Testing, gaining experience and common sense can tell you what works best. After all, no one can say with certainty which technique will be effective and which will not. Keeping up with the latest trends won’t hurt: using them will increase your chances of success. But we leave the final decision to you. If other webmasters are capable of creating a high-converting landing page, so can you! Good luck!
