The purpose of a landing page is to create an opportunity to “convert” a prospect into a customer by expanding upon the promise made in an advertisement or link – driving the prospect to take a specific action. Just as with a website, creating a positive user experience is crucial.
Navigation. The most important part of any digital experience is ease of use. If your landing page is slow to load, challenging to navigate or not mobile responsive, you will likely lose visitors before the page even loads. According to a study by Econsultancy, 40 percent of people will leave a webpage if it takes longer than three seconds to load. Google recommends that you keep your site load speed to less than two to three seconds. This free, easy-to-use tool will measure your site’s load speed and provide suggestions to help pages load faster. Keep your navigation simple so your prospects and customers have no trouble finding the information they need.
Aesthetics. The fact is, it’s human nature to judge books by their cover. Every element on your landing page – logo, typeface, color palette, photography, layout, etc. – needs to be strategically developed and thoughtfully mapped out. According to the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab, 46 percent of people say a site’s design is their primary criterion for determining the credibility of a company or brand. In other words, appearance matters. Your landing page should reflect your established identity and align with other marketing efforts to ensure you’re providing a connected design experience and consistently representing your brand.
Content. Prospects come to your landing page to learn more about products and to find solutions to meet their needs. At the same time, they are looking to connect with your brand. To accomplish these goals, your landing page must clearly and concisely deliver the core messages of your brand and campaign. Make sure your content is well-written, easy to understand and quickly makes your key point(s). Provide a convenient way for users to download the content and request more information, which will help you optimize site visits and capture more leads.
Following are eight “best practices” to increase conversions on your landing page and help ensure that you don’t lose valuable leads and customers.
Grab ‘em by the Headline
When visitors arrive on a landing page, a search engine or third-party website has typically referred them through a link and directed them to the page. Upon arrival, they’ll want confirmation that the page will indeed provide the information they are seeking. Reassure them by using a clear and concise headline that reinforces the page’s content.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Just as no one enjoys sitting through a text-only PowerPoint presentation, displaying plain text on your landing page will almost guarantee that prospects leave the page as quickly as they arrived. Include photos, videos and other imagery to help tell your story and entice visitors to learn more.
It’s the Benefits of the Benefits
When prospects reach your landing page, they are looking for a solution or explanation to a problem they are experiencing. Show prospects you “get them” by anticipating their needs and clearly addressing their pain points. Not only will you increase engagement and improve your chances of conversion, but you may even improve your site’s domain authority.
Strike While the Iron is Hot
Keep in mind that you only have a few seconds to capture a visitor’s attention. If you don’t grab their interest quickly, they will lose patience and move on. Ensure that essential information is “front and center” to provide a positive, engaging experience.
Call (Them) to Action
While gathering data is an important part of landing page’s mission, its most important function is to entice prospects to advance further into the sales funnel. The last thing you want to do is make it challenging to get more information. Incorporate prominent call to action buttons to help enhance conversion rates.
Add Legitimacy
Avoid using shameless self-promotion on your landing page – glowing claims made by your company may sound good, but they won’t have the weight that an outside source will. Include testimonials by third-party advocates to lend valuable credibility to your own claims.
Minimize Distractions
Your goal is to keep prospects on your page, not send them to another site. Since it’s highly likely your landing page will be viewed on a mobile device with minimal screen space, avoid page clutter and simplify navigation. According to a Google survey, 52 percent of users said they would be less likely to engage with a company or brand if they didn’t have a good mobile experience.
Try, try, try Again
Google and similar search engines constantly change their algorithms, so vigilance in analyzing metrics is critical. Your brand’s landing page is the “open arms” to future prospects and clients. And their buyer’s journey. Refine your landing page to maximize conversions… which will positively affect the ROI of your entire B2B marketing efforts.
Let your brand shine. At the end of the day, your brand’s landing page is a vehicle to proudly display your products and solutions and reinforce your commitment to meeting the needs of your customers and prospects. Make sure you’re creating a positive experience that will keep your brand top of mind. Make your building products marketing count!
