The main goal of a landing page is to transform regular traffic and visitors into leads or customers. While this implies that every page on a website is a potential landing page, there are cases where additional considerations need to be taken to reduce friction and convince your audience to convert.
Marketing campaigns are probably the most common scenario when a landing page is needed. And it makes sense: we want to maximise the number of users that become customers after clicking on a paid ad. This is comparable to the experience of visiting a brick-and-mortar store after seeing a product ad. If you arrive at the shop and you canโt find what you are looking for, no one helps you or the product or price is not what you expected, it is very likely you will abandon and look somewhere else.
While you will find many landing page designs, there is a set of fundamental elements that increase effectiveness. Similarly, there are elements that need to be excluded to reduce noise and maintain balance between clarity and content depth.
Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
A clear and compelling headline that accurately reflects the offer, product or service you are trying to sell. Think of your USP as โhow your offer is better and different from your competitorsโ. And whilst the list could be long, being succinct but avoiding vague or generic statements is way more effective than trying to go deep into the details.
Call to Action (CTA)
Perhaps the most crucial element of a landing page. This is the explicit instruction that tells visitors what you want them to do when they arrive – whether it is making a purchase, downloading a document or getting in touch with you.
Again, a well-crafted CTA should be clear, concise and, more importantly, visually prominent. It should be placed strategically on the page (above the fold) but it doesnโt mean you should only have it once. You can repeat the CTA multiple times within the page, but be careful not to look too desperate (no one likes a salesperson following you through a store).
Features and product benefits
Unless you are only targeting your most loyal fans, it is likely that you need to put a bit more effort into the copywriting and build up your value proposition. If the headline helped make your visitors curious, a feature list and benefits should provide more context and convince them to take the next step.
Social proof
As social beings, our decisions are always influenced by the actions and opinions of others. How many times has your friend briefly mentioned a product, and you found it theย next time you were scrolling down your Insta feed?
While it is scary to know your device is listening, this also shows that social proof is a powerful tool for persuasion.
While reviews and testimonials are probably the most common, there are other elements that can increase its effectiveness including logos from recognised customers, social media followers, awards, industry certifications or other user-generated content that could reduce uncertainty and increase trust and credibility.
Visual elements (images, graphics and videos)
A well-designed landing page is not just visually appealing, it is also functional and effective. This is particularly relevant when people arrive to the page from a mobile device. Having a smaller screen means interactivity is limited, the space to deliver your message is also smaller, CTAs could be hidden, and in most cases, attention spans will be shorter.
If you need a bit of focus and guidelines in this area I would say:
- Confirm your visual hierarchy. Are you delivering the most important information early and upfront?
- Keep a simple design. If you have doubts or if it isnโt critical, leave it out.
- Mobile-first. 60% of the web traffic will come from a mobile device, so make sure to offer a high-quality user experience.
A landing page, like any other page on your website, is a living entity that requires ongoing attention and optimisation. By continuously testing, analysing and refining the landing page experience, you will improve conversion rates. Additionally, with the right tracking pixels, a landing page acts as a real-time experiment providing valuable insights and results that could inform future campaigns and overall design decisions on your website.
If you are unsure about the effectiveness of your campaignโs landing pages, or any page on your website, reach out to us.