The Secret To Landing Pages That Work

You know that when a prospective customer clicks in response to an ad, whether it’s a PPC ad like Google AdWords, a banner or text ad, or even an email, you should never send them to your front page.
Instead, the first place you should send them is a landing page tailored to that particular ad.
And you probably know that when building a landing page, your mission should be to create a smooth experience for your prospects, with the goal of converting them into a customer or a fan.
But how do you go about creating a landing page that works?
Give these seven ideas a try to see your conversion rates rise:
1. Match your headline to your ad.
Make sure the headline on your landing page refers directly to the place your visitor just came from or the ad copy that caused her to click.
And you should always match your language as close as you can– or keep it exact if possible. This way your visitor isn’t confused, thinking she came to the wrong page.
It’s important to keep her attention here, or you’ll lose her as quickly as she arrived.
2. Provide a clear call to action.
Always make sure and tell your visitor exactly what you want her to do once she reaches your page. Be clear!
For example, if you want her to sign up for your newsletter, say: “Sign up for my newsletter here.”
Likewise, if you want her to try a free 30-day trial of your product, say: “Try a free, 30-day trial of x product.”
You should provide a minimum of two, if not three, calls to action on your landing page (yes, even if it’s short!).
3. Talk directly to your prospect.
Don’t waste your time saying things like, “we do this, I do that… ” If you do, you’ll quickly lose your prospect’s interest, and she’ll move on to bigger and better things.
Instead, talk directly to her by using the magic word: You!
Tell her why your product or service will particularly benefit her. Don’t talk about yourself, talk about her.
4. Use lists and bullets to explain your primary points.
People don’t have time to read entire webpages anymore. That’s why if you want to get your point across, you have to use lists and bullets to explain your most important ideas.
This way, even if your reader skims your webpage, she’ll still get the gist of what you’re offering.
5. Keep your most important content above the fold.
The fold describes the part of your screen that you see without having to scroll down.
And while many successful landing pages are short and keep all content above the fold, it’s not crucial.
If you do have content that falls below the fold, just make sure to repeat essential calls to action, points or other components so that wherever your visitor is on your landing page, your “CALL TO ACTION” button or link will always be visible.
6. Keep your design simple.
The goal in creating effective landing pages is to be direct and to eliminate or minimize any distractions.
Many experts recommend removing all extraneous matter from your landing pages, including navigation bars, visual clutter, and links to other sections.
Doing this will mean your reader will be focused solely on your copy and any supporting visuals without being tempted to click away.
7. Test, test, test!
There are two main elements to test: whether your landing page is converting properly, and whether your landing page functions as you intended.
As for the first element, it’s a good idea to split test your landing pages, experimenting with different headlines, visual elements and layout to see which ones convert best. Just make sure to test each element one at a time so you know what changes are actually making a difference.
And always thoroughly check your landing page for errors before sending it out to the world. You’ll want to catch any issues (especially with those call to action links) before your prospects do.