Landing pages typically differ from most other web pages in that they have a single objective: driving conversions.

Most ads you run on Google AdWords, social media and elsewhere should link to a custom-built landing page, not to your home page or main catalog page. After you’ve spend money running an ad and gotten the reader to click the link, you want him or her to arrive at a page designed to do just one thing: convert. Conversion might mean purchasing one item featured or service on that page, signing up for a newsletter, or requesting an estimate, but you don’t want the reader to be distracted by anything else.

Many – possibly most – of your website pages are more or less permanent, but landing pages tend to be temporary, sticking around only as long as the campaign or special offer that relies on them runs. You may have several landing pages running simultaneously, each tied to a different offer or ad. But no matter how many active landing pages you have, they won’t benefit you at all if they’re poorly designed. Here are a few tips on improving your landing pages to boost conversions.

Keep it Above the Fold

What a viewer first sees in a new browser window is said to be “above the fold,” a term taken from the newspaper industry that references the content you could see on a broadsheet newspaper without having to unfold it. This is where attention-grabbing headlines would go to maximize interest in the paper. Your landing pages should use a similar tactic to improve conversion.

When people visit your landing page, the offer or request should be immediately visible without any scrolling required. Let the reader know that he arrived in the right place, and shove that offer right in his or her face. If you make him scroll or look around, you’ve probably lost him.

Strong Headline

The headline (which is right up top) should describe the offer in an attention-grabbing, accurate and concise way. Don’t use puns or get cute or creative. Get right to the point. You’ve got a fraction of a second to let the reader know what he’s here for and what he’s expected to do.

Convincing Subhead

A subhead should complement your strong headline by expanding on the content of the headline and persuading visitors to stay on your page.

Powerful Images

Images have a profound, rapid impact on visitors. Use high quality photos that are relevant to your product or service. Unless you’re literally selling nuts and bolts, images showing people using the product will often perform better than bare product shots.

Concise Copy

Once your visitors have been hooked by your above-the-fold content, they will encounter more details about your product, service or offer in the form of body copy. This is your opportunity to explain your offer in more detail and elaborate on its benefits. Use clear, concise language, stay on topic, and keep the customer’s pain points in mind.

Call to Action

Follow this up with a clear Call to Action (CTA). Tell the reader exactly what you want him to do. Make the purpose of the response button clear. “Click here” does not cut it. It should read more like “Yes, I want a free quote,” or “Buy now for 15% off.”

Make Forms Easy to Use

If your landing page is designed to gather information, rather than send the customer right into a shopping cart, you have to balance your desire for plenty of data against the customer’s desire for privacy and his disinclination to spend a lot of time. Make forms simple to fill out and easy to read. Ask for only the minimum information you will need during the next stage of the sales funnel.

Are your landing pages failing to generate sufficient conversions? Dream Local Digital can help you build robust and persuasive landing pages and get customers to show up there through social media marketing, advertising, newsletters and other inbound marketing methods. Contact us today to find out how we can help your business.