How to Make an Effective Landing Page

A good landing page is as important to your marketing plan as a good foundation is to a new building. Your prospect has arrived at this page after seeing your ad or CTA and you need to keep their attention. Your landing page allows you to impact not only your prospect’s attention but also their next action. The more engaging the page, the greater the chance of a positive purchase decision.

These pages should be focused on gaining a positive ROI, states George Passwater, a veteran in content marketing. Every marketing strategy includes SEO and PPC techniques, and to drive the traffic coming from these techniques, you need a compelling landing page.

All landing pages have differentiating factors such as targeted CTA, targeted audience, targeted content and so on. However, one similarity stems from the elements that you use.

Let’s discuss the elements that you need to include or exclude for your landing page:

A. Header

This is the top part of your landing page, and the first thing your prospects notice. You have only seconds to keep your prospects’ interest intact, so you need to use this space well. This element can be further divided into three parts.

1. Caption/Title

A catchy title will capture your prospect’s attention and a bad will prompt him to leave. This single line matters. It is the introduction to the rest of the page. Your title should be able to:

• Attract the eyes of your prospect in an instant
• Explain the about the product/service in few words
• Be enhanced by graphics or pictures

Your title should highlight your prospect’s pain point and offer a solution as well. Keep it simple and clear. Avoid the usage of jargon and lengthy sentences. Use something crisp and brief.

2. Subtitle and CTA

Adding a subtitle is optional, but it is recommended to add clarification. Since your title needs to be small, fitting in an explanation of your brand can be difficult. A subtitle helps in that it gives you more space to talk about your product/service. Don’t bog this area down with content, though. As with the title, keep it simple, crisp and make it more persuasive.

Another element that you can add here is a call to action. This is your initial CTA or CTA #1. In case you are unsure about the prospect scrolling farther down, add a CTA here. The button color, text and placement should mesh with your background and title.

3. Graphics/Background

Graphics matter. Using a plain background and few graphics for your landing page is fine, but if you really want to grab people’s attention, invest in an impressive display. Good graphic design keeps prospects engaged. Use anything at your disposal, including photos and videos. In fact, using videos increases conversions by 86 percent.

Don’t let you page look dull. Establish a cohesive aesthetic through colors and graphics so they compliment your product/service, value and content. Keep it balanced as well, with equal amounts of content and graphics to ensure neither is overpowering.

B. USP and/or Features

This is where you explain your product or services and is what will lead the prospect to opt (or not opt) for your business. In this element, you should include:
1. USP: Explain why your product/service is better than others out there. This will influence their purchase decision. Don’t include too much content, keep it minimal and straightforward.
2. Functions: Make your prospects understand the main functions of your product/service. What you do, how you can help them and who you have helped in the past. Make it look promising but don’t go overboard on self-praise.
3. Features: Describe the features that you offer and explain how they are better than the others. You don’t have to include all the features, but give a short glimpse of what your prospects should expect.
4. Benefits: Make them understand the benefits of your product. Buyers need to know what is in it for them.

At the end, add another CTA that redirects them to a “more features” page or to a pricing page, depending on your criteria.

C. Testimonials

Your prospects should trust you, so show them why others trust you. Adding credible testimonials can make your product/service seem far more impressive.

• Ensure all your testimonies are from real customers. If you have worked with influencers, add their experience as well.
• Keep it concise. If you can, authenticate it with Twitter handles and links.
• Add testimonials and mentions from various social media pages.
• Give emphasis to numbers and data.

D. Final CTA

This needs to be impactful, as it is the most crucial element of your page. Everything that you have done from the beginning is to ensure that your prospects take this action. You want them sign up, try a demo or buy your product/service.

• Make sure the button is visible. You can make it bigger and use an attractive color to grab attention.
• The text on the button must be clickable. Make it compelling and catchy. Use persuasive language, not something like “Click Here” or “Submit.”
• Make sure the button redirects the prospect to a form or pop-up a form
• Make the color of your final CTA different from the background and graphics. Something that mixes well with the other elements, but still stands out.

A good landing page is crucial and it is always easier to have a predesigned layout. Tools like Agile CRM offer predesigned layouts that ease the process of designing such landing pages. They offer many varied layouts that you can choose from and customize. The drag and drop feature allows you to add and remove any element. You can select from various options like headers, portfolios, content sections, forms, types of pricing tables and more.