Are you trying to figure out the formula for landing page best practices that convert? Landing pages are critical tools for capturing leads and turning them into customers. In 2022, landing pages remained a primary marketing tool for businesses. So, bear in mind some simple techniques when designing your landing pages.
And yet, why are these landing pages so important? That's because they'll help businesses and startups convert more leads into paying customers. Yet, to create an effective landing page, you need to know the best practices companies will use in 2022 and the future. So, in this post, we'll show you how to create your high-converting landing page using these best practices to get the expected results.
What is a Landing Page?
A landing page is a standalone web page designed specifically for lead capture or conversion. Generally, you guide visitors from an external source, like an ad or email, to the landing page.
It's distinct from other pages on your website because it has one clear objective. The goal is to convince the user to act on a particular action that brought them to your landing page in the first place. A single page should convey the same message and should have only one objective.
The goal could be something like subscribing to a newsletter downloading an eBook, or buying a product. In short, a landing page is a place where you can drive targeted traffic and convert them into leads or customers. Often, landing pages are designed with SEO in mind so that organic traffic naturally funnels to the page.
A particular element like a countdown timer can be used to draw the attention of your users. A countdown timer when used effectively to give warnings about discount deals expiry can increase the sales of your online store. Other links should be avoided and the pros of the products can be mentioned using bullet points in short.
How Do Users Typically Discover a Landing Page?
Usually, there are several different methods for users to discover your landing page. The first is through online ad platforms that you create and promote, whether they're on Google Ads or Facebook Ads. You can also direct users to your landing page through email marketing campaigns or social media posts. These avenues would urge users to migrate to your landing page and complete the desired action.
Running ad campaigns is a good way to capitalize on user behavior to land them on your own website from social media. To increase conversions using a Facebook ad it is important to talk to the pain points of your customers using a few words. Having a proper call to action would increase conversions drastically.
Another common way that users discover landing pages is through what's called Organic Search. This means that your page ranks in the top results for relevant keywords on a search engine, otherwise known as a SERP listing. An organic landing page must deliver on the intent of the user's query while representing the business’ brand. In addition, the landing page's offer needs to be clear to lead to a conversion.
Home Pages vs Landing Pages
Verifying that you understand the distinction between a home page and a landing page is essential. A home page is your website's main entrance for new and returning visitors. It needs to orient them to your brand, tell them what you're about, and give them an idea of the products or services you offer. A home page doesn’t facilitate conversion; it's an engagement-only platform.
A landing page, on the other hand, is a stand-alone web page that has one specific purpose in mind: conversion. A landing page is usually a user's final destination after clicking on an ad or email. The offer is clear, and the Call To Action (CTA) is prominently displayed. Often, there is some confusion when trying to distinguish between the two types of web pages; landing pages don't usually act like home pages, but there are exceptions to every rule.
What Is a Call To Action (CTA)?
The call to action is the most crucial element on your landing page. It's what you want the user to do and should be clear and concise. The CTA button should stand out from the rest of the page and use persuasive language to convince the user to convert and go to your checkout pages.
CTAs can also be hyperlinks or plain text with no link attached. The CTA is an opportunity you can't afford to waste, or all that work creating an attractive social media post or YouTube video will be a waste of time.
When directing potential leads to your landing page, your CTA's message should match the tone and context of the ad or email they clicked on. If it doesn't, you risk losing their attention and interest. If it works, you've turned a new visitor into a lead. According to eMarketer, social network ads in the United States spent approximately $49 billion in 2021. As a result, social media marketers spend massive amounts of time and money creating content that drives users to a landing page intending to convert them.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic creating a lot of uncertainty worldwide, businesses are still spending money on marketing. In addition, many companies have increased their marketing budgets to compensate for lost ground during the pandemic. Essentially, spending has risen consecutively since 2018, and it doesn't appear to be slowing down.
Effective language is vital to increasing the chances of conversion, but it's not always about the language itself but what the potential subscriber can gain from performing the desired action. For instance, businesses sometimes hook the reader in with a benefit-driven CTA like “Subscribe now and get 50% off your first purchase.” This type of CTA brings readers in by promising a benefit they can't resist, such as 50% off their first purchase.
Other times, businesses use a more straightforward CTA like “Sign up now” or “Get started.” This type of CTA is effective because it's clear and to the point. The reader knows what they need to do without using confusing or distracting language.
Another method involves offering a free resource related to the product or service sold. For example, a business selling software might provide a free product trial. This is an effective way to get potential customers to try a product before making a purchase.
Here are some examples of effective CTAs:
ClickUp
Consider the ad from ClickUp, a cloud-based collaboration and project management tool that works well for businesses of all sizes. This ad works well as a CTA because the ad's headline and first sentence explain the intent and offer (Get 15% off).
Also, it's natural for users to object to the message in the CTA; that's why this ad works so well. It supports the offer by saying “save one day a week” and “guaranteed,” implying there is no risk to the user for trying it out. At the same time, the ad doesn't immediately require you to commit. Instead, it offers the user a chance to “Learn More” with the CTA button; this allows them to learn more and consider it before committing.
Freedom
Distractions are your worst enemy when you're trying to focus on work. Freedom helps you block out distractions so you can get your job done.
This CTA works because the ad embodies the purpose of the service itself; the design is plain, yet it isn't drab and uninviting. Also, the secondary CTA adds more details for the user to make an informed decision. In addition, the ad uses words like “claim” and “get,” which implies that the user would receive a reward or a sense of accomplishment for their efforts.
Whichever route you choose to take, make sure your CTA is compelling. An effective CTA should be clear and concise and direct the user to the desired action with minimal effort. Conversely, a poorly designed CTA will only waste the resources you've invested in driving traffic to your landing page.
Why Landing Pages are Important for Business
The Internet has drastically changed the way businesses operate and advertise. It's no longer enough to create a website and hope that people will find your business. Instead, you must be proactive and ensure that potential customers are landing on your page and taking the desired action. As we mentioned, landing pages help to increase conversion rates by providing visitors with a clear and concise path to take the desired action.
However, designing an effective landing page can be tricky; it's necessary to consider what goes into an effective landing page so you can create one that converts. It's a reality that businesses must learn to embrace, but every brand should be using effective landing pages to run their digital campaigns.
In an age where technology interacts with every facet of life, landing pages need to keep up with the latest trends. Therefore, it's necessary to research what does and doesn't work for an effective landing page. Effective marketing, like captivating technology, speaks to short attention spans; the average person only spends a few seconds on any website before moving on.
In short, yes, you do need a landing page. Studies have shown that businesses with at least 10-15 landing pages will usually increase their conversions by approximately 55% compared to those with less than ten. Furthermore, companies like Unbounce advise that having a landing page for each campaign you launch is a good idea.
We mentioned earlier that landing pages are important because they ensure that a potential customer takes the desired action; businesses need to have a compelling CTA. When thinking about the design of your CTA, it's essential to remember that people will be viewing it on both desktop and mobile devices.
With that in mind, you'll want to ensure that the CTA is clear and easy to see on mobile landing pages too. Landing page optimization with a mobile device is crucial, but they're not the only thing you need to consider when designing your mobile landing page.
They are a Key Element of Successful SEO
Simply put, a user-friendly, SEO-optimized landing page is crucial for successful SEO because they're the first thing potential customers see when searching for your product or service. In addition, optimized landing pages will have the right content and page design that aligns with your brand's objectives.
It's essential to follow these SEO basics when creating a landing page:
- Let your keyword strategy help you generate ideal content
- Pay attention to the URL you use
- Keep your structure simple for search engines to understand
- Keep an eye on page speed and performance
Other Reasons Your Business Needs a Landing Page
Sometimes, businesses underestimate the importance of landing pages and choose not to employ their usefulness. Unfortunately, failing to take advantage of landing pages will sabotage your marketing efforts. If you're still on the fence about whether your business needs a landing page, consider these reasons:
Expands Leads
A well-designed landing page will increase your conversion rate by providing visitors with a focused and relevant experience that encourages them to take action. Optimization is key to increasing your brand's recognition and website traffic. A recent study found that approximately 68% of B2B companies use landing pages to find steady conversion rates.
Valuable Data and Actionable Insights
Landing pages also allow you to track valuable data and insights about your visitors and their behavior. This information can improve your marketing campaigns and overall website strategy. Short forms are an excellent way to increase the actionable data you receive.
A Better UX
Landing pages provide a better UX for your visitors by giving them a seamless way to find the information or product they're looking for without having to navigate through your entire website. If they can't easily understand the process to complete the desired action, you will lose the opportunity of their conversion due to poor Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO).
Optimize Search Campaigns
Landing pages can help you maximize the effectiveness of your search because they are effective platforms for email marketing, social media advertising, and eCommerce optimization. In addition, performing a landing page redesign and optimizing the CTA can result in more sustainable and profitable growth.
Ultimately, the more goal-oriented landing pages at your disposal, the higher your chances are of increasing your landing page conversions. Conversions are crucial, but it's important not to get discouraged. A 12% conversion rate is good, meaning you'll be better than approximately 90% of your competitors. The top landing pages are scoring about 27.4% conversion rates, but it also depends on the industry you're in as well: otherwise, you're comparing apples to oranges.
The next logical step is determining how a business would create effective landing pages; industries must utilize their unique approaches, but generally, there are basic rules to apply to creating a winning landing page. Here it's important to discuss the most common landing page best practices.
How Do You Create an Effective Landing Page That Will Convert?
It should go without saying that businesses must consider as many landing page best practices as they can when designing their campaigns. It comes down to a balancing act; businesses must represent their brand and steer their landing page visitors along the “sales funnel.” Fortunately, there are some basic guidelines that any industry can follow to generate one of the strongest landing pages possible.
When utilizing these guidelines, you can build a digital message that produces effective results and rely on the solid bones of landing page best practices in 2022. Essentially, the process involves four main steps:
Know Your Audience
Businesses can't design an effective landing page without knowing who will be visiting it. Therefore, it's essential to consider the interests of your target demographic and what might compel them to engage your CTA. Generally, this would involve learning the online behavior of your target audience and determining what SEO content, CTAs, and landing page design work best.
You must also consider how you will be directing traffic to your landing page. Will it be through a link on your website? An email campaign? Social media advertising? The Yoast SEO plugin can be a great asset in understanding your target audience and what they want to see on your landing page. The plugin allows you to improve your Search Engine Optimization using advice and techniques through the plugin itself; with Yoast, you can optimize your posts based on the desired key phrase and different word forms.
You can also use Google Analytics to track the online behavior of your target audience. Doing so will give you a general idea of how they interact with websites and your landing page. The tool also has additional instrumentation that helps you understand how users react to certain pages and interactions.
Determining Your Goals
It's essential to determine the goal for the landing page; the focus should be one goal per landing page. A Wishpond study determined that landing pages with more than one offer go 266% fewer leads than single offer pages. What do you want visitors to do on your page? A clear focus is critical.
You should also consider how you will measure the success of your landing page. For example, businesses use KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to track performance; KPIs are just as they sound and determine progress toward a planned result. In this case, KPIs are excellent for focusing on improvement in strategy and operation.
These indicators also work to create an analytical basis for decision-making. Businesses can track their progress and adjust their campaigns by setting specific KPIs. Managing KPIs requires firms to set up targets (or the intended action), leading indicators that usually present the possibility of success, and lagging benefits that show a business's success outside.
The best KPIs:
- Measure intentions to inform decisions later on
- Provide evidence of progress toward achieving the desired goal
- Offer a comparison that tracks performance over time
- Can track a multitude of metrics like quality, timeliness, governance, compliance, economics, project performance, resource utilization, and efficiency
Design the Page
There's no doubt that the platform you choose to create your landing page is vital to ensuring that it remains high quality and successful. When building a landing page, you can create examples that serve different purposes—the layout, images, videos, and text matter. In short, the anatomy of a landing page should have several key elements to be effective.
Each element should be placed, tweaked, and presented to entice users to engage with your CTA. Your landing page's headline is a critical aspect of your landing page; it's what describes the landing page and captures the user's attention. The headline needs to be clear and concise; you have limited time to make an impression on your landing page. The first impression is everything. For instance, it takes 0.05 seconds, or 50 milliseconds, for a user to judge your website and form an opinion about it. So how do you decide if they stay or leave?
In short, you must ensure that the page's overall design is practical and visually appealing. The layout should be easy to understand, and the navigation should be simple. All elements on the page should work together to create a cohesive design. Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress have many tools to help anyone optimize their message.
People think they need to be a designer or have the design experience to create a good landing page. However, that's not the case. With platforms like WordPress on the market that are easy to use, businesses can utilize a customizable, secure, cost-effective program. In addition, many web design experts also use landing page builders because they have built-in features like A/B testing abilities, drag-and-drop interfaces, and even countless landing page templates.
Test and Optimize
All the previous steps are fruitless if you don't attempt to test and optimize critical elements of your pages. For example, test different versions of your landing pages and ensure you use best practices for the design. Then, try other tactics and see what works best for your business.
Most landing pages are just one part of a website, but they play a crucial role in lead generation and online sales. The user's journey to the landing page (whether they came from an email campaign, a Google Ad, or an organic search) can also affect conversion rates.
Be sure to consider all factors when testing and optimizing your pages. For instance, not all testing will yield actionable results. Even if you don't have design experience, you can create a beautiful and dedicated landing page that optimizes user expectations and experiences.
Other Tips for Landing Page Best Practices
Here's an overview of some other tips you should utilize in your landing page best practices of 2022.
Keep It Simple
In web design, minimalism may be useful. A simple design can help to highlight your images and CTAs. You don't need to be a designer to create a minimalist landing page. However, there are some guidelines to remember. You may wish to learn flat design to make your landing page as straightforward as possible while still being effective.
Flat design uses safe, basic typefaces, grid-based designs, and a user-friendly interface. Oversimplifying your design, on the other hand, could make your landing page challenging to use.
To avoid this, add some shading to the background to make sure your buttons stand out. Symmetry is another important aspect of minimalist design. It’s pleasing to the eye and can help guide your users where you want them to go. Using Elementor’s Navigator can enable you to maintain symmetry throughout your landing page.
Have the Main Message Above the Fold
Place your offer above the fold, which is the area of the landing page that's visible without scrolling. The CTA should be impossible to miss since there is no guarantee that someone will scroll through your entire webpage. The idea for “above the fold” isn't new. Newspapers have been following this idea for centuries.
Benefits, Not Features
While the features of your product or service are essential for the user to understand, the idea is to express the benefits of following through with your CTA. In addition, businesses are always trying to be more relatable to their audience. So, a helpful exercise is to consider what pain points your audience has to deal with and describe how you can help.
Optimize For Your Traffic Sources
Knowing where your website visitors are coming from is necessary for building the page. For example, SEO-optimized pages have a lower conversion rate than shorter, text-oriented landing sites. In addition, you'd want to see what happens if you send sponsored traffic to your landing page.
Knowing the target keywords that your users search for in search engines is very important. Sprinkling the keywords across your entire page is a good way to get noticed and more conversions. The keywords would attract your target customers and you will get more visitors to your sales pages.
And that might necessitate the removal of a portion of the redundant content you'd include attracting organic traffic from search engines. So instead, keep your landing pages brief and direct, with simple conversion messages and activities.
Utilize Landing Page Templates
Everyone wants a beautiful landing page design. Getting the appearance you wish, though, isn't easy if you don't have much structure or specialized experience. Consider using free templates and personalizing them to match your brand. They may produce results just as great as or better than top performers.
Don't Forget Social Media
Overall, social proof is a powerful tool for encouraging people to do anything. Everyone desires to belong, and if your users have visible evidence in the form of testimonials, reviews, and real-time purchase notifications from other users, they are very likely to be the next ones to click that CTA button. One of the best ways to utilize social proof for your landing pages is a free plugin called TrustPulse.
Remove Your Navigation Menu
Website owners often mistake including a clutter of unnecessary distractions on their landing pages. This will reduce your conversion rate and could cause a higher landing page bounce rate. To fix this, remove unnecessary internal and external links and only leave your CTA button.
Use Directional Cues
Another clever strategy for using landing page images on your landing page is to utilize directional cues. They can help people focus their attention on specific areas. There are two broad categories of directional cues: Explicit and Implicit.
Directly pointing people to the place, you want them to notice is an example of explicit signals—for instance, arrows, lines, pointing fingers, etc. In contrast, implicit directional cues are more subtle and go unnoticed by page viewers. This is because they rely on vivid colors to draw attention to visual components.
Address Their Fears
Businesses often avoid approaching the subject of their users' fears. However, there are many times when people will hesitate to follow through with the intended action because they are unsure of some critical details. Be sure to address their concerns on the landing page. For example, informing the user that your service offers a money-back guarantee, or you accept returns is what a good landing page should do.
Landing Page Forms
If you're utilizing content forms, ensure that you ask for the least painful information first. For instance, if you're selling a product, asking for a credit card or an address would most likely cause the user to leave your landing page.
However, getting their email address is usually easier if you ask them for something like their first and last name in exchange for a free ebook. Make sure the call to action button stands out and draws the attention of the users.
Top Five Landing Page Mistakes to Avoid
Captivating your website visitors should be your number one priority, and sometimes that means you must focus on how you can drive them away from your landing page. When they find your landing page, free of these common mistakes, they will want to learn more about your brand and the services you can offer them.
Therefore, your landing page will succeed where it could have initially failed. Here are the five most common mistakes you should avoid when designing your landing pages.
Mistake #1 – Don't Forget About Mobile Users
If you take anything away from this: Don't forget about landing page optimization for your mobile users. Your landing page must be mobile-friendly in today's market. More people are using a mobile device or tablet to access the internet which makes a mobile landing page essential.
If your mobile landing page isn't responsive, you're likely to lose a lot of potential customers. Also, test your mobile landing page on all devices before launching them. If it doesn't work on mobile, it doesn't work at all.
Mistake #2 – Forgetting To Say Thank You
A simple thank you goes a long way. After someone fills out a form or completes an action on your landing page, include a thank you message. This not only shows appreciation but can also help with conversion rates. It's the first step toward building a relationship with the user, and it doesn't have to be complicated.
Mistake #3 – Using Fake Social Proof/Testimonials
Do not use fake social proof or testimonials. People want to see that others have succeeded with your product or service before converting. If you do not have real testimonials, consider using customer reviews from social media platforms like Facebook or Google.
However, creating something that feels inauthentic, doctored, or reads like a Press Release could damage your brand. There's a time and place for a Press Release, and landing pages only serve to convert leads.
Mistake #4 – Including Outbound Links
Reliable outbound links are essential, but not on a landing page. Outbound links can be distracting and take the user away from your page before they have a chance to convert. So not including them is a good way of keeping your users on the same page.
Mistake #5 – Including a Footer on the Landing Page
Footers work well on websites but don't belong on your landing page. Get rid of the sidebar and footers. They serve as distractions and take away the conversion process. Keep it clean and simple.
Creating a successful landing page doesn't have to be complicated; avoid these five common mistakes, and you'll be well on your way to driving conversions. Don't be afraid to experiment with your landing pages, either. Truthfully, it's the only way to improve your craft.
Types of Landing Pages
Depending on who you ask, there are many types of landing pages that you can create. Every kind of landing page has its specific purpose, and it only serves to represent that singular purpose. As we mentioned, a landing page with a single goal is much more effective. Since acquiring leads and generating landing page conversions is key to the success of your brand, we will focus on the best landing pages that further that goal.
Squeeze Landing Pages
This landing page acquires the user's email address or other contact information. The goal is to get the user to sign up for your newsletter or email list. In return for their contact information, you offer them something of value. This is typically an eBook, white paper, or discount code. The key with a squeeze landing page is to provide the user with something they cannot refuse.
The offer must be valuable enough that they are willing to part with their contact information. To ensure that your squeeze landing page is effective, confirm the request is useful and relevant to your ideal audience.
Splash Landing Pages
A splash landing page is a type of landing page used to publicize something, such as a conference, promotion, or any kind of event. You can also use it to enquire about a visitor’s age or preferred language before allowing them to access the site.
Pages are typically very visual, featuring a backdrop image and a little text without asking for much information. Instead, they offer something to encourage purchases. To build a splash page, consider what information you want to communicate and what action you want your website visitors to take.
Lead Generation Landing Page
A lead generation landing page is quite like a squeeze page, although it attempts to gather more user data. These landing pages will ask for the user’s name, email address, company name, job title, and industry. The data collected on a lead generation landing page depends on the overall goals of your sales and marketing teams and the customer’s position.
It's critical to remember that when developing a lead generation landing page, you should use exciting headlines to illustrate the advantages of your service. The headline must be clear, brief, and immediately capture the reader's attention. Likewise, the body copy should highlight your product's or service's benefits and include a clear CTA.
Sales Landing Pages
Sales landing pages close business and usually take the form of a long, scrolling page with several sections. The goal is to persuade the visitor to buy your product through testimonials, quotations, videos, and CTAs. Because these pages resemble direct mail sales letters, they can be lengthy.
In addition, a sales landing page aims to bring about a transaction; it should be simple, aesthetically appealing, valuable, and relevant to your target audience. The headline must be clear, brief, and immediately capture the user's attention.
We've spent a great deal of time explaining what landing pages are, how to create effective ones, and what not to do when creating them. Let's reinforce the information by showing off some excellent landing page best practices examples.
Five Examples of Great Landing Pages from Brands in 2022
These examples will highlight stunning examples of landing pages from different industries; we will discuss what makes landing page examples work well. Such tactics can help increase your CRO and reduce your bounce rate.
Next Bee Landing Page Best Practice – great overall organization
What's Great About This Landing Page
Benefit-focused Headline – The headline format is more appealing as “Accelerate Your Referral Funnel” instead of “Buy Our Referral Platform.”
CTA – The formatting of the CTA contrasts nicely with orange and green, while the primary goal, noted by the “Request Free Demo” button, is in the middle of the page in plain sight for the user to see. The CTA is listed a few times as you scroll down the page. Notice the first instance of the CTA is above the fold.
Organized Information – The benefit and the CTA are listed first, followed by the guarantee and trusting message; next are the advantages and testimonials, followed by an explanation of features and more CTAs.
Adobe Landing Page Best Practice – use of influencer tied to text
What's Great About This Landing Page
Headline – The most critical information, the 60% discount for students and teachers, is displayed first, showing the users the goods upfront.
Price Slash – Showing the higher retail prices with a strikethrough and the discounted pricing expresses just how valuable this offer is for the user.
The Word Choices – When your words are captivating and catchy, there's no need for anything extra flashy. Using words that speak to your target audience, like teachers or students, a more casual or conversational approach is vital.
Freshly Landing Page Best Practice – effectively show the options with imagery
What's Great About This Landing Page
The Images – Obviously, when highlighting a food delivery service, it's best to show the food and market how delicious it looks; the company does a fantastic job capturing the essence of good food.
The CTA – A concise CTA message that mentions an $80 off offer with a visible CTA button.
Unbounce Landing Page Best Practice – takes advantage of white space
What's Great About This Landing Page
Utilizes White Space – As depicted by its landing page, Unbounce uses white space to highlight and therefore draw attention to its CTA button “Start Your Free Trial” and the clear benefit users get from subscribing to their service. In addition, white space increases readability and cleans up your pages.
Headline – It should go without saying, but the headline is clear and concise and informs the user why they are on the landing page and what accomplishing the goal will do for them
PandaDoc Landing Page Best Practice – use of video to highlight benefits
What's Great About This Landing Page
The Interactive Video – The video demonstrates why PandaDoc software is an excellent choice for workflow. In addition to the clear CTA, PandaDoc does a great job of explaining why users should react to their offers.
Easy Descriptions – Throughout the landing page, PandaDoc keeps visitors engaged with simple yet effective language that keeps them hooked.
As we've demonstrated, having your own landing pages are necessary; doing them well is a choice. Utilizing the tips and tricks within these five landing pages, and with some creativity, you can ensure your visitors take the action you desire. These examples are a taste of what's out there; don't be limited by what you see here. Research other landing page templates and discover what works.
The Future of Landing Pages – Popular Trends In the Coming Years
Businesses cannot afford to remain absent from the digital space. Without a presence, they cannot create a high-converting landing page and generate successful leads to stay relevant.
Suppose уоu wаnt tо build аn effective landing page thаt cаn convert vіѕіtоrѕ into leads оr customers. In that case, you need to know how to design it correctly, and that means paying attention to current trends with landing pages and remaining hypervigilant as trends change.
Current Trends
Currently, there are several landing page trends that your business can use to create a high-converting landing page. This year, many companies have failed to generate successful leads because they're absent from the digital space.
Yet those businesses who have taken advantage of their position have done so using two main trends: Single conversion goals and competitor comparison.
Single Conversion Goals
More and more prospects and potential consumers are looking for comparison words like “Brand A vs. Brand B” or “Brand B.” vs. “Brand D” is an example of a comparison campaign. As a result, businesses are looking for inventive methods to win this critical moment of truth, and comparison campaigns with specific landing pages have begun to appear everywhere.
Competitor Comparison
A landing page goal is an objective you want your landing page to accomplish. To put it another way, what result do you want your landing page to have? How are your competitors achieving their goals? You can design your landing page in several ways to convert visitors into leads but observing their success will teach you lessons that will stick with you.
Support Trends for Optimizing Your Landing Page
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you're optimizing your landing page:
- Use minimal design – too much clutter will only serve to distract visitors from your CTA.
- Make use of interactive elements – this helps to engage visitors and make your pages more memorable.
- Use strong contrast and custom illustrations to help your CTA stand out. In general, contrast is an important principle that should be a part of every project. Contrast establishes a hierarchy of information that emphasizes the focal point of the landing page.
- No navigation bars, but plenty of social proof – According to Nielsen, about 70% of people will trust a review from someone they don't know. Consumers put a lot of weight on the things their peers say about a product or service. As we mentioned, navigation bars are a distraction.
- Video – Users can view and understand your message with little more than a single click. Videos also let you convey ideas in universally compelling ways. A good example is the B2B business Jasper.ai which continuously uses video with motion graphics, client testimonials, and high-value narration to convert users. B2B landing page best practices like this are impossible to ignore and express all the necessary information in one place.
These trends are unlikely to change anytime soon. Most internet users have a plan when they click on landing pages, yet they are impatient. They want to find what they are looking for quickly and efficiently. This is why, when it comes to landing pages, every second counts, and every conversion counts.
We believe these trends will likely stick, including the five trends we mentioned. With that in mind, these trends will likely persist because they are time-tested.
- Headline/Sub-headline – a clear, compelling, or commanding statement that grabs the user's attention and communicates the ask and the benefit to them.
- Strong Copy – Landing page copy that focuses on benefits and not features is key. Copy persuades visitors, not deters them.
- Social Proof – Testimonials, user stats, star ratings from third-party sites, and relevant awards provide the validation that users need to commit to your goal.
- Mobile-Optimized – More than anything, as cell phones migrate more to smaller handheld computers, landing pages need to be fast, compatible with any browser and look great simultaneously.
- Conversion Design – with a design structure that moves visitors down the page, the information hierarchy couldn't be more critical here. Reduce the distractions and stick to your one conversion goal.
- Typographic Hero Image – Your message is a sizeable image. This method reduces the imagery involved and lets the message speak for itself. They take control and command typographical attention. Their simplicity makes them perfect for minimalist designs.
Keeping Your Landing Page Up-to-date With the Latest Trends
If your business is looking to stay ahead of the curve, you should keep up with the latest trends. By doing so, you'll be able to ensure that your pages align with your marketing goals and that they're user-friendly. Additionally, always write compelling copy and ensure that your page loads quickly on mobile or desktop. Finally, social proof will always be a staple since consumers take their peer's opinions to heart.
One of the best ways to honor these goals is to watch what your competitors are doing. So if you want to ensure that your landing pages are effective, keep these best practices in mind.
Landing Page Best Practice – Keep Your Page In Sync With Your Marketing Goals
It's critical to ensure that all your marketing efforts are in sync with one another when promoting a digital company. Customers who see one of your landing pages will most likely have already read your content or experienced your brand messaging on at least one other platform.
Your landing page must be consistent with the rest of your message and unique perspective; therefore, you must also align the language, tone, and energy with your brand.
Landing Page Best Practice – Keep Your Page User-Friendly
Perhaps the page is confusing, loud, or overstimulating. Perhaps there are too many links on the page, or they're all unorganized. Whatever the case, you're probably not wasting much time trying to figure it out. That's why landing page guidelines state that you keep your designs clean, clear, and to the point.
The page should have an excellent overall user experience and be simple to skim and navigate. And it should employ colors and imagery that people are familiar with from your brand, so they know they're in the right place.
Landing Page Best Practice – Always Write Captivating Copy
Like an excellent user experience, great on-page copy is always necessary to succeed in converting visitors to your landing page. The last thing you want to do is bore them with an uninteresting headline and a drab page design. But, on the other hand, don't lose them with lackluster copy that rambles on without getting to the point.
A snappy, dynamic, and succinct copy is ideal for landing pages. However, it also has a specific aim: to deliver the information discussed in the advertising that attracted you to the page. Assist this procedure by addressing the reader directly with phrases like “you” and “your.”
Landing Page Best Practice – A Landing Page Must Load Quickly
According to Google, the standard web page load time is two seconds or less. People aren't eager to wait for much longer than that, especially for a landing page they only visited out of interest.
If your landing pages have an unusual number of bounces and your on-page layout has performed well, a sluggish load time might be the problem. Even if your landing pages are only up for a short time, resist the urge to take shortcuts in terms of setting them up. Check that none of your pictures or on-page elements are enormous, bulky, or sluggish to load. When it comes to your audience's attention span, you don't have much choice. Large files, numerous photos, and complex scripts waste your readers' time.
Landing Page Best Practice – Include Social Proof
Consumers nowadays are quite guarded and discerning. That implies they won't provide their contact information (or money) without thinking about it first. However, your visitors will seek evidence that your landing page is trustworthy.
Social proof is a powerful tool for encouraging trust. Endorsements from previous clients are a surefire way to put a customer's mind at rest, and nothing accomplishes it as quickly as word-of-mouth recommendations.
If you've got testimonials, quotes, and good feedback from happy clients, place it in a prominent location where your visitors will notice it. Many sites — like Yelp or Google My Business — will even allow you to embed reviews on your landing page to keep things looking nice.
Landing Page Best Practice – Watch Your Competitors
Finally, if you aren't monitoring what your competitors are doing, you could soon be out of business. This is why competitor analysis is essential to successful PPC landing page best practices. You may also use Google's ‘competition' feature, such as the Auction report, to your advantage by learning about your competitors. As a result, you can optimize your campaign and avoid costly blunders.
When looking at your competitors' landing pages, you're seeking hints about what's working for them and what isn't. In addition, landing page analysis can also assist you in discovering where your competitors fall short and strengthen that part of your campaign.
Landing Page Best Practices Wrap-up
If you're not already using landing pages as part of your marketing strategy, now is the time to start. And, if you are using them but are not generating the results you want, consider implementing some (or all) of these landing page best practices. Following these tips, you can create high-converting pages to help close more deals and grow your business.