It’s always awesome when someone clicks on your Google, Facebook, or other digital ad. However, that’s only the first step of the conversion journey. Your high-converting landing pages play an equally important role of turning clicks into sales.
Landing pages are more than just another web page. They’re conversion-optimized sales tools geared for fast sales. The people who land on them are already on the hook – now it’s time to reel them in!
Here are 10 tips you can use to create high-converting landing pages:
1. Create an impactful headline
As with most things digital, a great headline will make all the difference in the world between a reader staying or immediately moving on. It’s important that your headline connect directly with the referring ad to eliminate confusion, and clearly empathizes with the reader’s problem. Here’s an example of an enticing headline for a company looking to improve their digital ad conversion rate:
72% of digital ad budgets are wasted
We can help you do better
In two short but impactful sentences, we quoted a statistic and stated, with underscored empathy, that we can help. Crisp, clear, and to the point – a winner every time.
2. Use a powerful hero image
Hero images at the top of your landing page convey a lot in a few short seconds. In many cases, marketers use hero images that show the results of using their product or service. For example, a dentist might use an image of someone smiling with clean, white teeth. A quitting smoking aid could use an image of someone enjoying an active, healthy lifestyle. A travel agent? You guess it – a tropical island or secluded beach.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different images to see which one works best for you. Supplementary pictures are sometimes a good idea too, depending on your design, but your hero image should be the most impactful. That’s why we call it a hero.
3. Put the most enticing bits above the fold
Fun fact: the term “above the fold” comes from newspaper publishers wanting their headlines above where the newspaper folds. That way, people will see the big headline and be enticed to buy the paper.
On a computer screen, the digital fold begins where the user has to scroll to see more. This is why the most exciting part of your offer should be visible as soon as they land on the page. It’s more difficult to do on a mobile device, but using a scroll map can help you identify exactly where the fold is on different devices, so you can always keep your main message, hero image, and other important elements front and center.
4. Write results-focused copy
As a business owner, you’re proud of your products and services – and rightly so. It can be tempting to write all about how great your offerings are, but you risk appearing boastful or one-sided. A better approach is to frame your copy through the eyes of your customer and what results they can expect from you.
Long-form copy is great for blogs. For landing pages? Not so much. Break up the copy blocks into digestible bite-size chunks by including a bullet list that summarizes the most important points about your product or service. Three to five bullet points will keep the copy crisp and to the point. And don’t forget the call to action just above the form – give it a sense of urgency that will make people rush to that button.
It’s hard to write about our products from an outside perspective, so reach out to a professional copywriter if you need support.
5. Experiment with form length
For years, marketing experts have told us to use as few form fields as possible on our landing pages, even if it’s just the email field. Others like to ask for a first name so they can personalize future messaging. There’s no hard and fast rule, so experiment with different numbers of fields to see what works best for you.
Keep in mind that longer forms might not yield more results, but if someone took the time to complete a long form they’re likely more qualified buyers. Quantity vs. quality is always best.
6. Choose the right button colour
Colour has played an important role in marketing for years. There are slight psychological suggestions made by different colours that trigger different feelings and motivate different actions. However, you should also choose a colour that still feels on-brand
It might seem overwhelming to pick which colours work best for you, but Optinmonster provides some great information that might help you make a great choice. Of course, as always, experiment with different colours until you find which works best for you.
7. Try fun button copy
Button copy should be clear and concise so the reader knows what action to take. However, there’s nothing more mundane than button copy that says “Learn More”, “Order Now”, or “Download”. Yes, they describe exactly what to expect, but adding a little personality to the copy while still being succinct can create a subtle connection with the reader. Here are a few examples:
- Digital product: “Try now for FREE”
- Brochure: “I want my copy!”
- Travel offer: “Take me away!”
- Exercise program: “Let’s do it!”
- Business service: “Start boosting conversions now!”
Experiment with different button copy to see what gives you the best results.
8. Add social proof
I’ve never met a business owner who doesn’t love getting great reviews on their products and services. Not only do they make you feel good, they’re also powerful marketing tools that show the world that you’ve helped people achieve great results.
Include 1 to 3 quoted testimonials on your landing page, depending on your design, along with their full name and headshot, if possible. Video testimonials work awesome too!
9. Optimize your landing page for SEO
Landing pages are generally used after someone clicks on an ad. However, there’s no reason why you can’t optimize your landing page for search as well. Try a tool like Ubersuggest to get some primary search terms, and integrate them into your headline, body copy, image alt tag, and more.
10. Use exit popups
These effective conversion tools are popping up everywhere. Exit popups typically appear when the user appears to be leaving the page as a last attempt to turn the page visitor into a sale. It’s well worth the effort.
You can turn them into mini-landing pages with an image, headline, and contact. Be sure to A/B split test to see which ones work best.
What is considered a good conversion rate for a high-converting landing pages?
Surprisingly, the conversion rate to consider your campaign a success doesn’t have to be very high. As you can see in the below chart, the top conversion rate is 27.4 percent, yet the median is 5 percent. Across the board, the median rate is between 2 and 6 percent.
Image source: smartinsights.com
The true test of your landing page is how it improves over time. Even landing pages with low conversion rates give you a great opportunity to collect data and identify what isn’t working. If you’re not collecting data, you can’t improve.
Remember to keep A/B testing everything to find the most effective combinations of headlines, colours, button text, images, forms, and more. Testing is an ongoing but necessary task that helps you identify what your customers best respond to. If you need help with an A/B split testing process, Unbounce and Instapage can help you manage it.
Follow these 10 tips to create high-converting landing pages that help supercharge your digital ad campaigns. As always, get in touch with us if you have any questions!