Think of a landing page as a bridge that connects potential customers to your business. They contain relevant information with calls-to-action that turn online browsers into buyers. Landing pages can make or break your digital marketing campaigns because they either move potential customers down your sales funnel, or they cause them to lose interest and browse elsewhere.
Each landing page should be designed with a specific goal in mind, each aligned with a business objective. Every part of designing your landing page should work towards the same purpose. For example, if you want to collect email addresses, you’ll want to make the process fast and easy.
These 7 optimization techniques will help you improve your landing pages so you can increase conversions.
Simplify Your Design
When designing high-performing landing pages, less is more.
Get right to the point.
Any additional information will distract visitors from fulfilling the desired action (i.e. entering their email address).
Consolidate your design so users can find everything they need without having to scroll. The faster you convey your message, the more visitors will convert.
Minimize Page Load Time
Online users have very short attention spans, especially on mobile devices. Pages that take more than 2 seconds to load will cause the average user to lose interest. Make sure your landing pages load quickly to avoid people losing patience.
Simple designs with condensed files often result in efficient page load speeds.
Use Contrasting Colors
Use contrasting colors to grab and maintain visitors’ attention. Contrasting colors allow certain things (like important text) to stand out. This is why black text over a white background is standard for reading. Visitors should never have to squint their eyes or zoom in to see something. It should be clearly visible at first glance.
Proper aesthetics is also known to catch people’s interest, which is a great way to keep their attention. Page visitors should know what to expect as soon as your page loads.
Keep Text At a Minimum
Consolidating page copy is essential for maintaining a simple design. Inundating users with information will distract them from converting. Plus, using fewer words will help the more important words stand out.
For example, if your goal is to collect email addresses, you shouldn’t add social icons or any other external links. Having fewer options will limit the possibilities of getting distracted.
Prioritize Important Information
Think of your landing page as an interactive elevator pitch.
You have to catch their interest immediately.
After all – If someone isn’t immediately interested, what’s keeping them around?
Start with a strong headline that encapsulates your message. This will grab users’ attention and encourage them to keep reading. Follow your headline with additional details, ranging from most to least important to retain website traffic.
For example, a car dealership promoting a 0% financing sale should start with the offer (headline), then add relevant details like the time, location and additional terms. The details should only pertain to people interested in the headline, so look at it like a “lead qualifier”.
Establish Credibility
Anybody can say anything on the internet, so naturally, people are skeptical.
It’s important to establish trust.
Your landing pages might say all the right things, but lacking proper credentials can be a challenging obstacle. You can overcome this by adding relevant awards or positive reviews., just not to the point where they become a distraction.
Test Different Calls-to-Action
The call-to-action is what moves visitors down your sales funnel. It should offer a solution to the problem your landing page highlights. Strong calls-to-action have:
- Colors and text that stand out
- Clear messaging
But not all calls-to-action are created equal.
We assume that we know the best calls-to-action, but the only way to know for sure is by A/B testing different options. Small tweaks can make a huge impact and will result in a steady rise in conversions rate overtime.
Is your business making the most of its website traffic? If not, you can take advantage of a free conversion rate optimization analysis! Active Web Group has over 20 years of experience with businesses of all sizes and industries. Want to talk to a professional now? Give us a call at (800) 978-3417.
