Best Practices for Search Engine Marketing

 

8 Tips To Create A Landing Page

You need copy for your landing page but you're not sure where to start. First let's clarify what we mean by a landing page. A landing page can be a page that visitors come to after clicking a link and it is usually the Home Page. Ultimately, the landing page must convince the visitor that they should stay on your site. You may also have a goal that you want accomplished, such as:  

• Signing up for a newsletter or filling out a form

• Buying a product

• Reading informational pieces

• A sale

• A DEAL

What's going to keep them there? The structure, the language, and the visual appeal all play a part of it. Check out these tips to create a great landing page, or reinvent the one you already have.

The Structure

People arrive at your site looking for answers. They scan to see if they're in the right place and assess whether it's going to be a quick and easy visit or a long grinding one. Your landing page is the welcome wagon inviting them in and feeding them the information they need. The structure of the page will either pull them in or encourage them to fulfill your goal, or distract and cause them to abandon the website before getting the whole picture.

The structure of the landing page in general should be matching the ad or link they clicked on to get them there. So for example, if your PPC Ad is targeting Ford Cars, the landing page should discuss exactly that. If a Victoria Secret's Ad for lingerie shows up and you click on it, you should be transferred to a landing page with the exact image and structure of the ad.

The Visuals

• Copy placement – Strategic use of copy and graphics will catch the visitor's attention. Don't muck up the page with large, distracting graphics. Use plenty of whitespace and place your message in the central portion of the page rather than placing information down the sides, where the focus can be lost quickly. Keep the copy short. The visitor expects a precise message, so don't choke it up with tons of mindless prose.

• Beauty is in the eye – Use a consistent color palette. If you have advertising that links visitors to your website, make sure the concept match across the board. It's also a great visual indicator for the visitor because they can easily identify that they're still in the right place.

• Simplify – Remove distracting elements that distract from the purpose of the website and get down to the specific message.

The Goal

Before you design the landing page, decide what the goal of the page will be. If you're looking for newsletter subscribers, the goal will be to have the visitor enter their information and become a member of your mailing list.

Be a Sleuth

Do your research. Keep your visitors in mind when building your landing pages and tailor it to suit their needs. By narrowing your options and focusing on your visitor, you'll stay on target.

Keep Your Focus

Keep the focus on your visitors that you want as customers. You've dangled a large poster board over their head and pulled them in. Now that you've got them, don't give your visitors a reason to wander.

Use a Call to Action

A call to action such as ‘Memorial Day Sale” or “Buy Now” reminds the visitor why they are on your website. Place such calls to action toward the top of your page. For users that want to click, it allows them to find it easily. For those who are still deciding, it's a great reminder.

Many sites place a Get a Quote form or contact form directly on a landing page, which is a good idea. Again, you need glaring calls to action. Don't add several useless links on the page that will take the visitor to other places – Keep him in the buying funnel to purchase your product/service.

Write Like a Pro

No, you don't have to hire one to look like one. What's the best way to come off like a professional? Create landing pages with no grammatical or spelling errors. I recently found a website with a car ‘invetory’ for luxury cars.  Ouch!.

Reassure

People get leery when they're asked for their personal data. If you're asking for personal information, make sure you have a credible privacy policy to back you up.