August 28, 2018
If done right, your landing page can be an essential part of your business. It can help you to build a database of leads that can be used effectively for marketing campaigns in the future, and also help you to turn traffic into deals. Statistics show that, if done right, more landing pages can increase a company’s revenue significantly. Some statistics show that an increase in the number of landing pages by 10-15 % can increase lead generation by more than 50%.
It does need to be done right, though, if the landing pages are to have the desired effect. A landing page must contain certain elements that help to engage the visitors that land and guide them toward the sale. This requires copy that is both structured in a way that it is compelling, and there are some very good tips on how to do just that.
It might sound obvious but keeping landing pages relevant is essential for success. So many people seem to stray from the topic at hand when designing landing pages. Perhaps they are trying to be creative, or maybe just forgetting the basics, but irrelevance in landing pages is a real deal killer.
The landing page needs to be relevant both to the website and to whichever keywords brought people to that page in the first place. After all, one of the reasons for creating landing pages at all is to sell to people looking for a specific product or service within your range. Make sure the landing page then links to what the visitor is looking for and you are already well on your way to a sale.
Internet users are notoriously impatient. They want to find what they are looking for in an instant and, if they don’t, they are likely to go elsewhere. This means that you need to get to the point as soon as possible, and as clearly as possible. Any meandering can kill the effectiveness of a landing page no matter how great you might think it sounds.
Compelling copy encourages people to perform an action. This can be signing up for a newsletter, making a call, reading more or, best of all, making a purchase. The copy needs to be designed with this call to action in mind, so try to funnel the visitor toward making that action. A call to action button also needs to be placed clearly so there it can be found at a glance.
Creating copy that funnels visitors to a call to action requires a certain structure that leads them to the desired conclusion. It means creating copy that contains certain elements such as:
Follow these basics and you are on your way to effective landing page copy that encourages visitors to click the call to action button.
KISS stands for ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid’. It is a mantra that is followed closely throughout the sales industry and for a very good reason: it works. So many people try to be clever when creating landing pages and just end up making things complicated. Their intention is often to try and impress, but it often ends up in confusion instead. Visitors to your site want to be given the basic facts that they need to be able to make an informed decision. By all means, make more technical information available to them should they want it but keep the landing pages straightforward.
The internet is awash with countless websites from all over the world selling the best product since sliced bread. This means that competition is fierce and that you really need to stand out from the rest to make an impact. Among other things, this means having something that the others don’t. A unique selling point that makes people realise that your product has something that they need over the others.
Make sure you let people that arrive at your landing page know what your USP is. Make sure to let them know what you have that others don’t. Give them a reason to choose you over the competition and you have come closer to a sale.
The vast majority of buying decisions are made from the heart, rather than from the head. Appeal to how the product will make people FEEL good, and you could well start swinging the odds in your favour. Remember also that another motivator for people making a purchase is the fear of losing out if they don’t. Appeal to what visitors will be missing out on if they don’t buy and you will boost your chances of making a sale considerably.
One effective way to tug at heartstrings is to tell anecdotes. Telling 3rd party stories makes it easier for the people on your landing page to relate to the product. Let people know about an individual that found the product useful because of x, y and z, and it will help the reader to see how it can be useful to them also.
While sales copy can be highly technical, anybody can still create a reasonable effective landing page provided they follow the basics above. The financial benefits of getting it right can be significant, so it is well worth taking the time to do it properly.
