May 13 2020
As we have seen with the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the online world provides a superior alternative for keeping your business online and afloat when your physical shop can’t keep its doors open.
With such high importance placed online, you must ensure you are taking advantage of your online presence, maintaining landing pages to convert as many visitors as you can to leads. But how, you ask?
The secret to creating landing pages that convert
Not getting results with you landing pages? Don’t fear; we are here to help you! With years of experience, we know exactly what it takes to turn a visitor into a lead! Continue and you will find five steps that will help make your page one that will convert.
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Define the goal
First thing is first, you’ll want to define your goal. Before you can go ahead and create a useful landing page, you need to outline what you want to achieve. Whether it be adding to your email subscribers or simply getting more enquiries and increasing your sales, you need to establish your goal.
To pinpoint your goal, think of the number and time you want to reach this goal by. For example, 100 new email subscribers within 60 days. This way, you certainly have direction, a deadline and a number that will act as the shiny finish line.
We recommend sitting down – and really taking the time to write your goals and all the details that define it. Established your goal? Great, now we can get planning and start optimising!
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Use strong call-to-actions
This point is incredibly important, because not only is it valid while the user is on the landing page, but it is also vital for the step before that gets the user ONTO the landing page. From the moment they see your meta description in the SERPS, you need to let them know WHY they need you. You need to know exactly what your visitor’s issues or needs are and how you can sell it to them and let them know that you have the solution.
Whether it be a snippet in your meta description enticing your users to click on the landing page or the way you word your main page headings, you need to sell. Your customers need to know that you have the solution they are looking for.
This is also where research of your target audience comes in as you need to get a good understanding of what they want. Learn what your market wants. Are they interested in cost-effective programs? Or maybe there is a demand for a particular material-based item? What is most important to them? Affordable and cost effective or fast and superior? Make sure you include words and items your users want to see in headings etc!
How about buttons? Are you using effective buttons that are eye-catching? From utilising a colour that stands out to using words that motivate, you need to compel the user to click through. There are plenty of ways you can create a CTA that works.
Think of where your CTA is positioned and if it is easy for the user to find. This goes for both the page leading to your landing page and on the landing page itself. Don’t be scared to repeat the CTA a few times, use bold text and always remember to drive it home by finishing with it at the bottom of the page.
No matter where your CTA is, you need to ensure you are compelling your users to click through. Make them want to contact you! Make them want to visit your page or download your exclusive item!
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Use engaging headings
Check out your headlines. How are they? Do they make you want to do precisely what you are trying to get your users to do? Do they make you want to keep following through the buying process?
Users can be attracted or detracted by a heading – this is your one and only chance to keep them engaged. You need to use appealing language and words that make your users want to follow through on your website. Think ‘exclusive’ and ‘limited-time offer’ for that hard-hit.
Furthermore, you need to ensure your headline meets the user expectations. If they clicked on your page that was titled ‘Popular Tours in Sydney’, then you’ll want to ensure that your title is identical or at least heavily related and follows on from the page they have just come from. If it is an entirely different topic to what the user expected, there is a good chance they’ll hit the back button within seconds.
Bottom line, you need to deliver a headline that gives the user exactly what they want. Whether it was something they already expected when clicking through to the page or a headline that they are happy to see, make the title worth it and count, you only have a few seconds to engage.
You also need to work out what you need and plan it out before you jump into it. i.e. a Lead Magnet or Form integrated into Mailchimp to capture leads.
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Remove all distractions
For a landing page that will convert you need to make sure you remove any distractions. You want your landing page to be efficient, achieving the goal you set out so users can focus on the important bits and the things you want them to. Give them a clear path to direct them exactly to where you want them to click on/fill out.
This means taking out any irrelevant banners or sections that may distract the user and take them off track. You want to keep them focused and get them to the point where they make the final conversion.
In this aspect, white space is an important friend of yours you would want to utilise. Make the page clean and show only what the user would need to see and know. This also means clear CTA’s, and not several different ones! You don’t want to overwhelm the user; you want them to know exactly where they should be going and how to get there without going off-track.
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Deliver the promise
Once they are on the landing page, you need to keep them on the page! This means giving the people what they want. Don’t make it too technical (unless that is what they expected), keep it simple and deliver the user what they came to your page for.
For example, if they clicked on a button promising an ‘Authentic Gourmet Italian Pasta Recipe’, the user will expect that there is an authentic Italian pasta recipe that follows suit whether it be through download or already showcased on the page.
If you fail to give the user what they clicked on your page for, you will credibility and affect your Google Bounce rates which is not good for SEO. Furthermore, you will prove unreliable and misleading. You don’t want to leave your customer feeling disappointed they have come so far for something they don’t want- this is clickbait and annoying for users! It will only do bad for your reputation, so you need to make their click is one that doesn’t go to waste!
So, look at your page and think about it. Does your page do everything the user would expect? Do you fulfil all your promises? What more could you do to get the user to convert into a lead?
Remember, the more you deliver and exceed past their expectations, the more likely they are to turn into a lead. Give them everything they want and more and they’ll be sure to commit to the process in return.
Follow up marketing & re-targeting
We said only 5 but thought we would throw in a freebie.
This step is valid for all goals. If you wanted to get more email subscribers and sales, make sure you send emails to those who have subscribed to remind them you are here! HubSpot has said 80% of businesses believe customer retention is increased by email marketing, making it a tactic you would want to get involved in.
Whether it be your monthly newsletter or you are letting them know about your recent sale, follow it up! Think about sending a follow up email, a ‘How did we do? Here is 10% your next purchase’ email, which many users love and appreciate. By sending them a thanks for their first purchase, they will appreciate the gesture and generally take the discount for future purchases.
Or even if it is a pop-up message confirming an action after someone has clicked a button on your website, a confirmation can do wonders. Not only that, but it shows users you care which too can go a long way.
Also investing in Facebook Pixel or Google Re-targeting ads to keep reminding them you are here can be a great method of enforcing recall and obtaining users who may have fallen through the cracks.
We hope that this gives you some direction and assists you in improving your landing pages. To remember these points, download our free infographic here. Now fix up your landing page and start getting those leads!
Don’t have a landing page? Give us a call! Not only can we serve you with a landing page, but we can setup a sales funnel and create lead magnets to turn visits into quality leads, giving you an effective landing page from the get-go.
As a digital marketing agency specialising in full service SEO, can help you achieve your marketing goals. For more information on how we can help you with a landing page that delivers or any other digital marketing service, send us an enquiry or give us a call on 1300 090 401.
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