Landing pages aim to engage your target audience and convert leads. But what do you need to know to build an effective landing page? In this guide, we present 5 quick tips for creating a successful landing page and include a landing page template for inspiration.
What is a landing page?
Overall, a landing page is a page on your website. As the name suggests, it is a page that you "land" on after performing an action. You might have clicked on an ad or a call-to-action (CTA).
In B2B marketing, the purpose of a landing page is conversion, meaning that you want visitors to fill out a form to collect their information. You can do this by offering free content, a demo of your product or, for example, a free trial.
Download our landing page template
The difference between a regular website page and a landing page is their focus. Where a regular page is designed to explore and investigate, landing pages are designed to support a specific campaign or offer, which is why a landing page will have only one point of focus, one CTA and minimal distraction.
Landing pages are an effective tool in your company's digital marketing strategy. While there are many different types of landing pages, there are some general criteria a landing page should live up to succeed. A good and effective landing page must:
Collect data on your leads
The purpose of your landing page is to convert visitors into leads. Therefore, your landing page must have a form visitors can fill out. This form must attract attention so that visitors can’t avoid seeing it. All content and design choices should be made with that in mind.
Limit interaction options
Your visitors shouldn’t be distracted by unnecessary interactions. If your landing page has different CTAs that lead to other pages or offers that are not connected to the main goal, you risk reducing your conversion rate.
Guide the user to action
You should be confident about what you want the visitor to do. The sharper and more specific you can be in your communication and design, the greater the chance your visitors will convert.
Our top 5 tips for creating a landing page that works
Now that we have gone over the basic elements of a good landing page, it’s time to dive into the more specific tips and tricks that will help you create a successful landing page.
Here are our 5 best practices for creating a landing page that converts your visitors into leads:
1. Copy is paramount
You must be careful not to write too much copy. Less is more when it comes to landing pages, but of course, it is all about balance. Include only what the recipient needs to know to trust your page.
Too much text can result in information overload, which makes it difficult for the reader to navigate the page. You risk them giving up before they can convert.
A good rule of thumb is that your text should fit into short paragraphs and preferably be shortened into manageable bullet points.
2. Think about how you present your information
Having a 'hero' section as the first thing on your landing page can be an advantage. A hero section is a section that briefly and precisely explains what your offer is about. It supports your credibility and signals what action to take.
This section should immediately grab your visitor’s attention and make them curious to know more, similar to a first-hand impression.
When creating a hero section, there are some essential things to keep in mind:
- There should be no menu or other form of navigation that can distract the visitor.
- Confirm that the visitor has landed on the right page, and repeat what the ad or CTA that led to your landing page said in your H1 and H2.
- You need to convince the visitor to convert. Tell the visitor why they should convert on your offer and what they will get from it. Speak to their needs and how your offering can help them with XYZ.
- Keep it short. The length of your landing page will always depend on your offer's complexity. Sometimes you will need more space to explain your offer but always try to keep it as short as possible so that the reader doesn’t have to scroll through several pages.
3. What should your offer cost?
A landing page has two functions: to qualify leads and to convert them.
Sometimes you offer an e-book and other times you offer a product demo or a free trial. You have to consider how much information your visitors should 'pay' to get their hands on your offer.
Consider which stage in the buyer’s journey your offer fits and how much information you need to qualify the leads who fill out the form.
As a rule of thumb, the more bottom-funnel your offer is, the more information you can ask for.
4. Use a clear layout and informative images
On a landing page, the most important function of your images is to help convey the main message of the copy. It should aid the visitors and help them understand the offer.
Visitors form an opinion about your landing page in less than a second, and their opinion is most often based on appearance. Your landing page should therefore be simple and appealing, including basic details such as identifying the proper distance between your elements.
A good rule of thumb is that padding and margins should match, meaning there should be an equal amount of space between all your elements and sections.
5. Make sure your landing page looks good on mobile
Finally, it’s important that your landing page also works on mobiles and tablets. For example, if you advertise on social media such as LinkedIn, you should remember that more than half of your visitors are scrolling on their mobile phones.
That’s it! You are now ready to create your landing page. Download our landing page template, use our tips as a guide, and you are well on your way to engaging your target audience and converting more leads.
