8 Characteristics of High Converting Landing Pages
Written by Toonimo
Pouring massive money into an extensive PPC and SEO campaign can do one thing- drive quality traffic to a site. It can't convert visitors to customers. The traffic is great but the question is what happens when the visitor gets to the specific landing page they're directed to? Is the site traffic directed on a journey to an abyss of internet distress? Can a company shift the efforts to gain significant traffic and also increase conversion rates via landing pages?
In order to increase conversion rates on landing pages, companies MUST include these 8 specific characteristics. Converting the traffic is the only metric that determines long-term business success. Take the time to review these traits typical of any highly converting landing page.
Headlines
Any conversion focused landing page should include a strong, engaging headline. The headline should instantly attract a visitor and cause them to continue reading. The headline piques the interest of the visitor and gives them a brief idea of what the offer will be.
Design
After a solid headline, a visually engaging landing page is critical for optimizing conversion rates. Differentiate the landing page design from prefab designed templates. Consumer will appreciate a landing page that is customized and relevant.
Onsite Guide
Most companies design landing pages without focusing on the consumer and placing their interests as a priority. The landing page should be simple and clear for any visitor to easily navigate and submit the necessary information. No landing page will yield 100% conversions. In many instances the landing page is over complex and creates a sense of user ambiguity.
Guiding or directing users through the landing page conversion funnel with intuitive explanations to improve user experience and walking users through the process, will encourage higher conversion rates and reduce customer service requests.
Call to Action
It all comes down to this. A strong call to action draws the user to take an action. An action can be to complete a purchase, send user information, or complete a form. An effective CTA requires time and careful consideration. A solid CTA can significantly change the conversion rates for any company.
Offer One Thing Only
This is a common challenge with landing pages across industries. Rather than focus on one specific offer or conversion, the landing page offers two- a free e-book and a request to sign up for a newsletter. Multiple offers confuse users and reduces conversion rates because it creates distraction.
Credibility
In today's digital world, consumers are exposed to myriad of advertisements. With each ad, consumers lose confidence in brands and their ability to evoke trust to the consumer. Any consumer that navigates to a landing page should see signs that the company is a credible source in the specific industry. It can be a badge from the BBB or any industry specific seals of approval. Even testimonials from active users or influencers can increase the trust factor among consumers.
Form Fitting to Goal
Landing pages are designed to solicit user information through forms. An important consideration is what information is needed from the consumer. Careful attention to only the most relevant information will change the design of the form. Keeping it simple is important but only within the context of what's necessary for the company to succeed. In a B2B space, qualifying a lead with only a name and email is very difficult.
Design the form with the sales funnel in mind.
Stop Distracting Users
Viewing every user that visits a landing page as a possible customer will help a company focus the design efforts towards keeping the user experience simple and seamless. Keeping users focused is difficult. Reducing the distracting content that will harm the conversion funnel will increase conversions.
Remember that the key to a highly converting landing page is to constantly test the content. There are no workarounds or templates to this strategy. Each site requires constant testing.
