Websites are usually complex, with numerous menu items which often need to serve multiple propositions to a variety of customer segments. Each page is often just as complex and has multiple calls to actions.
Landing pages are acknowledged as the best way to ensure that traffic from lead generation tactics are directed to pages designed to meet the specific need detailed in the lead-gen CTA.
A landing page should offer a simple, single-purpose proposition, but just because they are less complex than a normal webpage, designing them correctly to meet their specific purpose – conversion – is a science. Here are some thoughts, relevant mainly to B2B application.
Above the Fold
It is recognised that visitors to a webpage make up their mind as to its relevance in less than 5 seconds. As such landing pages, not being ordinary webpages but turbo-charged ones, must meet this and then some. Will a visitor to your landing page clearly understand what you are offering and why its important to them? In 5 seconds or less?
This first 5 seconds validation therefore needs to be ‘above the fold’ – as a rough guide for desktops this is about 800px – half that for mobile.
The headline needs a clear statement of the value proposition. Efficiency is key here and the headline should be crafted to communication the proposition in as few words as possible. Often a question works here to draw in the prospect.
Ideally there should be a single Call to Action (CTA), but there is an argument to offer an alternative. Often giving a prospect choice means that they have to choose between options as opposed to yes or no. The main (your preferred) CTA should be visually strong and written from the point of view of the prospect. You are not selling, they are choosing to buy from you – there’s a difference.
If you have testimonials or recognisable customers logos, add them here as this is reassuring and validates the decision the visitor has come to the page and builds trust.
Streamlined Content
Research tells us that consumers do not read online content are not reading, they skim to find the relevant piece of information that reinforces the motivation to land on the page. They either find it and stay or hit the back button to return to the search results.
As such the content must be written and structured to make ‘skimming’ easy but still communicating the proposition. Short sharp blacks of content with and the use of headlines is much better than a lot of words. The use colour across the landing page is also a massively powerful in helping the visitor navigate through the page and to make key messages jump out.
Repeat key messages throughout the page if necessary and the same goes for CTA buttons. It should be really obvious what to do and ensure that as much as possible is above the fold.
Remember when writing content, you are not selling, a prospect is choosing to buy from you – there’s a difference.
The Attention Ratio
The attention ratio is the ratio of the number of things you can do on a given page to the number of things you should do. For digital marketing and lead-gen this means a single goal and therefore the Attention Ratio should be 1:1 on landing pages.
This is very different from other web-pages – for example a homepage could have an Attention Ratio of 10:1, meaning there might be 10 areas to compete for the attention of the visitor – all communicating your various propositions – as will internal pages. To convert well therefore, a webpage should have minimal distraction from the main purpose of the page – this is why landing pages are better as destinations for leadgen than normal webpages – minimal distractions mean more focus – means higher conversion.
