If you are trying to generate leads and sales online, a key component in your marketing and sales funnel is your landing page.

Having a bad landing page can mean that you get low conversions i.e. the number of people that actually become leads or sales. Obviously that is not good for business so you want to make sure that your landing pages are created with high-conversion principles in mind

Let’s start by looking at what a landing page actually is and how it is used.

What is a landing page?

A landing page is a dedicated web page that is set up specifically to convert visitors into leads (or sales). It is normally set up as part of a digital marketing campaign where potential leads will see a piece of content such as a video, blog post, social media post, or online ad, and they click a link which takes them to the landing page.

The landing page will have information related to a specific offer and some sort of call-to-action (CTA) that tells the visitor what you want them to do.

This normally would be to sign up for something by entering their details (such as in the case of a freebie or lead magnet) or to make a purchase.

It is called landing page because that’s where your visitor “lands” on, however landing pages can be referred to by different names such as opt-in page, sales page, or squeeze page. 

Here are some tips on what high-converting landing pages include in their layout

1 – Use a compelling headline

Your call headline should be specifically related to the problem that you are going to solve for the target audience. If you are too vague the visitor may not connect with it and lose interest.

In order to create effective headlines you need to understand the problem you are solving and who it is specifically for so that it resonates with them when they see it.

2 – Outline the challenge

Clearly state the problem or challenge that your target customer is facing. Highlight the key aspects and how it is affecting them or making them feel.

This builds trust as it makes them realise that you know what they are going through. As a result they will automatically expect that what you are offering is going to solve that problem for them.

3 – State the benefits

“Paint the picture…

Paint the picture of what it will look like if they take action and get your offer. List the key things that they will achieve or will be able to do. Doing this helps to create a bigger desire and will increase your conversions.

4 – Use a Video Sales Letter (VSL)

Create a video that explains your offer. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but having a video creates a better connection and helps to build trust more quickly

Videos have been reported to increase conversion rates by up to 78% [source: Wyzowl].

5 – Add testimonials

Adding testimonials from past customers shows is a great way to add social proof. If people see that others are happy with their results, they are much more confident about moving forward.

6 – Add an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

You will most likely have common questions that you get all the time regarding your offer. Adding the answers to these on the page will not only help your visitors but also save you time, as it reduces the number of those questions coming in to you.

7 – Have a clear Call-to-action

Make it obvious what you want people to do next. Explaining this and highlighting your call to action will help avoid confusion.

8 – Keep the design simple

Over-designing your landing pages by having too many elements on the page that are distracting can hurt your conversions. Keeping pages minimal, and only including what needs to be there, helps to focus the user on the key information.

9 – Optimise for mobile

Most web users are on their mobile phones when browsing the internet so chances are they won’t be viewing your landing page on a desktop or laptop. Your landing page needs to be optimised for mobile use so that it is laid out well and is easy to use.

10 – Optimise for speed

Users don’t like to wait around for your landing page to load. If it is slow, a lot of people will simply leave. Page speeds of under 2-3 seconds are considered to be ideal.

You want to make sure that you are on good quality web hosting that is fast and that you reduce the file size of any images you use so that they won’t slow your page down.