Landing Pages are the most critical part of conversion
You've got traffic to your blog and website. Check. You've got Calls-to-Action set up in appropriate places at appropriate times on your site's pages. Check. Then you've got your landing pages... and man, you just aren't seeing the conversion you'd like to see. So what can you do to get those landing pages performing like they should?
Typically you'd like to see around a 10% conversion rate on your landing pages with the goal to strive towards 20%. It depends on the type of offer you're delivering, but if you're seeing a conversion rate less than 5%, or are just looking to increase that conversion rate - this article is for you. Here are 5 things your landing page needs to be successful.
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1. a clear, action-based title
The first thing we see with landing pages that aren't performing is the title. It's the attention grabber, it's the eye catcher, it's the natural starting point for a visitor to your page. That being said, it needs to be clear and action based. Clear as to what the offer is and what the visitor is getting from the offer, and action based on how they are going to receive the offer.
Are they going to download the offer immediately? Are they going to receive the offer via email? Is it a consultation over the phone? If it's a consult, set a definitive time frame, if it's a download, tell the visitor how they will download the offer. Just be clear, and use action based titles (VERBS!).
2. clear text outlining value of offer
In order to get those conversions, your offer needs to add value. In order for your visitor to realize that value and convert, you need to show them the value. This can be done through a short text description or a short bullet/numbered list of benefits, or both! It doesn't need to be super lengthy but it should clearly display the value this offer will give to the visitor.
Remember, your offer is designed to be educational, not promotional - so keep it focused on the topic not your company. If you can convince the visitor your offer will add value (give them something they want/need) then you'll get a conversion and get new leads.
3. an image/video/visual
Like so many things associated with Inbound Marketing, visuals are so important. Your landing pages are no different. It's not super duper important that your visual be directly associated with your offer (for example, a picture of your eBook cover) but it should at least be related to the subject matter at hand.
Also, don't be afraid to use short videos describing the content offer and the value that the visitor will get out of it. We've found that landing pages that have videos associated have higher conversion rates than those without - but a visual of any kind will help.
4. personalization (author)
Now this is something that you won't see a ton of landing pages do, but we really like. In Inbound, personalization is a big deal. Whether in your emails, or smart elements, everything is designed around being more personal. Personalization regarding landing pages is more centered around the person making the offer.
In our landing pages, we include the author of the content offer, a brief quote regarding the value of the post from the author, and a small picture. We think it adds a nice touch of human to the digital mix. Instead of just some agency making the offer, it's a real person. Putting a real face behind the offer makes it more personal and adds a good human touch to a digital offer.
5. Social Sharing abilities
Adding social sharing isn't nearly as intuitive as it would seem. When new at Inbound, it's easy to get caught up in using social to share content in the 'attract' phase, like blogs. However, don't forget, you want to turn your visitors and conversions into outspoken agents of your cause. You want to impress them with your knowledge through your offer, and share it as much as possible within their networks and with their colleagues.
However, they won't do that unless you make it easy for them. Add social sharing buttons or action messages. Make it as easy as possible for visitors to your page to share the offer. This will expand your reach, increase traffic to your landing pages, and give you a better shot at conversions. Remember, if your converting 10% of traffic to your LP, for every 100 visitors to your LP you get 10 new leads. More traffic to your LP's equals more conversion and more leads and that's what landing pages are all about.
our example
maximize your traffic
Traffic to your website is ultimately limited. By that we mean that you only have x amount of it coming into your site. Even more precious is the traffic you get to your landing pages. Statistically speaking, only 1-2% of all visitors to your site will click a CTA and go to a landing page. This makes that traffic to your landing pages so important and if you're not doing all you can to convert that traffic you're missing out on valuable leads.
Remember the end goal of all inbound is more customers, more revenue, added value to your customers, and satisfied evangelists of your company. Landing pages are a big part of the process.
Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out these other great articles from our blog!
- How to choose the Right CMS: Part 1 (Proprietary vs Open Source)
- Traditional vs Growth Driven Web Design
- Preventing Project Scope Creep
Also, if you're interested in getting more leads from your website, you should look into Growth Driven Design. Click below to download our Guide to Growth Driven web design.
