All I want for Christmas…are customers!

Let’s be honest, we all want is customers and not just at Christmas but year-round. So how does your business attract new leads and convert them to customers on year-round basis? Landing Pages.

Landing pages are a critical component of the buyer’s journey. Each website generally has two types of landing pages: click through landing pages and lead generation pages. In fact, your website probably already has at least one of these landing page! Yes, your contact page which is a lead generation landing page.

Click through landing pages are landing pages without a form. They are informational pages that describe an offer or product and persuade the buyer to proceed further in their journey. The difference with click through landing pages versus a lead generation landing page is the presence of a form. A click through landing page’s goal is to convince the visitor to click through to another page (where they choose to convert or bounce off). Whereas, a lead generation landing page has a form upfront and the goal is convert the visitor right then and there.

The Importance of Landing Pages

• Landing pages direct your website visitors to take a given action. A call-to-action button or form that provides visitors clear path or action to follow.
• Landing pages convert visitors into leads. When you receive a website visitor’s name and email address, you have drawn them into the beginning of your sales funnel.
• Landing pages allow you to qualify a lead. If you use a CRM, you can track a lead’s activities on your website. You can offer special incentives or discounts through additional CTAs and landing pages to bring them further into your sales funnel.
• Landing pages reduce bounce rate during ad campaigns. Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors to a particular website who leave after viewing only one page. All ads should link to a high-quality landing page to reduce visitors leaving and improve conversions.

Components of a Great Landing Page

There are great landing pages and landing pages that need some work. Great landing pages are thoughtfully designed and fully integrated into a company’s marketing campaign and brand.

The basic elements of a landing page include:

• Headline – your offer in a short, concise and actionable statement.
• Sub headline – expands on your offer above in a short statement.
• Offer – describes the value of your offer in list form to your prospect.
• Image – use a supporting image that represents your offer.
• Validation – include additional elements that lend authority and credibility such as testimonials and badges.
• Call to Action – Button or form, this directs your prospect to take a specific action.

 

Below are guidelines in building a good landing page:

• Eliminate distractions – Remove website navigation buttons. Don’t give the visitor an excuse to wander away. The goal is to get them to complete a conversion action before they do anything else.
• Match Your Messages – Your CTA and your landing page need to use the same headlines and wording. Consistency is critical.
• Contain your form – When the form has a frame around it, it becomes visually important.
• Keep things simple – One image that represents your offer.
• Emphasize value – The visitor needs to clearly understand what he or she will receive by completing your form. Tip: Place the value under your form name.
• Only require information – People are reluctant to share in the first place. You wouldn’t ask someone you just met for their complete address, would you? Warm up your prospects by asking for a first name and email address to start. The exceptions are business that need a complete address in order to deliver their offer or product such as a home property evaluation.
• Change your “Submit” button – Submit is too generic. Instead emphasize the offer. “Get Your E-book Now” or “Get Your Personal Estimate” are just two examples.
• Build a custom “Thank You” page – Yes, this is also a landing page. When your prospect fills out the form and provides you their information – don’t leave them hanging. Redirect them to a Thank you page that confirms that information was received and provide next steps.

Finally, be sure to create landing pages for each offer. Landing pages are key to turning website visitors into leads who convert into customers. If you are not already using them, now is the time to start.