The best landing pages are the ones that create response and revenue to the company. Creating an awesome landing page isn't easy. It's about trial and error. There are rules of thumb to follow to make a landing page work in your favor.
Inbound Marketing Best Practices For Landing Pages
A landing page is supposed to engage users to take action based on the request made in the landing page. It's supposed to grab many visitors' attention and entice them to make a move. It consists of the background, the offer and the presentation.
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- Offer: The offer is inside of the message. In a few sentences, tell the users what you want them to do. Give them something in exchange for their information. Make it legible with a readable font and add the company name.
- Background: The background sets the scene for the offer and presentation. Vivid color, stunning images and/or video are great examples.
- Presentation: The finished product must be crisp, clean and professional. Make sure no scroll bars, site maps, search bars or navigations bars are located anywhere on the page. This will keep them there long enough to read the message and make a decision.
- Additional information: Add a contact form consisting of information. Name and email, name and phone number or name and address are great examples. Have a “SUBMIT” button underneath the form. Have a thank you page ready after they submit. Put up a new landing page when the offer is past the expiration date.
Landing Page Alternatives
Instead of creating another website devoted to your landing page, a landing page alternative is to use your homepage. Since visitors normally go to the homepage when they are typing in the address bar, it's wise to take advantage of this opportunity because it makes the homepage more than a static, forgettable site. Merging a homepage and landing page involves a different set of rules. Companies taking the plunge must make sure it's a homepage first with a landing page feel.
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- It must resemble a homepage. It's not going to be your standard homepage, but users must know it is one. Add a navigation bar, search bar, contact and sign in information at the top or bottom of the page. It must have an introduction (albeit a short one) that welcomes people to the page and tells people about the business.
- It must resemble a landing page. An eye-catching image, bold color or video will be the background. There must be a form, a submit button, a short yet action filled message and easy to read font.
- Scroll bars are optional. You can create a landing page like Vimeo and Paypal where the homepage has the elements of a landing page. As you scroll down it starts to feel like a homepage giving you general information about the company. You can eliminate the scroll bar and have a clean page like Pinterest and Tumblr. The choice is up to you.
A visually pleasing landing page is in your future. The right combination of conversation and creativity will be the deciding factor in whether users take action.
