Your website is a work of art. It’s live, it’s working, generating traffic and you’re proud of it.
But now, perhaps you want to take your website to the next level, and you’re wondering “how do I create a good landing page?”
The first step is to understand what a landing page is. A landing page is a single page (instead of a full website) used in online marketing to convert your audience. A conversion, in this case, could include a newsletter sign-up, a purchase or a lead.
An example of a landing page by Shopify.
1. Think about what it’s for
Initially, it’s important to ensure that what you’re creating is aligned with your goals. Creating a landing page is a great way to send paid traffic to a place with one consistent and concise campaign message, followed by a call-to-action. Are you creating a landing page for a social media campaign, or are you looking to optimise it to be found organically on search engines? This is an important place to start when planning your landing page creation, and your user experience should be tailored for each scenario.
If you’re using your new landing page to support with a social media campaign or a seasonal campaign, make sure your landing page is clear, concise and has one obvious call-to-action on the page.The whole point is that your users digest your information and convert quickly, without getting distracted by the other areas on your website.
2. Content is king
Once you’ve decided the purpose of what you’re creating, it’s a good time to start thinking about your content. It’s important that your content is concise, using clear headings and short blocks of text to ensure that your key messages are being absorbed by your audience. A landing page is not the place to give your 60-minute sales pitch and delve into the background of your company, but it is the perfect place to promote a special offer, a new product or your USPs.
Think here not only about the content on the landing page itself, but also about how you’re planning on getting users to your landing page. Consistency is key, and it’s important to deliver a cohesive experience from the moment your users see your advert or search engine result, to the moment they convert on your page.
3. Look above the fold
This is a big one that people often miss. When talking about the fold in online marketing, we mean the top section of the website that your users see before scrolling down your page. This is essential because universal bounce rate data suggests that most users will bounce (take no action and leave) once they visit your landing page. So you need to ensure that your message and offer is clear, even if your audience do not interact with your page.
Above the fold example from Snack Nation
4. Make it mobile-friendly
Another massive consideration, and particularly important if your goal is to use your landing page to convert people from social media traffic. Forms, in particular, are very tricky to fill in as a mobile user, so be sure to keep any data entry to a minimum - that means no forms that are longer than a mobile screen, and have more than 3-4 entry points. Data now suggests a huge shift towards mobile away from desktop, with 52% of global internet access coming from mobile devices in 2019 to date.
Statistics from GlobalStats 2019
There are many more considerations when creating a landing page that really converts, but here are a few of the main ones that come up time and time again. Good luck!
