Everything you need to know to create a landing page that gives you more leads.
A landing page is a page where visitors “land”. Usually after clicking on a link, a call or a so-called. call-to-action. The landing page is usually designed in a way that will encourage the visitor to fill out a form, make a purchase or register.
In B2B and Inbound Marketing, it is especially common for landing pages that offer some form of content in exchange for the visitor’s contact information. But in order for someone to want to register to get your content, the landing page needs to convert well. In this article, we will focus most on that form of landing pages.
Three common mistakes when it comes to landing pages are:
- That you are not communicating enough about the benefits of completing the form on the landing page (and accessing the content).
- The content you offer is not interesting enough or relevant to the visitor.
- That you let the visitor be distracted, worried or “flip in the door” because of something that you could have influenced.
Here is an example of how a landing page can be constructed. Further down you can read about each of the different parts and what they fill for function:
Did you know that only 22% of companies are satisfied with the conversion on their websites? (Econsultancy) This guide will help you with what to think about to get a higher conversion on your landing pages.
Contents
What should a landing page be for?
Unlike your website, a landing page has a single task. It should collect leads. Therefore, it must convince the visitor to register or to fill out a form. However, your website has a lot of information. Among other things, it should guide the visitor the right content, tell you about your products or services and last but not least sell. All those choices are certainly good – but when it comes to turning a visitor into a contact, it can be seen as pure distraction. Therefore, navigation is often picked up on a landing page precisely because the visitor should not be distracted from doing what they got there for.
Different types of landing pages
A landing page may look different depending on what it is to perform. As stated earlier, in B2B it is common for landing pages that offer content in exchange for the visitor’s contact information. To get the visitor’s contact information, e.g. their email address, you need to offer something that your visitor really wants. Most people do not like to leave their contact details. The higher the value your content offer has to the visitor, the greater the chance that the visitor chooses to register. Let’s take a closer look at how you can use different types of landing pages.
Content landing page – B2B Inbound / Content Marketing
In Inbound Marketing, it is common to have landing pages where you present content in the form of free ebooks, guides or reports. Some form of document that is valuable to the visitor and that they would like to share. Often, it is content that they can find nowhere else and that is specifically designed for your target audience.
So on your landing page, you should convince the visitor that they need this content and that it is worth the extra effort to fill out the form and submit their contact details.
For example, a good landing page where you offer content to your visitors may include:
- An image of the content
- Let your visitors see what they are getting if they sign up. Keep in mind that the content should be neat and appropriate for the particular target audience you are targeting. But don’t try to deceive the person into thinking that she gets a thick book if, in fact, it is just a pdf on a few pages.
- A preview
In addition to an image, you can also let the person preview the content. For example, allow them to enlarge the image and perhaps scroll through the first pages. You can also upload a video where you (or someone else) tells you about the content and what’s in it.
The benefits of downloading the content
Although the content itself is certainly interesting, it is the beneficial that the visitor gets what is important when they download it. How does your content help the visitor? Can it solve a problem?
Description of the value of the content
A landing page should also highlight the value of the content. And then we do not mean that your e-book eg. is valued at 50 USD but more why it is valuable. For example, do you published a checklist for how to conduct a test then the value can be described as giving the visitor less concern, higher quality, better results.
References from others who have taken part in the content
Have your users reviewed the content and used quotes from it? Maybe they can attest that the content is valuable and really helped them in their work? A review or reference from other professional people is among the best you can have on your landing page.
Social proof
We all have a fear of missing something really good. Please update your landing page from time to time with fresh statistics. E.g. number of downloads, shares in social media, etc. One formulation could be: “2000+ test leaders already use our quality assurance checklist – download this free of charge.”
Information about possible bonus gifts
Your visitor came to your landing page because they are interested in your content. If you also throw in another gift that appeals to the visitor a lot, you can increase the chance that they chooses to register. Just make sure the bonus gift is directly related to the content the visitor came to download.
Information what the next step is
It is important that you inform the visitor about the next step. The landing page is step 1 but what happens in step 2? How does the visitor get the content? Does it get access to it directly or does it come via mail? Or do you have to wait several days for it? Try to be brief but clear about how the delivery is done.
A good form that is easy to complete
The form used on this type of landing page may be longer than you think. But it should still not require too much to fill in. Keep in mind that it must still be worth the trouble to fill out the form and to leave the contact details.
What challenges do you have?
Who are you reporting to? etc..
- Do you use Marketing Automation? Learn how to use Lead Scoring to select the most qualified leads.
- Landing page for a free demo or trial-on period
Many companies offer a free trial-on period. The purpose here is also to get the visitor’s contact information. Because even if the visitor cancels the service, then you have the opportunity to send personalized offers or offer help that makes the contact change.
A landing page for these types of registrations may include:
- Benefits/values of your product or service
- Reviews and ratings
- Conditions for the trial period (eg no credit card needed, no notice period, etc.).
- Pictures of the product or service
- What the product or services will help solve problems
- Quick registration using social media login button e.g. Facebook or LinkedIn
How to create a landing page that converts
Your landing page should appeal to the person it is intended for. Therefore, it is good if you know how your ideal customers behave to your content – both professionally and demographically. Do they work eg with finance issues in a rigid industry? Or maybe they are graphic designers at an advertising agency?
The way to appeal to your different personas is very different and you should, therefore, choose both style and tonality with care.
For example, consider:
- How the person ended up on your landing page
- What problems the person needs to solve
- Which industry the person belongs to
- What tone and design the page should have to appeal to the person
- For your landing page to then convert – i.e. Convince the person to register – there are a few tricks to keep in mind.
- The landing page should be clear and simple
- Do not try to create an over-designed landing page. Simple is good enough. The visitor came there with a single purpose and now it is time to implement that plan.
- Does the visitor quickly get an overview of the landing page?
- Does the visitor understand what he/she should do?
It is important that the form is in focus. Therefore you should not have the form too long down the page as there is a risk that the visitor misses it. Also, do not leave the fields in the form too obscure so that they blend in with the other design. However, remember that exactly how your landing page should be designed has to do with the visitor.
Remove everything on the landing page that distracts
Are there things on the landing page that distract, create uncertainty or that can distract the visitor from doing what the page is created for?
The more things there are to read and watch, the less chance it is that the visitor completes their registration. Your task when making a landing page is to minimize distractions such as:
- Unnecessary product information
- Information about your company
- Links to other sites
- Menus and links to the rest of your site
- Have a design that looks elaborate and professional
- Make the visitor feel secure (eg using SSL)
Why should I not have the menu left on my landing page?
As we mentioned earlier, a good landing page should help the visitor to focus on one thing. It is not the job of the site to do anything else. Still, about 84% of all landing pages have the menu left. As a result, the visitor is given several suggestions to leave the page and cancel the process they came for.
That being said, we don’t mean you should fool visitors here. Be sure your links or call-to-action from other sites are in line with what the landing page is actually about.
How many landing pages should I have?
Simply put, you can say that the more landing pages you have, the more chance you have of converting visitors. When you have 10-15 landing pages on your site that continuously receive relevant traffic from social media, search engines, and links, you should have a steady influx of leads or registrations.
Imagine if you have a landing page, you only get traffic to it based on an area of interest. However, if you have 10-15 similar pages, the number of registrations will increase significantly. You attract more visitors, attract more leads and connect with more people.
How do I get a landing page?
So now you know why you should have a landing page and what it should contain. So how do you get one?
A landing page is a fairly simple website purely technically. This means you can build it yourself or have someone build one for you. However, the great thing about a landing page usually happens after the visitor has completed the form. Then it is good to be able to link it to different types of services for Marketing Automation or email tools.
You also want to be able to change and customize the page to the best of your ability to have the most flexible solution possible. Therefore, many people use a service that already takes this into account.
