ARTICLE
By: Sam Gonzalez, Vice President of Strategy, Sextons Creek What is a “landing page”? It’s the page of your website that people land on after clicking links in your emails, ads, social media posts, or other forms of digital marketing. Should that be your home page? Maybe, but maybe not. Having the right info on a landing page DRAMATICALLY increases your conversions (getting people to take the next step). So, what makes a landing page great? Here are some tips: Your landing page should relate to the content or ad you are running. Whatever offer or information you are featuring in your content should be prominently featured on the landing page. Don’t make people hunt for the info! Generally speaking, less-is-more, so make sure your landing page isn’t overly cluttered. Think about it from a prospective customer’s point of view. What information would you find most helpful if you were the customer? Make sure to clearly display the next step that you want the potential customer to take. Do you want them to fill out a form or click on a button? Whatever the next step is, make it obvious. (Bonus fact: forms should be kept to 3 or 4 fields maximum and asking for a phone number reduces form fill-outs by 50%.) Have a clear, prominent headline and use a subheading for more explanation. Having a form with no content intimidates people. Be strategic in your copy. For example, use the word “you” - to make your content feel personal, or the word “because” to signal you are providing an explanation. Showcase what you can do for THEM, don’t bore them with details about why you are so great. Research shows that you have a maximum of 8 seconds to convince visitors to stay on your page so get to the point and quickly! Use quality images to grab attention. A landing page should NEVER be all text. Test different colors for your CTA button. It should contrast sharply with your background to stand out. Have a quality offer. Don’t just be gimmicky. People can smell bad marketing a mile away, and you do not want that associated with your brand. Showcase a testimonial quote or review to give your user confidence in your company. If you are able to link your page to your social media reviews, that will be even more powerful. Make sure your landing page looks good on mobile devices. Having a great mobile page can double your conversions, but having a bad one can ruin your campaign. Remember, in the mobile world, speed is king, so it should take less than one second to load a page. If your page has a form, does a thank you page display after a submission? If it doesn’t, then it should! The thank you page can contain info about your other offerings. By following these guidelines, you should be well on your way to creating a high-converting landing page, that will allow you to start driving a higher number of leads through your marketing funnel. About the Author: Sam Gonzalez, Vice President of Strategy at Sextons Creek, is a marketing strategist with a heavy creative and development background. He is responsible for crafting and overseeing all aspects of marketing materials and campaigns, for multiple clients in local and global markets. Sam uses his past experiences and current knowledge to lead strategies that ensure product and brand awareness, and he can be reached at 317.459.9143 or sam@sextonscreek.com.