How To Create Landing Pages that deliver for your organisation

The Magnificent Seven Elements of your websites Landing Pages

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far away… the success of a website was measured by how many ‘hits’ your site received. In other words, what was the big number. Back then, we didn’t care about the details. Things evolved quickly, and now the concept of landing pages is a critical aspect of your site's success.

What is a landing page?

A landing page is just another page on your site. But actually, it’s so much more. A landing page should have a single focus. Your goal should be to direct your prospective clients to the EXACT page they want. You can do this through Google, email marketing or any other online advertising that you do.

A Practical Example - Inspire Plumbing Inc.

Imagine for a moment that you’re in the plumbing business.

Your home page will act as an ’executive summary’ of your company and your site. But what you want to do is create specific pages. For your plumbing business, those landing pages could be -

• Central Heating
• Bathroom Installation
• Burst Pipe Repair
• Maintenance Contracts

Landing Page Fundamentals

Headline

Your headline has two jobs. First of all, it has to inform your visitors as to what your page is about. Secondly, and more importantly, it should capture your audience's attention. In other words - it should persuade them that it’s worth their time to carry on reading.

Subheadings

The main job of a subhead is to break-up the content of your page into bite-sized chunks. A big block of text can be difficult to read. Using subheads makes your page scannable. In other words, people can skip to the point in the page that is most relevant to them. 

Body Copy

In a good landing page, there will be a mix of features and benefits content. But the most important thing is to tell a story from the perspective of your audience. Make it about them NOT you. Talk about how you solve their problem. 

Formatting

As well as using subheadings to break up your page, you can also use other tricks. You can present your content in different columns. Or change the look by using bulleted or numbered lists.  Try and make the page as dynamic as possible. But remember - the key is to make it readable. (Don’t get too fancy!)

Testimonials

Social proof is a big buzz word at the moment. But ultimately it’s about having credible testimonials and sharing them. Testimonials give people confidence in your ability to deliver.

Images and Video

Your landing page can be greatly enhanced by using video and pictures creatively. And again, it can also serve the purpose of breaking-up the content on your page. You might, for example, consider having a video at the top of the page.

Call-to-Action

The purpose of a landing page is to persuade someone to take an action. It doesn’t have to be a direct sale, but it should be a step towards them making one. A call-to-action could be -

• Subscribe to a newsletter
• Request a Brochure
• Request a free initial consultation
• Request a Call Back
• Book an appointment

Ultimately data-capture and starting the relationship should be the key driver for any landing page.

The Power of Free

One final thought. Remember the power of free. And not just any old free. But great quality free. Not ‘cheap’ free. Free that adds value to your visitors. It might be a free video, a free eBook or a free email course. Don’t skimp on the quality. Make it something that genuinely adds value. You’ll reap the rewards in the long-run.

Your Turn

Have a look at your landing pages. How many of the aspects we’ve outlined have you got covered? Be honest? More importantly, what’s the one thing that you could do right now to improve your landing page?

Identify that one thing, and to borrow from a well-known shoe manufacturer… Just Do It!