A landing page; also called squeeze pages; are one of the foundations of lead gathering. While their significance cannot be overemphasized, numerous marketers still get the basics incorrect.
There are two key challenges when attempting to successfully implement landing pages for lead generation.
The first challenge is that landing pages are all over the place.
Masses of websites have pop up forms, landing pages (or squeeze pages), etc. Internet users are quite numb to them and are much savvier and can spot a ‘bribe’ when they see one.
By the way I do not like the word “bribe” to describe a lead magnet. It cheapens the whole exercise. It is used here only because it is a common term in the lexicon of online marketing.
People more hesitant to opt in because they know that it entails more marketing emails swamping their inbox.
The landing page bar has been raised up.
So, you will require to step up your game if you want to convert people into subscribers, which brings us to the second challenge; increasing your conversions.
Luckily, there are a few steps you can take to boost your conversions and turn your landing page into a lead producing machine.
Minimalism Is the Greatest Sophistication For a Landing Page
Less is more. The less you have on your landing page, the better.
It may appear counterintuitive. Nevertheless, you are attempting to build trust and ‘encourage’ the visitor to sign up. However, tests have continually demonstrated that all a landing page requires is a strong headline, an appealing freebie, and a straightforward layout.
If you are employing images, it is safest to stick to 1 or 2 at most. Bullet points; if used); should not surpass 5.
Most notably, keep your form fields to a bare minimum.
Requesting for their name and email will be sufficient. The more particulars you ask for, the smaller your conversions will be. People are hesitant to disclose their phone numbers, addresses, etc. to an online entity that they are uncertain of.
Keep Information Above the Fold
‘Above the fold’ on a website indicates the upper half of the page that is visible without you having to scroll down. Preferably, your headline and form fields ought to all be found above the fold.
The instant visitors need to scroll down the page to opt in, you will be negatively affecting your conversion ratio. You want to make it as simple and clear as possible for people to sign up to your list. Do not make them do work for it.
Faster Loading Pages
We are in a world of instantaneous announcements and Netflix. People need things FAST, even if that involves the complete 16-episode season of a TV show thrown upon them all at once for them to indulge watching instantly.
This degree of impatience was unheard of just 2 decades ago, but it is the standard now.
What does that mean?
It means that if your landing page loads slower than a turtle with stiffness, people are just going to click off the page and go someplace else.
Your landing pages ought to be lightning fast. So, you will need good web hosting such as Siteground or WPX Hosting.
Instead, you could use page builders such as Leadpages or Systeme which are fast and hosted solutions.
Whichever way you go, always remember – speed is everything. You can check how fast your page loads here: https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/
Be Mobile-Friendly
With nearly all of us stuck to our mobile phone screens and surfing the net at all times of the day, it goes without saying that your landing page requires to be adjusted for mobile.
You can verify your page’s performance on mobile devices here: https://ready.mobi/
Correspondence
If you are using paid ads and directing the traffic to your landing page, there must be correspondence between the ad and your landing page. The colours and fonts utilized should be related, and what is stated in the ad should be mirrored in your landing page too.
This will guarantee that the visitor goes through a smooth process that feels natural; instead of going from an ad which appears distinctive to a landing page which is jarringly distinct from the ad.
No External Links
The sole links on your landing page should be to your privacy policy and perhaps another legal page such as your terms of service. These links should be at the bottom of the page and in a reduced, less conspicuous font size.
As stated previously, your landing page only has one aim; to turn visitors into subscribers.
If you have links directing to your blog or other pages, a proportion of your subscribers may click on these links and vanish through the rabbit hole without ever subscribing to your list. A mistake.
Strong Headline and a Call-to-Action
Your headline will establish just how efficiently your landing page converts.
It should be succinct and about 8 to 10 words long. The headline should be benefit-driven and imply the amount of benefit the subscriber is receiving for ‘free’.
If you can talk in the visitor’s language and address their deep-seated worries in your headline, you will have a successful landing page.
Do not overlook that you need to inform your visitor what to do. Give a call to action above the form button or on the button itself. (E.g., ‘Get Access Right Now!’ or ‘Sign Up Now!’)
Test the Whole Thing
Most companies do not have successful landing pages right out of the gate. They keep experimenting and redoing until their conversions are soaring.
With continual A/B split testing and examining the analytics, you will be capable of seeing which landing pages are doing well and keep those. Remove what does not work.
Test the headline, the fonts, the colors, the images (if any), the call-to action, etc. Test all the components, but only test one component at a time so you understand precisely which one is making the difference.
Understand Your Audience
When it comes to landing pages, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Even in a particular niche, there will be various audiences with distinct requirements. For instance, weight loss for women above 40 is a particular niche.
Still, some women may be stay-at-home moms while others are hard-working career women. Several may be overweight while others are attempting to lose only 10 pounds. Some may favour yoga while others like jogging.
Therefore, if you are aiming for these separate audiences, you will require a different landing pages that talk to them clearly. Your headlines will require to be different. For example:
- “7 Weight Loss Tips for Stay-at-Home Moms!”
- “10 Diet Secrets for Active Women!”
- “Stop Running! It’s Simpler to Lose Weight with Yoga!”
3 different headlines for 3 different landing pages. All focus on women above 40 who are attempting to lose weight but have special needs.
Does this involve more work on your part?
Yes, but this additional work will improve your conversions and gain rewards many times over.
A Respectable ‘Thank You’ Page
Finally, once a visitor signs up, they must be brought to a thank you page which lets them understand that their gift has been emailed to them.
Or request them to click on the email confirmation link which was just sent to them. Or say, “Thanks for signing up!”
What counts is that you inform them what they should know, and this will assure them that their engagement and signing up was recognized.
Use the 10 pointers above and your landing page will be a lead generating powerhouse to be reckoned with.
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[avatar user=”mike” size=”thumbnail” align=”” link=”file”]Mike Gaudreau is the owner of The Wealthy Boomers, a site devoted to helping seniors make money online. Mike resides in Montreal Canada.[/avatar]
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