Driving traffic to your landing and not getting actual conversions is one of the most common struggles in performance marketing. In this article, we will give you a short overview of the landing page’s best practices and how to minimize the risk of low conversions.
By definition, landing pages are sites users are redirected to when they click on ad creatives. Usually, you would use landing pages over websites as they can be assigned to specific campaigns, and later on, traced and optimized accordingly. Also, the difference between a landing page and a website is that the latter ones usually contain way too much information than needed for initial product introduction and lead generation.
Tip #1: Crystalize your value proposition
Selling an expensive service in one go is a difficult goal to attain; to get to this, you may need to add a few intermediate steps in the sales funnel. Usually, you can generate leads by collecting customers’ names and email addresses on your landing page and helping them proceed to the next stages by delivering value across their journey.
Make sure that the value proposition is attractive, especially at the top of the funnel. Generic PDF guides or weekly updates in exchange for contact information is not a very alluring promise that your customers are looking for. Instead, you should resonate with exact customers’ needs and solve their real problems.
Tip #2: Translate value proposition into the headline and CTA
The formulated value proposition should be stated in the headline, this should be the main point of the entire landing page. For the headline, try to avoid bold unsupported claims, but rather engage your target audience in a more subtle way. For example, you can ask questions focused on the users’ specific problem you are trying to solve. Note that the ideal length of the headline is three to eight words.
A powerful CTA phrase, on the other hand, is the final accord of your communication with the user. Make sure it is compelling, easy to find and has an appropriate placement on the site — typically, on the first screen after the headline and in the end, after a thorough description of all benefits, social proof and other information.
Tip #3: Keep your copy simple and consistent
Communicating in a simple and concise form is one of the most important prerequisites to impressive conversion rates on your landing. For some products, you may need more extensive landing pages to answer objections. However, even for these cases, we strongly recommend writing in short paragraphs that are easy to read.
To keep users’ attention on site, you also have to communicate everything in a logical order and maintain a consistent tone of voice along the way.
Tip #4: Show social proof
Merely describing features and benefits is unlikely to compel users; depending on the main purpose of a landing page, there are many forms of social validation that can add credibility to your value proposition. Whether you make an e-commerce or event landing page, you can include:
- testimonials
- case studies
- a list of clients
- video reviews
- press publications
- proven statistics on product usage and efficiency
Tip #5: Add compelling visuals and video explainer
Take into account that the vast majority of people are visual learners and perceive images faster than text information. Make sure that the visual focus of your landing page is in line with your target audience and the product itself — you can add a headshot, product shot, graphic images, etc.
In some cases, a simple video explaining the key benefits of the product would drastically boost your conversions. According to Unbounce, adding this type of video content increases conversions by 20% on average.
This is particularly relevant for small impulsive purchases because videos help make quicker decisions and generally save consumers from spending arduous attention on research and comparison. For the vast majority of performance marketing campaigns however, it is useful to conduct A/B testing and compare conversions with and without videos.
In the video explainer, you should cover all the basic features and benefits of your product and answer the most common objections from your target audience. Keep it short and concise as well — usually, no longer than 5 minutes.
Final thought
Undeniably, landing pages are extremely important in performance marketing campaigns, unless you want to pay for the traffic that does not bring you leads. There is no precise formula to make sure that the landing page will bring high conversion rates, but going through this checklist will substantially increase your chances.
First of all, you have to crystalize the value proposition and communicate it through the headline and CTA. If you want more users to follow along and ultimately convert, cut off the fluff and get to the point as fast as you can. Also, unusual and quality images can help grab the users’ attention and make them read the rest of the copy. Last but not least, do not forget to add social proof in some form and clearly show the actual benefits of your product.
