How to Design Landing Pages that Convert

Landing pages are an integral part when you want to optimize the conversion rate on your site. They allow your potential customers to review the specific information they are searching for once they have clicked an ad, without ever having to search through your main site. Once an ad is clicked in a search engine result, it takes the user directly to your specifically designed landing page that is optimized based upon the ad that was clicked. The entire goal of a landing page is to convert your potential customers into customers, but if the landing page is not designed with this goal in mind, then your conversion rate efficiency will be much lower.

The Anatomy of a Landing Page

If you browse around for effective landing pages, you might begin to recognize a pattern.
This is no coincidence. The pattern I am referring to is highly effective at communicating the information needed to convert users. The pattern is like this:

1. The Headline — The first thing the user reads when landing on the page. Just like a newspaper headline, the goal is to grab the user’s attention, yet, guide them down toward the rest of the page. Most successful headlines are catchy and well worded.
2. The Hero Image — The first image that the user sees when landing on the page. This image should greatly reinforce your headline. The hero image is a powerful emotional tool when it is used successfully. It can draw your users in closer to a call to action and have them one step closer to converting.
3. Supporting Points/Proof Points — These are persuasive points that convey more ‘proof’ of the promise that is within the headline. They are small pieces, but can be very useful in increasing the sense of trust within your user.
4. Call to Action (CTA) — The type of CTA will vary from landing page to landing page, as there are a few ways to call the user to an action. Forms are an easy way to collect specific types of data from your users, like their name, age, email address, or whatever data type that needs to be collected in order to follow up on the new lead. Download buttons and phone numbers are the other two common CTA’s that are incorporated within landing pages.
5. Testimonials — Because most people tend to trust others when they hear or read a review about products or companies, testimonials are another useful tool to add to your conversion optimization repertoire. This form of ‘social proof’ helps validate your company or product.
6. Third-party Endorsement — This is a relatively new tactic, but it is becoming more and more imperative to have on your site. Similar to the testimonial’s function, third party endorsements allow you to use the trust of other brands and reinforce that trust in your brand or product. However, your audience MUST be able to recognize the brands you showcase or they will be useless!

Using this basic structure when creating your landing pages will allow you to increase your conversion rate organically. You will begin to understand the patterns of landing pages as well as the patterns of your users when they visit your page. Once you begin to understand the patterns of your users, you can fine-tune some of the elements within your landing page structure in order to optimally target your users with the critical information needed in order to drive their conversion.When the fine-tuning is complete, you can sit back and watch your landing page do what it was made to do: Convert!

At Blueprint, we have experience across multiple facets to help create optimized landing pages for your business. Our strong background in marketing, communication, SEO, and video production give an affordable and well-rounded solution to Atlanta businesses. Call us today for a free quote, and when the fine-tuning is complete, you can sit back and watch your landing page do what it was made to do: Convert!