As a business owner or marketer, you've probably heard of landing pages, but what are they really, and why are they so important? Let’s take a look at the key elements of effective landing pages, why they matter, and provide some good landing page examples to help you improve your user experience and increase lead generation and capture.
So, what is a landing page?
Simply put, it's a webpage designed for a single purpose: to convert visitors into leads or customers. Unlike your website's homepage or other pages, which serve multiple functions, landing pages are created to serve a specific purpose and cater to a specific audience.
One of the most common uses of landing pages is in Google AdWords campaigns. When someone clicks on your ad, they'll be directed to a landing page that's relevant to the ad's content. It’s all seamless and well planned out so they are naturally moved through the marketing content without realising. This specific, focused journey helps to improve the user experience and increases the chances of the visitor taking the desired action, such as making a purchase, filling out a form, or subscribing to a newsletter.
Why are landing pages important?
First and foremost, they improve the user experience. By providing visitors with a clear and concise message, they know exactly what action to take and what they can expect in return. For example you see a Google Ad to enter a competition to win a free t-shirt, you go to a landing page about the competition, it gives you a few more details and tells you why the t-shirt is so cool. Then there’s a form to fill in to enter the competition… boom, easy.
This journey helps to build trust and credibility with your audience, which can lead to increased conversions and customer loyalty. Let’s be honest, we’re all busy and being able to complete a task quickly and easily, with all the correct signposting, is a relief to us all.
Landing pages are also an effective way to generate leads and capture valuable information about your visitors. By including a lead capture form, you can collect contact information from visitors who are interested in your products or services. This information can then be used for email marketing campaigns or follow-up calls, which can help to further nurture these leads and increase the chances of converting them into customers.
What makes a good landing page?
There are several key elements that are essential for creating an effective landing page. Let's take a closer look at each of them.
Single Purpose
As I've already mentioned, landing pages should have a single purpose. This could be to promote a specific product or service, encourage visitors to sign up for a newsletter, start a free trial, or fill out a lead capture form. By keeping the focus on a single goal, you can avoid distracting visitors with unnecessary information and increase the chances of them taking the desired action.
Clear and Concise Messaging
Your landing page should have a clear and concise message that immediately communicates the value of your offer. This could be in the form of a headline, subheading, or bullet points. The key is to make sure that visitors understand what they're getting and why it's valuable within the first few seconds of arriving on the page.
Compelling Visuals
In addition to clear messaging, your landing page should also include compelling visuals that support your message. This could be in the form of product images, videos, or infographics. The key is to make sure that your visuals are high-quality and relevant to your offer. We also love seeing testimonials with images of real people to humanise your landing page.
Call to Action
Your landing page should include a clear and prominent call to action that tells visitors what action they should take next. This could be in the form of a button, a form, or a phone number. The key is to make sure that your call to action is easy to find and stands out from the rest of the page. And that there is just one call to action!
Good Landing Page Examples
Now that we've covered the key elements of effective landing pages, let's take a look at some good landing page examples.
A great example of a landing page is from one of our favourites, Hubspot. Their landing page for their marketing automation software has a clear and concise headline: "Marketing Automation Made Easy". The visuals are also compelling, with a short video that showcases the benefits of the software. The lead capture form is prominently displayed and asks for minimal information, making it easy for visitors to sign up.
Another good example is from Unbounce, a platform that specialises in creating landing pages. Their landing page for their "Conversion Benchmark Report" is a great example of clear and concise messaging, with a headline that communicates the value of the report: "Get Data-Backed Insights into Your Conversion Rate". The visuals are also compelling, with an eye-catching image that reinforces the message. The call to action is prominently displayed in the form of a button that encourages visitors to download the report.
In conclusion, landing pages are an essential tool for any business looking to improve their user experience, generate leads, and increase conversions. By focusing on a single purpose, providing clear and concise messaging, using compelling visuals, and including a clear call to action, you can create effective landing pages that will help you achieve your business goals. Remember to always test and optimise your landing pages to ensure that you're getting the best possible results. With a little creativity and attention to detail, you can create landing pages that will help your business grow and thrive.
At Virtual Marketers we are experts in landing pages, websites, lead conversion, and Google Ad campaigns to capture your audience’s attention.
