A large portion of websites on the internet are actually landing pages. This has caused the landing page competition to become quite intense. The person whose landing page is better optimized will see a far more impressive conversion rate. It doesn’t matter if you have used a website builder to create a business website or hired a web designer to build it for you, it is still essential that you review your landing page and be sure that you can check off all items listed on this checklist. If you can do this then you should begin to see an increase in conversion rates among your websites.
1. Make the Headline Stand Out
The purpose of a headline is to make a certain text or image stand out. Make sure your headline on your landing page catches the visitor’s attention right off the bat. Typically, a headline is at the top of a web page and is styled in a banner-like fashion. Make sure the product you are selling is included in the headline, whether though text or an image.
2. Include an Image of Actual People Showing off the Product
Every landing page is based around a different type of product. You may be promoting and selling a tangible item, like a home gym, or an intangible item like a webinar subscription. Whatever your product may be, make sure you include an image or two of people using the product or people experiencing the results of the product. Think of it this way: An effective landing page for diet pills always has a before and after of a person’s body.
3. Turn Paragraphs into Bulleted Lists
A common rule within the world of web page design is “less is more.” Keep your text and information to a minimum. Only list the information crucial to the purchase of the item. Don’t have a block of text that is more than three lines high. Take that block and put it into a bulleted list. Listing information makes it easier for the visitor to read it and process it more quickly.
4. Limit the Number of Links
You surely don’t want to give your visitor somewhere else to go (through a link) after you have finally managed to get them to your landing page. Only include links within your site that will lead a visitor to something that you want them to see, not away from your site.
5. Fast Loading Time
The majority of people don’t practice patience- especially when it comes to websites. Make sure your whole landing page takes no more than three seconds to load. Flash websites take longer to load. You may want to consider removing Flash elements or large images if your website is taking too long to load.
6. Emphasize How to Buy the Product
One of the worst things to do on a landing page is to leave a visitor trying to figure out how to buy the product. Implement large and easy-to-read buttons that lead visitors to the check out page. Make the purchasing process as simple as possible. People do not want to go through brain surgery in order to purchase a product.
7. Always Use Please and Thank You
Are you grateful for your customer’s purchase? If so, then tell them! Implement a “Thank You” page that they will be directed to after completing their purchase. Almost all successful websites use “Thank You” pages to not only thank their customers, but also to up-sell them. For example, your page might say, “We appreciate your business so much that we are willing to give you another year of the product for only $4.99! Click here to redeem this offer.” This is just another way to squeeze a few extra bucks out of a customer that is willing to buy!
Don’t let your landing page fall behind those of your competitor’s. A landing page doesn’t have to be fancy and have all the bells and whistles to be effective. In fact, the simplest landing pages are often the best. You can even create a free business website to act as your landing page and no one will ever know the difference. Keep this checklist in mind as you continue building and adding to your websites.
