Improving Landing Page Effectiveness

Landing page development is an important part of the marketing and sales process. As a result, assigning business value to landing page real estate provides insight into maximizing lead conversions and improving overall campaign performance.

From a strategic standpoint, determining how page elements contribute or detract from conversion can quickly become a critical business component that drives the bottom line.

By securing just a few of the following landing page best practices, the marketer is likely to dramatically improve campaign ROI.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Placement and merchandising still matter online.
• When developing creative and messaging, remember that landing pages make up an important part of the sales process.
• Content drives clicks, particularly when targeted at particular audience.
• Set appropriate targets. Forecast visitor and conversion rates in advance of campaign flight dates to determine realistic break-even scenarios.
• Measure and make appropriate changes throughout the campaign lifecycle, not at the end.
• At the very least, A/B compare landing page approaches. Assuming you have enough traffic, use multiple landing pages to drive campaign success.

Best Practices at a Glance

1. Reduce Customer Anxiety

Does the content reconfirm the reason why the prospect came to the landing page? Look to include content that reduces customer anxiety around the buying process. Be very specific about setting customer expectations, ensuring that the customer knows exactly what to do next. Don’t make the customer think too much. Landing pages convert at less than 2% on average, so you have a very short amount of time to direct your prospect. Finally, content should anticipate customer objections.

2. Button designs

Buttons aren’t just functional. Buttons are a part of the sales process too. Effective designs should spell out customer expectations, e.g ‘Get Your Free Newsletter”, Order OnDemand Programming. Note: More often than not standard form buttons do not contribute to conversion lift.

3.Do include bullets

By emphasizing product benefit at a glance the customer may ‘scan’ the value proposition. Consider using content that has an indirect benefit..don’t just list product attributes.

4. Highlight trust identifiers

Include privacy statements, customer or industry quotes, online guarantees, product endorsements, comparative statements/charts,etc. If customer information is requested, do divulge what will be done with it.


5. Take care of the Call to action

The CTA should be immediately visible and standout above all elements on the page (likely top right) and/or near transactional buttons. Minimize customer distractions. Flash should be used when it strengthens the value prop and/or call to action.

6. Include a Hero Shot

Usually an image representing what the customer receives as a result of taking part in the sales process. Typically found in the right or left margins above the fold or near the call to action button.

7. Make the Offer Clear

Try framing the offer in a way that makes it stand out from other page elements. Use Headlines to provide the customer with visual cues – emphasizing keywords when appropriate.

8. Minimize noise elements

Remove unnecessary navigational elements when appropriate

9. Flash Elements

Flash may be used as call to action contributors, but should not replace necessary content.

10. Don’t overuse hyperlinks – hyperlinks can often be used as customer bail out points. Research suggests that when pages have too many links, customers read less and assume there is more to read on subsequent pages. Try not to use ‘Click Here’ . Every click should create momentum for the sales process.