The ultimate guide to landing pages
Top 10 Landing Page Best Practices
Chapter 10
Here are 10 landing page best practices that you can apply to your own landing pages: from constructing your page like an argument, to CTA buttons, and more!
Creating a landing page is easy. Creating landing pages that convert takes a bit more effort. Since 2012, Leadpages has been a leader in the landing page universe, so we’ve seen what makes the most successful landing pages convert the best, and what elements sabotage results (that’s why Leadpages landing pages’s average conversion rate is 3x better than the industry average).
Lucky for you, we’ve compiled some of our best practices for landing pages to ensure you’re turning the most web visitors into qualified leads. By utilizing the most effective landing page design, content, and conversion tools, you’ll improve your conversion rates, leads, and sales.
Since different landing pages have different objectives, each page is unique. But the most successful landing pages are set up with a similar strategy. After publishing over a million pages for thousands of businesses, we’ve noticed some key patterns that you can use on your own pages.
Here are ten landing page best practices that you can apply to your own landing pages:
- One page = one purpose
When landing pages try to do more than one thing at once, they tend to underperform. Stay focused on a single message and next step (point of conversion). If your landing page copywriting or page length is dragging on, you may be trying to accomplish too much. - Craft your landing page like an argument
Consider your visitor’s perspective and where they are within your customer journey: what do they most need to know and feel in order to take that next step? What content format is most suitable for delivering that information? How will your landing page design craft an argument and provide additional persuasion as a visitor scrolls down? - Put your call-to-action (CTA) button above the fold—and always within reach
Your CTA button should be immediately within view when a visitor lands on the page. It should never be more than two scrolls away. One of the most important landing page design best practices is “CTA prevalence,” meaning your call to action is the most frequently used aspect on the page. Include multiple CTA’s throughout if you have a longer landing page so visitors never have to look for it. - Give before you get
The most successful lead generation landing pages offer visitors something valuable in exchange for a name and email address. These freebie content offers (lead magnets) typically take the form of a downloadable file, webinar registration, or online consultation. When you need landing page inspiration, consider how you’ll build your page surrounding your lead magnet. - Keep it consistent
Your landing page is often part of a larger campaign. Keep your page’s message, mood, tone and imagery consistent with the ad that visitors first clicked on, and carry over that same look onto the thank you page. - Be concise
Wondering what to include on a landing page? Aim to use the minimum amount of words, imagery, and multimedia necessary to compel your audience to convert. Streamline the experience of your page and edit out all possible distractions and disruptions. Remember this landing page tip: when it comes to content, simple is often more successful. - Reduce or remove risk to overcome objections
While you construct your page, consider what barriers could possibly block your visitors from converting. Then, include content that combats the primary objections.
Guarantees such as satisfaction or money-back guarantees can be used when price is a barrier.
Social proof is an excellent way to gain the confidence of first-time subscribers from cold traffic.
Simplified opt-in forms that only request first name and email increase conversion rates and reduce friction. - Include social proof
People will naturally conform to other peoples’ behavior and gravitate toward what their peers say and do. Social proof is a powerful persuasive device and can take the form of testimonials and reviews. - Segment your audience by traffic source
Landing pages are powerful tools because of their ability to deliver a unique message to a narrowly defined audience. Leverage this strength by sending your pay-per-click (PPC), social media, email, and organic traffic to separate, targeted landing pages that are message-matched just for them. Even consider creating different landing pages for desktop vs. mobile visitors. - Set up an A/B test or split test to find what truly works
The best marketers are also mad scientists–constantly testing out new content, design, messages, etc., to find what their audience responds to best. After publishing your landing page, consider what you’d most like to learn from a landing page split test and what your testing strategy will be.
Get real-time landing page guidance with Leadmeter
Leadpages is the only platform that automatically analyzes your landing page and provides recommendations so that you can better predict how your page will perform before you publish. Powered by proprietary AI technology, the Leadmeter combines the power of big data with landing page best practices.
Bottom line: Use these top ten best practices for landing pages to create clean, succinct, value-driven pages. You’ll attract and engage more customers if you make it easy for them to understand what they’re getting from you, and you pay attention to what works for different segments of your audience.
