The ultimate guide to landing pages
Landing page design
Chapter 08
From the hero image you choose to the color of your opt-in button, your landing page design can make or break your campaign.
Once you’ve established your landing page’s purpose and have outlined the overall message and copywriting that you’ll include, it’s time to consider how you’ll structure your content and design a cohesive, compelling experience.
Landing page design is equal parts art and science. Landing pages are designed to connect with an audience and create a seamless, frictionless path to conversion. Whether you’re offering a free ebook or a $5,000 coaching package, the structure of your page and the multimedia you include has a massive impact.
A well-dressed, well-polished page has the power to persuade an audience, professionally position your brand, build credibility, and convert. On the other hand, if your design is an afterthought, your visitors will very likely sense that something is off, and click away.
A lot of marketers ask, “But how long does it take you to design a landing page? Am I focusing too much or too little here?” Design shouldn’t take long (especially if you start from a template).
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So what do you need to focus on when crafting your landing page design to make sure it pulls people in?
Here are the top landing page design tips to keep in your back pocket:
- Verify the visual hierarchy
Does the sequence make sense?
Think of your landing page as a short conversation. Do you supply the most critical information in the most logical (compelling) order? Is the most important information upfront? Does it flow well? - Keep your design simple
Can you simplify? Where?
When in doubt, leave it out. Every design element should work to drive visitors toward a single call to action. You want to design landing pages that elevate key content that needs to be communicated. Support the copy, as opposed to distracting from it. - Use design to tell a story.
Does your design evoke an emotional response?
Your graphics and images should spark the emotion you want visitors to feel while also clearly communicating what your offer is. - Choose fonts that speak your language.
Is your text tantalizing or terrifying?
Saying something serious? Use a serif font. Want to send a playful message? Try a handwritten script font for your headline. You want your fonts to amplify the message you’re trying to send. Stick to no more than two or three fonts per page—and most importantly, keep it legible and easy to read. - Select a color palette and stick to it.
Is your color palette aligned with your brand?
Choose up to three to four colors that work well together and align with the colors you use to represent your brand. - Optimize your page as part of a larger journey.
Have you considered the visitor’s full experience?
Where are visitors coming from and going to? Your landing page is just a single step in someone’s journey across many touchpoints with you. Be sure to plan out the content that leads visitors to your page, as well as what will be delivered after they take action. Designing it concurrently will ensure your messages match and your creative is cohesive. - Remember: feedback is your friend.
Is your design data-driven and/or customer tested?
Before sharing your page with the world, why not forward your design to a colleague, friend, or (even better) current customer? Ask for constructive feedback, check to ensure your key message is conveyed, and do some final polishing before promoting. You can even request feedback from landing page designers and work with them to get the most professional end result. - Seek hard-working, fast-loading images.
Are my images fast-loading?
Size images so they load quickly but still look great on every device. As a rule of thumb, consider the largest device your image will display on, and crop it to that width. - Contrast is key.
Is your eye drawn to the call to action?
When it comes to highlighting your primary call to action, be sure to choose a color that stands out from the rest of your page. Additionally, create enough contrast between your text and background to ensure readability. - Design with a mobile-first mindset.
Is every element mobile-responsive?
Because more than 60% of all web traffic occurs on a mobile device, it’s crucial to ensure these users can view your landing pages and fully interact with your content. - Include your logo.
Is your business professionally represented?
Visitors want to know they’re seeing content from a trusted source. By positioning your logo strategically near the top of your page, people will know where they are right away. - Add social proof.
Do you convey credibility?
When it’s appropriate, include testimonials or reviews that entice visitors to take action. Use customer photos to help build credibility. One of the best landing page practices is seamlessly blending social proof with design for an integrated, conversion-worthy page.
Bottom line: Your landing page design should be clear and simple with contrasting colors, supportive imagery, and consistent branding. By focusing on how to design landing pages, you’ll start to see a major increase in the effectiveness of your landing page conversion.
