The popularity of landing pages is growing every day, which means that if you decide to pursue a career in web design, you’ll often encounter projects that require creating landing pages.
And like any web design, creating a landing page has its own rules and secrets that make it truly successful and ensure high conversion rates.
The goal of a landing page is to keep the user's attention on one specific message and encourage them to take a certain action. To achieve this, you need to follow these rules.
#1 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
Certain key elements play an important role in the success of a landing page:
#2 MINIMAL NAVIGATION
The purpose of a landing page is to get the user to complete a specific action without giving them the chance to leave before that happens. This can only be achieved if you remove everything that may distract the potential client and lead them away from the main focus.
Eliminate all distracting sections and buttons that prevent the user from being guided straight to the main action.
#3 SIMPLE AND CLEAR CONTENT
Like all great things, the success of a landing page lies in its simplicity—particularly in the clarity of the information provided. Don't try to overload the page with too much information about the product or service. The visitor needs to understand just two things:
When creating a landing page, get rid of unnecessary text, images, links, and media files—leave only what is truly essential. Also, keep the content structured logically so that the user understands what the call to action means. Most importantly—they should *want* to click that button.
#4 CUSTOMER REVIEWS
No one wants to buy a product or subscribe to a service without first seeing feedback from others who have already tried it. That’s why it's so important for a landing page to include real-looking testimonials from users. Good reviews should contain the following:
#5 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
When users land on your page, they should not only understand what you want from them, but also how to do it. You should provide a short, step-by-step guide showing how easy it is to get what they want. This should be visible almost immediately upon entering the page.
The optimal version is a three-step instruction, for example:
Don’t make users go through unnecessary steps or click on multiple links to get your product.
#6 REGISTRATION FORM
Who enjoys filling out long registration forms asking for everything down to your second phone number and your grandmother’s name? No one!
Don’t collect data you don’t need. The user should only provide the contact information and personal details that are absolutely necessary. If all you need is their name and email, don’t ask for anything more. Huge forms scare off visitors just as much as endless steps to get the product.
#7 SOLVE A PROBLEM
A good landing page shouldn't focus on praising your product or your company.
It should show the user how your product or service helps solve their problem—and how quickly and easily it can be done. You can use “before and after” comparisons or contrast your offer with competitors’. There are many options, but the goal of each is to show that your product, and no other, is what the user needs to fix something or improve their life.
#8 ONE LANDING – ONE GOAL
A landing page is created for a single, specific purpose. If you want the user to download something, don’t confuse them by also asking them to register, subscribe, buy, or click elsewhere.
By the way, this also applies to adapting your landing page for other platforms. When optimizing for search engines, sending out emails, or posting on social media, make sure all your content is aligned. If your email says “Download the eBook,” the landing page should also offer the book—not ask users to subscribe to a newsletter or fill out a form for a free gift.
INSTEAD OF A CONCLUSION
Creating a great, successful landing page is not that difficult—especially if you follow the rules and remember that the goal isn’t just to advertise a product or inform the user, but to turn even a casual visitor into a client. So, as a bonus tip: don’t underestimate the power of social media. Be sure to include a “Share” button and social media icons. Give users the ability to share your page and bring in more clients.
Great news for all our readers! Very soon, on October 10, the Web Design Marathon featuring tons of exciting Landing Page masterclasses will begin. All participants will not only learn how to create truly awesome landing pages, but also how to make money from it and win valuable prizes.
