How do you make your landing page convert?
Sadly, it’s not as easy as it looks.
Your landing page has to do more than look pretty. It has to be exactly what your customers want, and it has to lead them where you want them to go.
The good news is there’s already been a lot of testing into what works and what doesn’t when it comes to high-converting pages. No matter what you’re trying to sell on your landing page, here’s where you need to start.
The 5 steps you need to make your landing page convert…
1. Perfect the Headline
Great headlines aren’t always easy to write. There’s a lot to consider, from your audience to length and to what words to use.
A headline must grab someone’s attention and outline the problem before showing how you’ve got the solution.
That sounds like a lot to squeeze into a headline, but here’s an example:
Here we can see the problem — the prospect is totally unknown to their target audience — and we can also see the solution.
When writing your headline, you also need to consider where people are coming from.
For example, if most of my traffic is coming from a Facebook ad that promises something specific, my landing page headline needs to match that promise. If it doesn’t, conversions will be down and confusion will reign. To find out where most of your traffic is coming from, you can use Google Analytics.
It’s also a good idea to add numbers to your headline.
A headline that reads “Here’s How I Increased My Leads By 17% With One Simple Copy Tweak” arouses far more curiosity than “Here’s How I Increased My Leads With One Simple Copy Tweak.”
On a side note, numbers also improve your credibility, which can also boost conversions.
Here are 9 types of powerful headlines that are easy to write.
2. Add the Right Images
Here’s a crazy stat: As humans, we process images 60X faster than we process text.
Images play a key role when it comes to driving conversions because they can do something that text can’t — they show the customer the product.
Even if you’re selling a digital product like an eBook, presenting an image of the cover of the eBook can dramatically improve conversions because it makes your product tangible and brings it to life.
Not just this, but images can push a prospect’s emotional buttons.
Selling baby chairs for the car? A picture of the cutest baby ever in the seat shows that the seat works, and it also moves the prospect emotionally and makes them feel good about your product.
Be aware, though, not any old image will do.
Choose images that are large, relevant, and high quality. Make sure they can grab attention and push emotional buttons.
Find the tools you need to create awesome visual content.
3. Write Killer Copy
No one is born an amazing copywriter. It’s a skill that anyone can learn, though.
At the heart of it, you need to understand what motivates your customers. Once you know this, you can then write copy that keeps them on the page right up to your CTA.
To this end, you need to focus on the benefits of your product or service. As a Harvard study points out, customers don’t want to waste time reading about the solution. They already know what the solution is. Instead, you need to push your benefits.
In other words, what are you going to do for them?
If you lead with benefits, saying something like, “Using this exact process I tripled my leads — and you can too,” you’re on the right track.
Another key to writing killer copy is keeping things simple. No one cares how good of a writer you are — all they care about is what you’re going to do for them.
Good copywriting is all about taking simple words and using them effectively so they strike powerfully at the heart of the reader.
Simplicity always wins because it paints the clearest pictures in a reader’s head. Big words are only going to confuse those pictures.
Which brings us to…
4. Make It Easy to Use, Easy to Respond
Website visitors today — especially those coming from mobile devices — want to be sure your product or solution is going to be easy.
They want convenience, simplicity, and ease of use.
In your copy, be sure to use words that communicate how fast and easy your product works or how quickly results will be achieved.
But don’t stop there. Make it easy to respond to your offer too.
For example, if I was running an eCommerce store, I’d make sure my customers have multiple payment options, including Paypal, ApplePay, and most credit cards.
Then I’d feature that on my landing page, adding a small graphic with the icons of each payment option so customers know they have choices.
The point is, make sure people understand how easy it is to use your product. Then make it as easy as possible for them to buy.
5. Add a Video
Video marketing stats show that 50% of us want to see more videos from brands. We love videos!
Which means a video can help to keep people on your page. Even better, it can help with your conversions.
How so?
While a picture tells a thousand words, a video tells a million. It quickly delivers your core message in a fun, engaging, and informative way.
We just talked about making sure people understand how simple your solutions are. There’s no better way to do that than in a video.
Let’s say you have an app that’s hard to understand with just a description. Create a short two-minute explainer video that shows exactly what your app does.
This strengthens your message, and it can be the missing piece that solves your customers’ last hurrah of hesitation.
Simply by adding a video to your landing page, you can showcase your product, illustrate the benefits, overcome objections, and build trust. Seriously, why wouldn’t you do that?
Read here to learn the 7 types of videos your business needs.
Make Your Landing Page Convert
If you’re struggling to build a landing page that converts like wildfire, start with these 5 steps:
- Write an attention-grabbing headline.
- Use images to show off your product in action.
- Write killer copy.
- Make your product or solution look easy.
- Add an explainer video to clear up any confusion and overcome objections.
Then keep testing to see where you can improve your landing page for ongoing, incremental gains.
There’s a lot that goes into making a landing page convert, but the process always starts here. So what are you waiting for?
About the Author: Michelle Deery is the copywriter for Heroic Search, an SEO agency based in Tulsa, and the writer for Assignyourwriter.co.uk. Her work has been published in publications such as Entrepreneur. She specializes in writing about marketing and eCommerce.
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