How to Create a KILLER Landing Page
February 17th, 2010
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Understanding how to build an effective landing page is extremely important. Most people send their visitors to their home pages, but this is usually not a good idea. Why?
- Not all your visitors are the same. If you sell a $29 book and a $5,000 coaching program, both audiences are very different from each other and need different marketing approaches.
- Creating a marketing message around a specific call to action will get you a much better response. Landing pages are ideal for this.
So, What Do Landing Pages Look Like, Anyway?
These are some of the most important things you need to keep in mind when you’re working on your landing pages:
- Make Them Short. Write a powerful headline that attracts attention, use a bulleted list for your benefits and have a clear call to action. That’s it.
- Keep the Important Stuff Above the Fold. “Above the fold” means “what you can see without having to scroll down”. Get rid of that huge logo you have. It’s not about your company; it’s about your visitors. The three most important elements of your home page (headline, benefits and call to action) should be above the fold.
- Make Sure Your Copy “Flows” Well. Your copy needs to follow a logical path. Show them the problem first, a solution to the problem second and finally show them what they need to do to take action.
- Have ONE Very Prominent Call to Action. If you ask people to do 10 different things, you’ll lose them. Ask for ONE thing and make sure your call to action is the focal point of your landing page. Are you tired of seeing those big, red animated arrows showing you where you need to click? Guess why they’re everywhere. Because they work!
- Include Testimonials. Talk to your salespeople and discover what are the most common objections people have about your product. Then, get testimonials that overcome those objections. For example, if a lot of people complain about your high prices, get a testimonial from someone who thought your prices were really high but decided to give it a shot anyway and now he’s really happy that he did, because your product is much better than the cheaper options.
- Make Your Message Consistent. If your Google AdWords ads say “Get a FREE Trial” and your landing page is all about buying the paid version, you’ll turn people off. Make sure you have a consistent message across your marketing path.
- Get Rid of Distractions. You don’t need a navigation menu or links to other pages on your site. Define your funnel and stick to it. If you absolutely need to display more information about something, make the links open in new windows.
- Don’t Ask Too Much from Them. Ask for only an email address if possible. Maybe a name. But stay away from those long forms and definitely don’t ask for any sensitive information (credit cards, social security number, etc.) If you need to get this kind of information, ask for an email and name on the landing page and then ask for the rest of the information in the next step. That way, if people don’t complete the process, at least you have their contact information and can get in touch with them later.
- Credibility and Risk Reversal. You need to show people why they should trust you (note that I said “show”, not “tell”). In addition to testimonials you can use case studies, expert endorsements, before and after shots and any other kind of evidence that can back up your claims. You also need to show people how they’ll come out on top even if your product doesn’t work for them (think “guarantee”).
- Privacy Issues. A simple line saying “We hate SPAM as much as you do. We won’t send you junk mail and we won’t give your email address to anybody” should be enough.
- Test, Test, Test. There’s no way to know for sure what headlines, marketing approaches and calls to action will work best unless you test them. Use Google Website Optimizer to test the most important elements of your landing page.
Some Examples of Great Landing Pages
February 17th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Terrific post! I am going right now to update my landing page and incorporate your list.
Thank you.
February 17th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Look at it - you said don’t bother visitor with collecting unnecessary info and yet your most perfect page examples are asking for it!
February 18th, 2010 at 1:05 am
Great advice. I couldn’t begin to figure out how many websites I have left because I either could not find the information that “should” have been there, or their page was so cluttered with information - I didn’t even bother to try. (Afterall, there are A LOT of other websites)
February 18th, 2010 at 10:23 am
Cindy, you’re welcome!
King, I didn’t create these landing pages but I think they’re great. You shouldn’t ask for information you don’t need but if you need a piece information to qualify a prospect, there’s nothing wrong with asking for it. After all, it’s quality of leads you want, not quantity.
In the first example, they analyze websites (so they ask for your web address) and they want serious clients only (so they ask for a phone number). In the second example they ask for information they need before calling the prospect.
Penny, great point!
Have a great day!
Zeke
February 18th, 2010 at 11:36 am
I am working on my website now so this is very timely and so helpful. Thanks so much for putting this out there.
February 18th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Nice list! We’ve used Netflix landing pages as good examples as well. One thing I would add is that Netflix has very competitive pricing which is why it works so great for them to include it on their top-level pages; however, most organizations will want to test putting pricing in various places in the funnel to see what works best.
-Kristina, @ion_interactive
February 18th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
The more simple and eye-catching your landing page can be, the better results you’ll have. Keep in mind that website visitors are often scanning web pages and in a hurry - so keep it easy to read/ digest at a glance.
And, bring your brand design into your landing page to extend the reach of your brand.
February 18th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Hi Zeke,
Thanks for all the great tips. More companies should just give a free sample instead of spamming people with twitter.
I find most small companies are extremely stingy. The free trial is good in that you find very quickly either they like your product or they don’t Excellent post.
February 22nd, 2010 at 12:41 am
Nice post, Really helpful thanks.
February 22nd, 2010 at 11:52 am
Very good points. I think the advice is applicable to even product pages within a website.
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Great tips; tight and to the point.
Many thanks, Martha
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:18 pm
I personally feel more than 1 call to action is necessary.
My primary call to action is to call me or click on a banner for an estimate.
But, I also have a softer call. Give me your email address and I will sign you up for a free newsletter plus a discount on my next visit.
This gives me a chance to get people who do not want to commit to an estimate, even if there is no obligation.
Jay Jetty
Carpet Cleaning Las Vegas
February 24th, 2010 at 11:33 am
I’m all up for multiple calls to action, but when you get PPC traffic and people arrive to a landing page, you should capture the contact information first, and then you can do whatever you want.
There are exceptions to the rule, but I’ve found that this is what works best.
Zeke
February 25th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Thanks for this post, Zeke. Your communication is clear about what is important and what the touch points need to be. Its worth making changes to my page based on these recommendations. Please check out:
http://www.dynamicalsoftware.com/online%20marketing
February 26th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
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September 21st, 2010 at 2:28 pm
Zeke,
Great stuff! I’ve been thinking about using a landing page on my website. These tips got my mind working in the right direction. Thanks!
October 6th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
http://www.posterous.com
http://www.tumblr.com
http://www.groupon.com
greatest onboarding/landing pages ever.
December 30th, 2011 at 1:34 pm
Thanks. It has been really worth the read.
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