You have one job. Well maybe not you, but you’re landing pages certainly have one job. That job, that single, solitary focus, is converting. And if your asset-hosting landing pages aren’t converting, then they are not doing their job. Never fear, if you’re looking for ways to improve the conversion rate of your landing pages, we’re here to help you. Land website conversions with these landing page best practices.
Take Action Now
Action-oriented copy on your landing pages should make your users feel like they have to do something. That something could be to download a white paper or sign up for a free website analysis. Whatever step you want your readers to take next needs to be clear and feel urgent. It also helps to be short and to the point. Guide your reader to the next step with your copy. Personalized wording, including first-person language, can further increase conversion rates. Call-to-action buttons, in particular, should start with an action verb. Even small tweaks to your copy can result in higher website conversions.
Call-to-Action Buttons
Size, shape, and color all matter when it comes to your CTA. The most popular CTA buttons are rectangular buttons with rounded edges. Keep them big enough for users to find them but not so big that users find them offensive. They need to be big enough for mobile users to tap on their phones without having to resize your website.
The color you pick might depend on your industry. Different colors are associated with different emotions and attract different types of buyers. Red is a highly emotional color and is popular for food brands as well as impulse buyers. Blue is one of the most popular colors signifying trust and often used by banks. No matter the color you choose make sure it stands out from the rest of your website without clashing. It’s also good to have enough white space surrounding the CTA button. But most of all make sure that your button is easy to find and identify as a call-to-action.
Ditch the Navigation Menu
Remember that one job your landing page has? Convert. So don’t give your website visitors the chance to move away from your call to action through the navigation menu. Without the navigation menu, they are much more likely to follow through the clickable CTA that you provide.
Think of those website visitors as potential leads for your business. You want your landing page to guide them to take whatever action you’ve decided, from downloading that white page to filling out a form. Keep things simple for your readers by only giving them one path to follow.
Use Images and Video
We know that video is both highly engaging and great at converting. That means it needs to be on your landing page. Not only should you be using both video and images on your landing page, but they need to be above the fold. In particular, using video on landing pages above the fold can increase conversions by as much as 80 percent.
Videos need to be tempting enough to be clicked on, so make sure your video thumbnail is engaging and enticing your audience. Also, make sure to keep your landing page video short. Give them just enough content to be useful and make them want to click your call-to-action to get more information. And don’t forget to consider the right size for your images and video. Size each graphic appropriately for the value it offers the audience, with hero videos and images getting the largest size.
Keep It Simple
Only ask for what you need. A single one-page white paper download should only need a name and email address. A lead form should only ask a name, contact information, and perhaps if there is a specific product or service they are interested in. For more detailed downloadables you might be able to ask for a little more information.
But for every required field you add, you’ll have a 1 to 2 percent abandonment rate. So less information you can ask the more conversions you will see. Stay focused on converting and keep your landing page as simple as possible. And all that other information can be acquired later by doing some research or by having a conversation when you’ve contacted that lead.
Never Stop Testing
Don’t be afraid to continuously analyze your landing pages. Because landing pages are simple they are great for testing. Use A/B testing to see what is working and what isn’t working. Then use that information to make changes that increase your conversion rates.
Make sure that your landing page is doing it’s one job by giving it a thorough review. See if you can find areas to improve and land website conversions with these landing page best practices. Overall be clear about what action you want your visitor to take and make it easy for them to do it.
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