If you’re trying to make a good first impression with your website, then start with web design best practices for your landing page. This page is the first glimpse of your business any potential lead will get to see, so you want it to make an impact. A big part of this is finding the right level of enthusiasm that doesn’t come off as pushy. Otherwise you might as well title the page “We want your money!”
Instead of jumping in head first, test the water: take your time, stay organized, and set clear goals for your landing pages. The slow and steady method will help you to design a page that resonates with your intended audience so you can convert leads into customers.
Here are our top tips for creating more effective landing pages:
- Match your website. People won’t supply their private information to someone they don’t know, so don’t make your website look like a stranger. Use your logo and a matching color scheme on all your landing pages to create a seamless, recognizable brand identity. When you proudly showcase your identity, you build trust.
- Choose images carefully. Photos help a page create an emotional impact, which can boost click-through rates by up to 95 percent. Pictures of people in particular are seen as more trustworthy, but you can’t choose just any picture. Visual Website Optimizer users ran A/B tests on their landing pages and discovered that readers thought stock photos looked too artificial. This caused a huge drop in response rates for pages that use them. When in doubt, use photos of your own team with captions to ensure they’re sincere.
- Make it look professional. Landing pages without much information make your website look like it has something to hide. If you’re using a form to collect information, add your privacy policy so readers know exactly what you’ll do with their data. You can also showcase your business’s certifications or memberships. Adding credibility to your offer will get more people to sign up.
- Watch your language. Landing pages with spelling and grammar mistakes look unprofessional. Make sure your copy is carefully worded and accurate so you come off as a credible source, not someone looking to make a quick buck.
- Keep it concise. You can offer a lot of information without being too wordy. Keep the text concise apt for skimming to draw readers in. Readers shouldn’t need to scroll to read through your landing page, because more often than not, they won’t.
- Don’t add more links. Hubspot recommends you avoid adding additional links on your landing page. These can distract readers and cause them to move on before they’ve completed your call-to-action. Instead, add links that encourage them to explore more of your website on the thank-you page attached to your form.
- Have a clear CTA. Pick one call-to-action per landing page and stick to it. All headers should have a consistent message so you don’t confuse your readers. Pages with one consistent message appear more honest to readers because there isn’t room for a hidden agenda.
Remember, most landing pages have the same basic formula: “Here’s what we have to offer. Here’s what we’d like in exchange for it.” Honesty in both parts of this exchange is important so readers know exactly what to expect. Keep your message simple and the text concise. With a friendly page and a few sincere images, you have everything you should need to build a solid landing page that will get you the conversions you deserve.