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How to Build a Landing Page That Converts

The whole point of a landing page is to convert, but not every landing page is effective.

The main difference between a landing page and any other page on your site is how it’s found. Typically, your homepage will be found through a social media page, a listing on a review site or a directory, or through word of mouth. Landing pages, on the other hand, are typically found organically while searching for a specific keyword.

Different pages on your website exist for all kinds of reasons. For example, some pages are merely informational and designed to educate your readers. However, a landing page has only one purpose — and that is to convert.

“Converting” can also mean different things for different pages. There can even be more than one type of conversion you’re shooting for with a single page (although, it’s in your best interest to choose just one). So, when you set out to create a landing page, you first need to identify what a conversion means to you. Is it a conversion when someone signs up for your newsletter or is it when someone fills out your contact form for a free estimate?

No matter what the end goal may be, there are a number of things to keep in mind when building a landing page that will convert.

5 tips for creating a landing page that converts

#1. Keep the design clean and organized

Don’t make the mistake of trying to cram too much into a landing page. Sure, you may have a lot of information that you’re trying to get across, but if the page is too cluttered or busy, it’s going to have a hard time converting.

In a previous blog, we talked about how white space can be an effective design tool, and it’s something that’s worth repeating because of how powerful it can be in directing your users to take a specific action.

When used effectively, white space makes for a clean design that points users exactly where you want them to go. Think about it — white space helps to eliminate the clutter that can make it unclear to your users about where they should go and what they should do to take the next step.

#2. Secure attention with an eye-catching headline

No other bit of text on your landing page will be quite as important as the headline, which makes sense, seeing as how the headline is the first bit of text people will read when they come to your website. A great headline not only grabs the attention of your viewers, but it also compels them to stay and learn more about what you have to offer.

In addition to grabbing and holding the attention of your visitors, your headline should make it clear what the landing page is all about. It’s also a good idea to choose a headline that accompanies and complements an image.

When writing a headline for your landing page, it’s important not to get too wordy. Preferably, your headline will be 10 words or less, but it should be no more than 20 words. Remember, if the subject of the landing page (i.e. your product or service) can’t be summed up in so few words, you can always give more details in your subheading.

#3. Make sure that the page is mobile-friendly

These days, most of your traffic won’t come from desktop computers; it will come from mobile phones. And, that’s why it’s more important than ever before that every page on your site, including your landing page, is designed to be mobile-friendly.

There are a lot of things that you can do site-wide for a mobile-friendly website, but there are also a few steps you should take on your landing page:

  • Make buttons clickable - There’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to click on a button on the mobile version of site because it’s too small. Make sure that your buttons are big enough to click on mobile!
  • Break up text - When writing mobile-optimized content, make sure to break up your text into smaller paragraphs. A regular paragraph looks fine on a desktop computer but can look like a wall of text on a mobile phone.
  • Ensure that it loads quickly - A landing page that loads slowly will also likely have a high bounce rate. Make sure your landing page loads quickly by making sure your images are all resized and compressed properly.

#4. Take it to the next level with a video

There are some aspects of being human that have been ingrained in us by millions of years of evolution — and one of those things is our innate need to track motion. Whenever something is in motion, we can’t help but look, and it’s because of this reason that adding video to a landing page is one of the best things you can do to help it convert. In fact, adding video to a landing page is so effective that it can increase conversions by a whopping 86 percent!

In addition to increasing conversions, adding video also helps to increase comprehension in your viewers. For most people, when there’s an option between reading a paragraph or watching a video, they’ll almost always choose the video.

#5. Pick human images

Images are another element of a landing page that can’t be ignored, and the kind of images you choose can have a big impact on how convertible that page will be.

Just as evolution has left us with the innate desire to track the motion of a moving object, it is also what’s made us the social creatures we are today. As such, it’s nearly impossible for us to ignore images of other human faces.

When choosing images for your landing page, don’t settle for generic product images or storefront images. Choose images that feature people, preferably with a clear line of sight.

The whole point of a landing page is to convert, so make sure that you keep these tips in mind when designing your website with the Websites 360® website builder.

Originally published on 1/24/20